Mack Jacobson

Tell us about yourself

I grew up on a cattle farm in Ponoka, Alberta and completed my undergrad at Queen’s. I come from a family of veterinarians; including my dad, grandfather, and younger brother, but decided to head down the human route and attended medical school at the University of Alberta. I have an amazing family; my wife Laura, four month old daughter Charlotte, and dog named Finn.

Why did you choose a career in general surgery?

I enjoy the pace and breadth of General Surgery and have always enjoyed using my hands. Plus I am not the most patient person in the world, so I like being able to change patient outcomes quickly and see the tangible benefits of interventions. General Surgery is the best as you get a spectrum of procedures from open, to laparoscopic, to endoscopic which makes it a lot of fun.

What has been the biggest lesson you’ve learned throughout your training?

Be humble, hardworking, and a team player

Do you have any call rituals?

Nothing specific comes to mind, but usually involves eating a greasy meal.. oh and you can’t underestimate how much of a game changer brushing your teeth and having a shower can be.

What do you do for fun?

I enjoy watching and playing most sports; hockey, golf, football, and snowboarding top the list. These days, however, I enjoy spending my free time with my family.

What are your career goals?

As I said, I have always appreciated the variety General Surgery brings and hope to keep that scope in my practice moving forward. Still trying to sort out what setting that might involve, but from my training and electives I have learned there’s tons of amazing people and places to practice in General Surgery.

If you could go back and give advice to yourself in medical school what would it be?

Work hard, be reliable, and a good person and things will work out

If you could go back and give advice to yourself as a junior resident what would it be?

• You probably don’t need to go to Stampede again tonight
• The virus on the news in December 2019 will be a big deal
• Enjoy your colleagues, there’s a lot of great people around who will become your close friends and mentors