Jane Cowan, MD, MPH

Jane Cowan, MD, MPH, is a general surgeon who specializes in emergency surgery, trauma, and critical care.

Coming from a family with a long history of service in multiple branches of the military, Dr. Cowan enlisted in the U.S. Air Force Reserves when she was 18.

“I picked a medical unit and tried to pretend I wasn’t headed towards trauma surgery, but when I was deployed to Iraq in 2008, there was no stopping that path,” says Dr. Cowan, who knew she liked to work with her hands and in high-pressure situations. “In my current job, I get to use creativity and make quick decisions, and I get to help people during what can be some of their most difficult days.”

Whether she’s in the operating room or the intensive care unit (ICU), Dr. Cowan says she makes it her goal to make a medical experience less scary and easier to understand for patients and their families.

“The interactions I have with them are so important because they may remember them for the rest of their lives. It’s an intense connection and I love people,” Dr. Cowan says. “I enjoy the opportunity to problem-solve and help them through difficult and painful situations and be a bridge between the medical establishment and them.”

Dr. Cowan’s research interests include the ethics of end-of-life care and unnecessary procedures, as well as fatigue and human performance, particularly regarding surgeons.