Scalpels and Strings: Similarities between the Orchestra and the OR

By Dr. Sruti Cheruvu

Some of the earliest lessons I learned that helped prepare me to be a surgeon came from the orchestra. I played violin and viola in my school and regional orchestras throughout high school. Some of my fondest memories are of working on Mozart, Tchaikovsky, and Shostakovich – learning my pieces inside and out through hours of practice. It was often grueling but deeply gratifying.

I made friends from across sections, including fellow string players and wind and brass musicians. We would share parts and swap cues to see how our different parts fit together. I often leaned over to ask the concertmaster or the cellist sitting next to me if I could look at their score to understand how my part fit into the bigger picture. If our director gave a cue for the clarinets before our entrance, I would write that part into my music. These small connections turned out to be essential – they taught me to listen, anticipate, and collaborate.

Sometimes, we rehearsed in small groups outside of class to run difficult sections and help each other improve. The more we worked together, the more I understood everyone’s role in the orchestra – and how the roles could shift between who played the melody and who carried support. Our playing became sharper, and we lifted each other to bring our pieces to life together.

Years later, as I began medical school and took my first steps in clinical training, I was surprised to see how, in many ways, the orchestra and the operating room echo each other. Surgeons require the same intense practice and preparation as musicians. Preparing for cases is much like preparing for a concerto – it requires intense preparation, including studying the details, and being able to anticipate any potential complications that may arise.

Just as musicians must know their pieces inside and out, I have learned to do the same with my patients on the floors and in the OR. Furthermore, patient care is always a team effort – whether it involves working with other residents and attendings, nurses, or anesthesiologists. There are seldom solo acts in surgery.

From the time morning sign-out begins, communication is key. We learn the “what” and “why” of everyone’s roles and responsibilities so that we can all work together. In the operating room, we collaborate with anesthesiologists and surgeons from various subspecialties. Although I may not have a firsthand understanding of everyone’s specific responsibilities, I need to know enough to collaborate seamlessly as part of a team.

Though my relationship with music has shifted from the orchestra to smaller spaces, the lessons I have learned from music remain central to how I approach learning surgery. Both music and surgery demand discipline, dedication, and, ultimately, collaboration. In the case of surgery, it all serves one goal: to provide better patient care, which we continually strive to do better every day.

Sruti Cheruvu is an incoming preliminary PGY-1 surgical resident at Geisinger Medical Center. She is a recent graduate of Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and received her MD in May of 2025.

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