In rural surgery, not everyone fits the environment the same way.

The work doesn’t slow down, and the community expects you to stay, serve, and carry responsibility without backup.

Today Dr. Randy Lehman speaks with Dr. Jesse Van Maanen, a rural general surgeon practicing near where he grew up. They examine why surgeons with rural roots or early commitment tend to integrate more naturally, and why moving rural to escape a busy system often fails.

The discussion centers on how that fit shows up in practice, from handling complex cases with limited staff to using robotics as a tool for control rather than convenience, and building trust through direct, honest patient conversations.

Rural surgeons will leave with practical takeaways: choose the environment intentionally, understand what the community expects of you, and build your practice around those realities rather than trying to reshape them.

0:00 Intro

00:50 Dr. Van Maanen’s Background

05:54 Why Rural Surgery Is Special to You

16:56 How I Do It: Robotics in Rural Practice

44:39 Financial Corner

46:36 Classic Rural Surgery Stories

54:39 Resources for the Busy Rural Surgeon

Resources Mentioned:

North American Rural Surgical Society:

https://www.northamericanrss.org/

🌐 Connect with The Rural American Surgeon:

https://www.theruralamericansurgeon.com/

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