Dr. Andrew Cameron, M.D., Ph.D. (Med ’98, Bus ’24, Faculty) is the 8th director of the Johns Hopkins Department of Surgery. After serving in an interim role since 2021, Dr. Cameron was recently appointed as director of the department. He follows in the footsteps of his father, John Cameron, M.D., who was the 5th director of the Department of Surgery and has had a distinguished career at Hopkins as both a renowned surgeon and a teacher. Dr. Andrew Cameron’s grandfather was also a surgeon. With Father’s Day approaching, I sat down with Dr. Andrew Cameron to learn about what it was like being raised by his father and how he strives to be a good father to his own family. 

Q: Tell me about your upbringing and how your father influenced your decision to go into a career in medicine and surgery.

A: I was raised in Baltimore and was born at Johns Hopkins Hospital. In high school, I loved math and science, and it occurred to me early on that my dad did something special for his work. He would take us into the hospital, which was an intimidating and interesting place to explore. As a child, I had experiences in the shopping mall or grocery store where somebody would come up and say, “Oh, my God, it’s Dr. Cameron! You saved my wife's life!” At that age, I didn't know what he did, but it seemed important, special, and valuable. That all impacted me early on to the point where I was intrigued by his profession. 

Q: Your father has this very strong and well-known reputation as a surgeon. Trainees called him “the boss.” Can you explain what he was like as a father and how he has been a mentor to you? 

A: Most people think of him as an important historic and powerful figure in surgery and in the training of many residents. I think they imagine that it must have been a very similar experience growing up as his son. He was a powerful person to be around, but he was also my dad and taught me normal things, which may come as a surprise to people who have only seen the tough side of him. He taught me how to drive a car. If I lost a wrestling match in high school, he was there to tell me that it would be okay. He and my mom raised us well. 

Q: With your father's prominent reputation, how are you carving your own path at Johns Hopkins? 

A: My hope is that I've done an okay job with carving my own way. In addition to being exposed to my father and his work in surgery and medicine, I also learned from other incredible role models at Johns Hopkins in pediatrics, psychiatry, neurology, ophthalmology, and I considered those specialties also. 

When I did make the decision to go into surgery, I decided to train at Mass General and complete my transplant training at UCLA to allow myself to have my own path. Once I was married and had my beautiful daughter, my family moved back to Baltimore. 

Q: It’s neat how you found your way back to Hopkins and Baltimore. This seems like a common trend among our alumni. Tell me more about this decision. 

A: Johns Hopkins has a very strong gravity for the people who know it and have trained here. It's a wonderful place to work and a great place to spend a career. I've been back for 20 years and will walk down the hall and see a friend who was a medical student classmate of mine.

Q: Now that your role as director of the Department of Surgery is official, what are you most excited to take on?

A: It's an incredible department. Besides its history, which my dad and others were a part of creating, its future is incredible. Our department has about 600 people and we encompass some of the most dramatic and important mission-central work going on at Johns Hopkins right now—whether it’s in cardiac, transplant, pediatric, or another type of surgery. The possibility with modern medicine is exciting, and Hopkins is lucky to get the best medical students and trainees in the country. The sky is the limit for us. 

Q: That’s great to hear. Moving into your personal life a bit, Father’s Day is approaching. How do you celebrate with your own children, or with your father?

A: I've got a wonderful wife and two great kids. Each Father’s Day I think about them and my dad. And he thinks about his dad, who was also a surgeon. I think about whether I'm being a good dad for my kids, and and how I might do it better.

Q: What are some lessons that your father taught you or you have learned that you’ve shared with your own family?

A: I resemble my dad, not only in medicine, but also in the way he lives his life. He always said, “Come early, stay late. Don't lie, cheat, or steal. And be nice to everybody.” Those are important lessons that I live by, and I’ve passed them along to my kids.

Q: Do your children have any interest in science or medicine? 

A: I have a sophomore in college and a 10th grader. I just want them to find their way, whether that’s in medicine or science or not. I am, of course, partial to being a surgeon because I think it’s a great way to spend a life of helping people and serving them. 

My daughter says she wants to be a doctor but not like me. She wants to make her own way and is interested in psychiatry. I'm excited to see the paths both my children will take. 

Q: Can you tell me about the balance of being a father with the demands of your job? How has your career impacted your view on fatherhood?

A: Having kids changed everything for me. When I was young, I thought your job and success were what matters, and I now know that it is never as rewarding or as important as your family. At the end of the day, your family is what carries you through good days and bad days. I'm not sure I have a perfect work-life balance. It’s a challenge—one that I think is even more challenging for the young people we train in medicine because they expect to live balanced lives, and that's what I want for them, but there are only so many hours in the day with our demanding jobs. 

Q: You mentioned the next generation of leaders in medicine. What is something that you hope to pass on to them? Do you have words of wisdom? 

A: When I meet medical students, I want to dispel what might be a mistaken impression of what a surgeon looks like. They might have an outdated idea based on surgery from 30, 40, or even 50 years ago. Today, we are looking to have a broad class in the Department of Surgery, and we want anybody to consider how they might be able to help patients in the specialty. I try and encourage all medical students—of all different shapes and sizes, from all different walks of life—to consider the possibility that they may want to be a surgeon and might be good at it.

Q: Outside of your professional work, do you have any hobbies that you enjoyed doing with your father growing up?

A: We love to play golf together. Any given Sunday afternoon, if I'm not busy in the hospital, I'm probably playing golf with my dad and my son. My father and I also both enjoy wine and talking about the Orioles and Ravens.