James Wallace "Trey" Eubanks III, MD, enjoys a challenge. During his third year of medical school at the University of Mississippi, he quickly became enamored with pediatric surgery. In his first case, the team operated on a baby who couldn't eat because of a birth defect which had left the child's upper and lower intestines unconnected. After repairing the problem, the baby improved and 10 days later, she was released from the hospital, her parents relieved and happy.

 

That experience left a lasting impression on Eubanks. "It's gratifying, knowing you can fix children," he said. But his major professor tried to talk him out of applying for the specialty. In the history of Ole Miss' medical school — Eubanks graduated in 1994 — no one had ever received a match for pediatric surgery. Undeterred, Eubanks asked his professor what he needed to accomplish to be in the hunt. The answer was simple: rank at the top of the class, gain one or two years of solid research, seek out good training, and get a decent referral.

 

"Well, as an Ole Miss football fan, I knew what it meant to be persistent and hold on to hope," Eubanks said with a grin. "I've never been the most valuable player, but I always got Most Hustle." So Eubanks began to work in earnest, and when match time came, his hustle paid off. He landed pediatric surgery.

 

Following graduation, Eubanks completed a six-year residency at University of Tennessee-Memphis, followed by a two-year pediatric surgery fellowship at Southwestern Medical Center-Dallas. When he was hired by Pediatric Surgical Group in 2002, he found many of the same physicians still working at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital from his time as a resident. "And they still had the same passion and drive to care for their patients," he said. Today, as medical director for the hospital's trauma division, he appreciates that team spirit.

 

It was that team spirit that helped the hospital orchestrate a swift response to the Haitian earthquake last winter. Just a two-and-a-half weeks after the 7 magnitude quake devastated the island nation, Eubanks was working with a team of 13 doctors and support staff to provide medical relief to the people of Port au Prince. Eubanks blogged about his experience for the hospital and the Church Health Center's websites. It was a remarkable two weeks, he said, connecting with people "who didn't understand a word I said," since he spoke neither Creole nor French. But through the use of hand gestures and translators, the language barrier was overcome, enabling his staff to help treat people with serious injuries. Eubanks also appreciated being part of a multinational effort. "I was struck by the people who came to help Haiti from all over the world: Russian, Bangladesh, Columbia. That encouraged me."

 

The 43-year-old surgeon considers himself a generalist at heart. What he enjoys about pediatric surgery is being able to do an array of procedures, whether it's fixing congenital malformations, extracting tumors, or taking care of injuries. Pediatric surgeons work on every part of the body except neurology and orthopedic surgery. "You use everything you learn as a resident," he said. The other draw is caring for children. Eubanks notes that kids don't have diseases brought on by their lifestyle. Instead, "The stuff they have has just befallen them, so they're able to get through things a lot easier." Eubanks finds their resilience and honesty refreshing. "You can't easily pacify a child. They're very honest, very open. But at the same time, when things do go wrong, those are the toughest of times," he said. Though Eubanks has experienced many successful operations over the years, he still remembers the children who were beyond his help. "When a child has an overwhelming illness, it reminds me of whose hands they're really in," he said.

 

To prepare for surgery, Eubanks has learned how to manage stress and sharpen his focus. "You also have to be a team player, because an operation isn't just about the surgeon but concerns the circulating nurse, the person who deals with the temperature in the room, the anesthesiologist," said Eubanks. "And you have to learn to be a good surgeon by working with good surgeons, learning the rules about the things you should and shouldn't do, and that these rules always apply, you can't cut corners. The best surgeons can say, 'This is about the patient' and block everything else out of their mind. Being hyper-focused has been one of my strengths, almost to a fault."   

 

His wife, Angela, a nurse, understands that and supports Eubanks' efforts. She encouraged him to go on the Haitian medical trip while she stayed home to care for their children. "She's a great patient advocate. She totally gets what I'm doing as my mission because she sees that this is my purpose."