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Alumni Spotlight: The Artist of Surgery
When Dr. Sam Sukkar was an undergraduate at LSU in the 80s, he never once envisioned for himself a path that led towards plastic surgery. And yet, after 18 years practicing, Sukkar now owns The Clinic for Plastic Surgery in Houston, Tx., and has completed more than 10,000 procedures since.
“A plastic surgeon is seen as a master surgeon who is innovative, who can think on his feet, and whom other physicians call on when they need assistance. We know human anatomy from head to toe, and we are often called in to assist on difficult cases with other surgical specialties because of our expertise. “After making this realization, I knew this was the type of physician I wanted to become.”
Growing up on the road to success
But the story of his success actually begins down the road from the university. Living just beyond the borders of campus as a child, Sukkar grew up listening to the roar of the crowds from Tiger Stadium and proudly dressing in royal purple and champion gold.
“I remember I had a white transistor radio from Radio Shack, and I would listen to the LSU games late at night after I was told to go to bed. I spent many nights with that radio hidden underneath my pillow, thinking ‘I’ll be there one day.’”
Sukkar also recalled memories of riding with his father in the family V.W. Beetle to the student union, where the Sukkars had their personal P.O. Box.
The Sukkars were Tigers by definition.
And one of the strongest family values Ma’moun and Julie Sukkar instilled in their children was centered around education.
“My dad would tell me, ‘The cream always rises to the top.’ You get what you deserve. If you work hard, you deserve what that brings. Everyone is capable, but are they willing to put in the sweat that’s required to achieve their ultimate goals?”
When work turns to passion
Beyond the influences his parents left on him as a child, it wasn’t until Sukkar reached high school, when a close friend’s father, Dr. Jack Holden, a pathologist at Lady of the Lake in Baton Rouge, left a lasting impression that triggered something within the future surgeon.
Dr. Holden assisted a young Sukkar in attaining jobs at a hospital during his undergraduate career. His first encounter was in a lab department drawing blood specimens around the hospital, which eventually led to assisting pathologists on autopsies.
DR. SAM SUKKAR
During a job training, Sukkar was sent to Baylor University’s Texas Medical Center. “At this job, I was able to work with my hands on cadavers. Subconsciously, this is when I started to become interested in surgery.”
But even for someone who had always had a fascination for the medical field, Sukkar admitted the job could be unsettling at times. With a packed class schedule, a then-undergrad Sukkar was forced to take on the undesirable night shift.
“I remember one time, the funeral director from a local funeral home paged me while I was in class, so I rushed over to harvest the corneal donation. At the funeral home, it wasn’t unusual to have more than one body being worked on, and this particular time, there were about 11, 12 bodies in this huge room. Definitely more than I had ever seen before.
And wouldn’t you know it — as soon as I got there, the funeral director said, ‘Alright, now that you’re here, I’m going to lunch! Be back later!’ Needless to say, the next hour or so was one of the most challenging in my life!”
Sukkar eventually graduated from LSU’s College of Science in biological sciences in 1988.
“Everything worthwhile requires a foundation. You can’t just jump in. During my four years of undergraduate studies at LSU, I learned the language of science, a language that was needed for me to successfully complete medical school.” And succeed, Sukkar did.
The art of surgery
For Sukkar, a typical surgery day consists of eight to 10 hours of surgery cases.
When he isn’t holding a scalpel, he stays busy running the practice, which also includes a surgical suite and a medical spa, — or studying. In addition to his full-time practice, Sukkar also recently received a master’s degree in business administration.
Though he calls Houston home now, he won’t forget any time soon where his success originally established. Adorned with gifted Tiger swag from patients, Sukkar’s office is as decked out in LSU gear as the campus bookstore. The physician usually slips on a LSU tie for patient consultations, and even his favorite surgery attire dons the university’s logo.
Tiger blood runs deep
In the Sukkar family, attending LSU has become somewhat of a tradition — his mother, Julie, even graduated with a history degree while his youngest sister was also attending classes. But beyond becoming part of the LSU family, Sukkar and his siblings have taken their successes to a whole new level. The tradition somehow transformed into a challenge.
The friendly level of competition for Sukkar, his older brother, Dr. Salim Sukkar, and his younger sister, Dr. Adlah Sukkar, is probably beyond that of an average sibling rivalry. The three Sukkars have all graduated from LSU’s College of Science and have all obtained medical degrees. The oldest Sukkar became an anesthesiologist and remained in Baton Rouge, while the youngest is now a pulmonologist practicing in Virginia.
“Are there any fun sibling rivalries between me and my siblings? Like who is the best doctor? Oh yeah, but they all know I am. I even went back to school for my MBA to prove it to them,” Sukkar joked. “I would also win the rivalry for most hair — I take after my mother with this thick lustrous hair.”
The Sukkar legacy has had a trickle-down effect as it now includes the surgeon’s children.
Joseph, 22, received his bachelor’s degree from LSU and is now pursuing a master’s degree in business administration, while Hannah, 19, is currently working towards following her father’s footsteps in becoming a plastic surgeon.
Sukkar and his wife, Laura, also have a third child, Allie, 9, who is currently in the third grade. Now with a third generation wearing the colors proudly, Sukkar has reason to return to his beloved alma mater.
“It’s definitely a lot of fun living the Tiger life,” Sukkar said. “I find myself reliving my days at LSU a lot more now that my kids attend school there. Getting to go to the games, tailgating, just walking around the campus with my family, recollecting memories. I love it all. And now, being able to interact with the College of Sciences as an alumnus has proved to be an incredible experience.”
WE ARE THE PULSE OF A HEALTHY LOUISIANA.
More than half of of the physicians in Louisiana can point to a College of Science diploma on their walls. College of Science students are accepted to medical schools at rates higher than the national average. In addition to LSU’s Health Science Centers, College of Science students were accepted to other prestigious medical schools including Harvard, Columbia, Baylor, Vanderbilt, Georgetown, University of California-San Francisco, Emory, Wake Forest, Florida State and Florida International.
Dr. Sukkar and his siblings are all graduates of the LSU College of Science. Pictured are Dr. Sam Sukkar, his older brother, Dr. Salim Sukkar, and his younger sister, Dr. Adlah Sukkar.
LSU MEDICAL SCHOOL ADMISSIONS STATISTICS 2018-2019
Applications: 334
Acceptances: 158
Percentage Accepted: 47.3%
National Average Acceptance Rate: 39.5%
