Ruchi Thanawala

Ruchi Thanawala, MD, MS, is a thoracic surgeon at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) specializing in chest surgery with particular expertise in lung cancer, lung nodules, and thymus cancer. She practices at the OHSU Knight Cardiovascular Institute Cardiothoracic Surgery Clinic and the OHSU Thoracic Surgery Clinic, where she provides patient care while advancing surgical education research.

Her educational background includes a B.A. from Duke University (2003), M.D. from Ross University School of Medicine (2008), and M.S. from Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University (2014). Her training encompasses General Surgery Residency at University of Massachusetts (2012-2018), Research Fellowship at University of Massachusetts (2010-2012), Surgical Education Research Fellowship through the Association of Surgical Education (2016-2018), and Cardiothoracic Surgery Fellowship at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (2018-2020).

Dr. Thanawala's research focuses on surgical education innovation, particularly in clinical informatics and assessment methodologies. Her extensive publication record demonstrates expertise in Entrustable Professional Activity (EPA) assessments, Electronic Health Record (EHR) integration for surgical education, and thoracic surgical techniques. Recent work extends into telehealth applications for thoracic surgical oncology and AI implementation in surgical training.

Her scholarly output shows a clear trajectory from foundational surgical research to innovative educational technologies, with increasing emphasis on data-driven assessment systems and informatics applications in surgical practice. This evolution reflects broader trends in medical education toward competency-based assessment and technology-enhanced learning.

Professional recognition includes multiple ABSITE High Score Awards (2015-2017). She maintains certification through the American Board of Surgery (2019) and holds specialized certifications in laparoscopic and endoscopic surgery.

Dr. Thanawala is actively engaged with professional organizations including the Association of Surgical Education, Association of Program Directors in Surgery, American Medical Informatics Association, and American College of Surgery. Her work bridges clinical practice with educational innovation, particularly in developing systems to improve surgical training assessment and documentation.