Dr. Andrew Todd Schlussel is a surgeon, military leader, combat veteran and Ironman finisher who has spent his life pushing beyond perceived limitations. Today, he brings those experiences to his work helping physicians and high achievers discover what comes next.
Andrew grew up in New Jersey wanting to be part of something bigger than himself. When he didn’t make his college track team, he found Army ROTC instead. After 9/11, that decision became a commitment that would shape the next two decades of his life.
He graduated eighth in his medical school class, completed his general surgery residency at Tripler Army Medical Center in Hawaii and went on to specialize in Colon and Rectal Surgery at the University of Massachusetts.
His military career took him even further. Andrew deployed to Afghanistan twice, as well as Iraq and Syria, operating in environments where clarity, teamwork and decisive leadership weren’t abstract concepts. They were necessities. Those experiences reinforced something he would carry throughout his career: people are capable of far more than they often believe.
During his residency in 2011, Andrew came out as gay while Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell was still in effect. For years, he had learned what it meant to perform one identity while protecting another.
Stepping into greater authenticity changed more than his personal life. It began reshaping Andrew’s understanding of identity, possibility and what happens when the distance between who we appear to be and who we really are begins to close.
That experience would eventually become an important part of how Andrew thinks about coaching.
After fifteen years of active duty, Andrew transitioned into civilian surgical practice in Jacksonville, Florida.
On paper, everything was working.
But something had changed.
The mission and sense of purpose that had carried him through medical training, deployments and some of the most demanding environments imaginable felt different.
He was succeeding. And he was searching.
That search eventually introduced Andrew to mentorship and coaching. He began studying mindset, human behaviour, personal development and human potential, and applying those ideas to his own life.
You can change the circumstances around you. But meaningful change also requires looking at the person experiencing them.
Surgeon. Officer. Leader. Athlete. Coach.
Board-Certified Colon and Rectal Surgeon, DO, FACS, FASCRS
Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army Reserve
15+ Years Active Military Service
Three Combat Deployments
Co-Chair, SAGES Diversity, Leadership & Professional Development Committee
Immediate Past President, Association of Out Surgeons and Allies
Senior Editor, SAGES Manual for Navigating a Successful Military Surgical Career
Founder, Military Surgeons’ Mastermind
Founder, Provider Resource Network
2026 Jacksonville Ironman Finisher
I have spent much of my life proving what was possible for me. Today, I'm interested in helping other high achievers discover what's possible for them.
