Meet the provider: Samantha Tarras, M.D.

Samantha Tarras, M.D., Department of Surgery, joined Wayne Health in August 2012. She is one of the busiest robotic, minimally invasive surgeons at DMC. She has special interest in laparoscopy and open surgical techniques, endoscopy, EGD, colonoscopy, hernia (umbilical, ventral, incisional and inguinal), gallbladder and colon surgery. She also practices acute care surgery, taking care of emergency general surgery patients, surgical critical care and trauma surgery.

Dr. Tarras went to the University of Michigan for her undergraduate degree and Wayne State University for medical school. Her experience at Wayne State started her career of serving the community of Detroit. The high volume of complex trauma and surgical patients she saw at Wayne State provided her the motivation of how to help those in need by becoming a surgeon. Dr. Tarras attended the Wayne State/DMC General Surgery Residency Program and then went to the University of Michigan for a fellowship in Surgical Critical Care.

Dr. Tarras chose surgery because she enjoys having the ability to take a disease/problem and fix it with an operation.  It is gratifying for her to have a patient come in for surgery and leave with their disease resolved. She enjoys both the technical aspect and cognitive aspect of patient care.

Dr. Tarras treats every patient as an individual. She uses the latest in evidence-based medicine to guide her practice and surgical techniques. She spends time talking with her patients to ensure that they understand the operation and the recovery after the surgery. She is always staying up to date to provide her patients the best care. Before surgery, she spends time discussing what patients can do before surgery to optimize their bodies and mind. She discusses their post-operative course, what to expect and what the follow up will be. Her office staff also assists with questions and if they’re unable to answer, they let her know in order to contact the patient. Dr. Tarras’ patients are always very grateful for what she provides for them. They have taught her to always remain on her toes and to expect the unexpected.

There is never a typical day or week for Dr. Tarras. Some weeks she is doing ICU rounding, some weeks she is busy with elective surgery. Some weeks she has more administrative and teaching responsibilities, while other weeks she is focused on the care of a trauma patient.

So far in her career, Dr. Tarras is most proud of training the future generation of surgeons. She is proud of being able to impact the surgery and care of surgical patients through research, education and leadership roles within the hospital. She is especially proud of being able to use all these aspects to deliver optimal care to her patients. Dr. Tarras is also board certified in both general surgery and surgical critical care. She has won a teaching award from Wayne State University. She currently serves as a proctor to other surgeons for robotic surgery.

In her free time, Dr. Tarras enjoys riding her Peloton Bike, traveling and spending time with her family.

To set up an appointment with Dr. Tarras, visit our appointment page or call (877) 929-6342.