ASC Leader to Know: Dr. Michael Buckstein of Northeast Missouri Ambulatory Surgery Center

Michael Buckstein, MD, a general oncology surgeon at Northeast Missouri Ambulatory Surgery Center in Hannibal, Mo., may be respected and recognized for his work with cancer treatment, but he remains humble about his accomplishments — so much so that congratulations and accolades catch him off guard. In 2008, when his staff held a luncheon to celebrate Dr. Bukstein's inclusion in a Becker's ASC Review list of notable physician leaders, he said he was pleasantly surprised by the national and local recognition.

Dr. Buckstein has worked as a surgeon in Hannibal for 35 years, and currently serves as board president of the Northeast Missouri Ambulatory Surgery Center. While in medical school, he briefly considered specializing in plastic surgery, but was put off by the cosmetics, he told the Hannibal Courier-Post. "I realized cancer patients are the patients you help the most," he said. "You extend their life and rid them of a lot of misery. If I can have an impact, that would be my choice."

He has had an impact, not least on the Hannibal community. His surgery center and clinic staffs 50 board-certified doctors — a large group for a city of Hannibal's size — and Dr. Bukstein works to make sure the center is meeting the needs of local residents. "It's the community that keeps me here," he said. "It's very supportive. Hannibal has been such a great place for me and my family."

Dr. Bukstein received his MD from the University of Missouri Medical School in Columbia and completed his internship and residency programs at University of Wisconsin in Madison. He went on to become chief resident in surgery and surgical oncology at university of Missouri Medical Center and Ellis Fishel Cancer Center in Columbia.

Dr. Bukstein is a diplomat on the American Board of Surgery, fellow of the American college of Surgeons and a member of the Hannibal Clinic.

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