KAYLA RIZZO
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Dr. Kayla Rizzo’s path to becoming a general and trauma surgeon has been defined by perseverance, service, and a commitment to excellence. Coming from a family in which she was the first to graduate from college, she went on to join the United States Army and pursue a career in medicine. After earning her medical degree, she completed the demanding training of a general surgery residency, developing the technical skill, discipline, and resilience required to care for patients in some of medicine’s most challenging circumstances. Her military career also took her overseas on deployment to Kuwait, where she continued her commitment to serving others.
Today, Dr. Rizzo practices general and trauma surgery in both military and civilian hospitals, bringing experience from military medicine and high-acuity surgical care to her patients. Outside the operating room, physical fitness remains an important part of the discipline that has shaped her career. Despite the demands of surgical training, deployment, and clinical practice, she has maintained an exceptional level of military readiness, earning multiple perfect scores on the Army Fitness Test. Her journey—from first-generation college graduate to Army officer and surgeon—reflects a career built around service, determination, and consistently challenging herself to perform at the highest level.
IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:
- How Kayla Rizzo became a first-generation college graduate and then earned her medical degree.
- Why her military deployment to Kuwait deepened her commitment to serving patients in demanding environments.
- How completing a demanding general surgery residency developed the technical skill and resilience required for trauma care.
- That military readiness and high-acuity surgical practice can coexist without compromising patient outcomes or care.
- Why physical fitness remains a core discipline behind Dr. Rizzo's performance in and out of the operating room.
- How she earned multiple perfect scores on the Army Fitness Test while balancing surgery and deployment.
- That perseverance and a positive mindset help surgeons overcome obstacles in medicine and military life.
- Why serving both military and underserved civilian hospitals expands surgical impact and patient access.
- How dedication, strength, and resilience shape a surgical career built around service, determination, and excellence.
about the show
America’s Best Doctors is a business documentary series featuring medical professionals, healthcare leaders, innovators, and physicians who are making a meaningful impact in the lives of their patients and communities.
Each episode takes viewers beyond the white coat to explore the real story behind the doctor. Guests share the challenges, sacrifices, breakthroughs, and defining moments that shaped their careers and helped them become trusted leaders in medicine.
The series highlights doctors who have built their reputation through skill, compassion, innovation, leadership, and a commitment to improving lives. From patient care and medical breakthroughs to practice growth and community impact, America’s Best Doctors shows what it takes to lead in one of the most demanding fields in the world.
Through powerful interviews and documentary-style storytelling, the series gives audiences a closer look at the people, purpose, and humanity behind modern medicine.
For featured guests, America’s Best Doctors provides a platform to share their journey, build authority, and help viewers understand the passion and dedication behind their work.
