Kirk A McMurtry, MD

Kirk McMurtry always knew he would be a doctor. What kind of physician quickly became clear once he entered medical school. McMurtry, a cardiothoracic surgeon at AtlantiCare, gravitated to the cardiac surgery department, eventually joining rounds and being allowed to scrub in for surgeries. He found his career path, and has not looked
back. “Somebody can be in severe distress and you can take them out of that situation, make them better and give them another 10, 20, 30 years of life,” he says. “I can’t imagine anything being more interesting and satisfying to me than that.”

In treating his patients’ cardiac issues, McMurtry uses minimally invasive and standard techniques to care for an assortment of conditions, including heart valve surgery, arrhythmias and interventions such as transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).

He earned his medical degree at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. After completing his residency in general surgery at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia he returned to Mount Sinai Hospital in New York for his fellowship in cardiothoracic surgery. At Mount Sinai he gained valuable experience in mitral valve and aortic surgery.

Throughout his career, McMurtry has embraced collaboration with other providers and continuing education to provide the best care for his patients. One of the most stimulating aspects of medicine, he says, is keeping up with the advances in diagnosis and treatment. “Cardiac surgery is constantly evolving into something new,” he says.
“You have to constantly learn and grow to best support your patients. If you don’t change the way you do things in medicine you’ll become obsolete.”

While he grew up in Brooklyn, New York, McMurtry fell in love with the southern New Jersey shore during his residency training. He enjoys spending time with family, enjoying the beach and reading.