Q & A: Dr. Zuri Murrell, Colorectal Surgeon Cedars-Sinai Skip to content Close Select your preferred language English عربى 简体中文 繁體中文 فارسي עִברִית 日本語 한국어 Русский Español Tagalog Menu Close Call 1-800-CEDARS-1 toggle search form Close Share Email Print CS-Blog Cedars-Sinai Blog Faces of Cedars-Sinai Colorectal Surgeon Zuri Murrell Mar 08, 2018 Cedars-Sinai Staff Share Tweet Post Zuri Murrell, MD and Cedars-Sinai Colorectal Surgeon Meet Dr. Zuri Murrell! You might recognize Dr. Murrell, director of the Cedars-Sinai Colorectal Cancer Center, from television commercials where he asked you to recite the words "anus" and "rectum." What does Dr. Murrell like to do when he's not saving lives and raising awareness for colorectal cancer? We sat down with him to find out. "This is the closest I could get to becoming a superhero." Where did you grow up ZM: I was born and raised in Baldwin Hills, just a few miles away from Cedars-Sinai. Bruins or Trojans ZM: Bruins. My dad was a USC guy, but I went to med school at UCLA, so I'm a Bruin. Read: Ask a Doc: Are Colon Cleanses Healthy? What inspired you to pursue medicine ZM: My parents had a good friend who was a pediatrician, and he always spent time talking to me about medicine and how great it was. I wanted to be a superhero, but after the second time jumping off of something, I realized I couldn't fly. I still wanted to save people's lives, so surgery was the way to do that for me. This is the closest I could get to becoming a superhero. What would you be doing if you weren t a doctor ZM: If I wasn't a doctor, I'd probably be doing some kind of business, working for myself. Or maybe I'd be an actor. In college, I got accepted to a summer research internship at Yale Medical School, and I also got accepted into an acting school. I had to make a decision, so I chose Yale to become a doctor. "Because I deal with the body part that I deal with, it's important that I make people feel comfortable." What do you like to do when you re not working ZM: I love hanging out with my daughters. They're 9 and 11, and I love getting to know what they're into. We learn so much about our kids just hanging out with them. They're taking karate and they kick butt at that. I didn't realize I'd be the one they'd be fighting all the time, but they love to surprise Daddy with their new moves when he gets home. What s your favorite way to relieve the stress of being a doctor ZM: I really enjoy working out. My wife's gotten me into hot yoga. I'm trying to enjoy that, but it's very difficult! It's great meditation, though. Read: Dodging a Colonoscopy? What s your favorite vacation spot ZM: Cancun. We go every year and we like to just chill when we're there. What s the best part of your job ZM: Meeting new people and doing something to help them. Because I deal with the body part that I deal with, it's important that I make people feel comfortable. I love the challenge of getting to know patients and making them feel comfortable. I do little things, like making sure when I sit with my patients that I sit below them. I think this takes away the fear of a doctor and helps make people less nervous. Read: Lowering the Age For Colorectal Cancer Screening Tags Faces of Cedars-Sinai Cancer Share Tweet Post Popular Categories Health + Wellness Science + Innovation Community Blog & Magazines catalyst Blog & Magazines Home CS-Blog Blog CS Magazine Cedars-Sinai Magazine discoveries magazine Discoveries Magazine Embracing our Community Embracing Our Community Blog & Magazines catalyst Blog & Magazines Home CS-Blog Blog Embracing our Community Embracing Our Community CS Magazine Cedars-Sinai Magazine discoveries magazine Discoveries Magazine Popular Topics In Our Community Faces of Cedars-Sinai Patient Stories Los Angeles Behind the Scenes Make an Appointment Find a Doctor Schedule a Callback Call us 24 hours a day 1-800-CEDARS-1 Support Cedars-Sinai Make a Gift Volunteer Share Email Print Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility