Dr. Ross graduated from high school and completed two years of military service in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), which is a mandatory civic duty in her home country. She graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from American University in Washington DC. She continued on to George Washington University for her medical degree, excelling academically and graduating AOA even as she raised a growing family. Her four children were not obstacles but integral to her journey, and her ability to plan pregnancies and life events around her training years reflects her signature approach: detailed planning, strategic decision-making, and a refusal to let societal expectations limit her ambitions. She completed a General Surgery residency at the University of South Florida College of Medicine Department of General Surgery in 2005. She was distinguished from her peers when awarded the prestigious HPB/Advanced Gastrointestinal Surgery and Minimally Invasive Surgery Fellowship at USF/Tampa General Hospital in 2006. The doctor completed her educational journey with an Endoscopic Gastroenterology Fellowship at the Division of Digestive Disorders and Nutrition Department of Medicine, University of South Florida, in 2007. 

Highly sought after in her field, Dr. Ross participated in various committees at AdventHealth Tampa which determined the quality of care delivered. She was also the director of the surgical floor at the hospital, where she worked with nurses and the surgical teams to optimize the quality of care their surgical patients received. The doctor notes that she and her team work with various surgical industries to ensure that their patients are treated with the best and safest surgical technologies. As an advanced Foregut and HPB surgeon, Dr. Ross is considered an expert in robotic and single-incision laparoscopic operations for conditions of the esophagus, stomach, small bowel, pancreas, gallbladder, biliary and liver.  

With more than 20 years in the field, Dr. Ross is a leading expert in Laparo-Endoscopic Single Site (LESS) Surgery and was one of the first surgeons in the United States to offer that option. She is also one of few physicians who offers complex abdominal operations for cancers and trains new surgeons to master minimally invasive complex operations.

An expert in the field, Dr. Ross is a member of the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic (SAGES) and Chair of SAGES Telepresence Task Force; Co-Chair of the Technology and Value Assessment Committee (TAVAC), and HPB Committee; was the 2025 president of the Society of Laparo-endoscopic & Robotic Surgeons (SLS); and is on the Board of Directors. She is also chair of the Technology, Innovation & Surgical Standardization SIG Committee; a member of the GERD SIG Committee; Women in MIS SIG Committee; the RVS Update Committee; at the American College of Surgeons (ACS) she holds the Chair of the Florida Chapter of Women in Surgery; and is the chair of the Video-Based Education Program Committee. 

Dedicated to providing the latest innovations in the field, Dr. Ross is a distinguished member of the Surgical Innovations Committee of the Americas Hepato Pancreato-Biliary Association (AHPBA); the HPB Program Committee; the Research Committee; and the Fellowship Council of the Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract (SSAT). She is the honorary vice president of the Southeastern Surgical Congress (SESC) and a member of the Council and Executive Committee. She is the Past-President for The Society of Robotic Surgery (SRS) 2024 and the Past-President of SLS 2025.

Dr Ross is a reviewer on the editorial boards of the Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Research; Journal of Gastrointestinal; ISRN Minimally Invasive Surgery; Surgical Endoscopy; Annals Of Surgery; The American Surgeon; and Annals of Laparoscopic and Endoscopic Surgery. She is regarded as a dynamic speaker and has been a moderator, presenter, and keynote speaker at more than 155 national and international events. She has published over 245 peer-reviewed publications; over 22 surgical chapters; over 100 TV interviews and news articles; and has more than 200 oral presentations and 244 operative video presentations

The doctor is meritoriously named a Patient Preferred Surgeon Representing the State of Florida for 2020-2026 and notes that her love for taking care of people has played a significant role in her career success by consistently embracing new surgical technology and innovation that help improve the quality of care she delivers to her patients.

Women in Surgery Initiative and Career Symposium

Sharona started the Women in Surgery Initiative in 2009 to address a clear gap, fewer women choosing surgery even though many study medicine. Surgery is often seen as demanding, male-dominated, and hard to balance with personal life. Because of this, many women hesitate to pursue it, even when they are capable.

The initiative was created to change this by giving women a supportive space to learn about surgery. It offers mentorship, guidance, and real exposure to the field. By connecting students with experienced surgeons, it helps them understand the career better and build confidence to pursue it.

The Women in Surgery Career Symposium continues this effort through practical learning. It brings students and surgeons together so they can see real surgical work, ask questions, and understand different career paths. It also helps clear common doubts about surgery and shows it as a supportive and growing field.

Together, both the initiative and symposium help students, especially young women, see that a career in surgery is possible with the right guidance and support.     Understanding firsthand the logistical and cultural barriers women face, Dr. Ross recently also launched a community-driven app designed to connect aspiring female surgeons with mentors, research opportunities, and peer support to make finding guidance and building networks in a field where women have often felt isolated easier than ever before.                               

 

To join the Women in Surgery & Innovation APP:       

iOS- https://apps.apple.com/in/app/women-in-surgery/id6755475866 

Android-  https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.womeninsurgery.   

                

Dr. Ross’s perspective on balancing career and family is refreshingly pragmatic. She encourages her mentees to plan parenting during their training, when support systems exist and flexibility is possible, rather than waiting for their attending years, when career pressures peak. Her approach bucks conventional wisdom, proving that with careful planning and the right support, women can lead in surgery without sacrificing family or personal fulfillment.

In October 2026, Dr. Ross will release an inspiring new book that chronicles one of the most transformative chapters of her life. On June 1, a devastating bicycle accident left her with a skull fracture, facial fractures, and a broken clavicle, forcing her to transition from surgeon to patient in an instant. After weeks in intensive care and rehabilitation, including treatment at Tampa General Hospital and the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, she gradually regained her strength and memory, returning with renewed purpose and resilience. Her forthcoming book, “Sustainable Excellence: A New Model for Success for Women in Medicine, Leadership, and High-Pressure Careers,” set for release in October 2026, promises an honest exploration of her journey. Drawing lessons from her own triumphs and setbacks, including her recent life-changing accident, Dr. Ross invites high-achieving women to consider the value of balance, well-being, and meaningful connection, alongside professional success. For more information on this inspiring story, please visit: http://bit.ly/47cSk5P

In recognition of her dedication to patient-centered care, Dr. Ross was honored as the Patient Preferred Surgeon Representing Florida in 2020-2026. She is distinguished by Continental Who’s Who as a Top Surgeon in Gastroenterology for her expertise as an advanced Foregut (Upper GI) and HepatoPancreaticoBiliary (HPB) surgeon at the Digestive Institute at AdventHealth Tampa. Over the course of her career, she has received numerous awards, including the Top Doctor Award, Top Surgeon in Tampa Award, AWS Empowered Women in Medicine Award, B.E.S.T. Program Award, Top Industry Awards, Patient Preferred Top Surgeon Award, AWS Foundation Nina Starr Braunwald Award, Republican National Convention Designated Surgeon Award, American Society of Abdominal Surgeons Distinguished Service Award, Tampa City Council Commendation, and the USF Women in Surgery Initiative Southeastern Surgical Congress Gold Medal Forum Award. In 2025, she received the TOP 50 MOST DISTINGUISHED PROFESSIONALS IN MEDICINE AWARD and was acknowledged by Inner Circle as Woman of the Year 2025. In 2026, she received the Prestigious Honor of Doctor of the Year 2026 from Close-Up TV News. 

In her spare time, the doctor enjoys spending time with family; skeet shooting; horseback riding; her dog, Roger, a Rhodesian Ridgeback; and playing golf. Dr. Ross wishes to thank her dear children, who are her inspirations: Eran, Nicole, Stephanie, and Justin.

For more information visit: https://women-in-surgery.com/faculty/