He received his medical degree from the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. He completed his General Surgery residency at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School in Boston and Cardiothoracic Surgery residency at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. He also completed a fellowship in Advanced and Minimally Invasive Thoracic Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Dr. Macke’s research interests include surgical outcomes research and clinical trials research with a focus on improving the care of benign and malignant esophageal disease, as well as other thoracic malignancies. His other areas of research interest include surgical simulation and surgical education, from both a surgical trainee and patient education perspective.