Month: April 2021
Adapting to Research Time During COVID
By Rachael Essig, MD May 2019 seems like a world away. I had accepted a research position following my PGY-3 year with a critical care fellowship starting July 2020 in a new city. At the time, it seemed like the start of a beautiful adventure. Yet, fast forwarding to April 2020, while deep into the first wave of the pandemic, I was attempting to view every apartment in my new metro area online. Zillow and a realtor were lifesavers! Another difficulty was the somberness I experienced leaving my surgical family without being able to say goodbye in person. They had raised me from an intern to a capable (hopefully) junior resident. Moving your life is always painful, and combined with global pandemic, it was especially dreadful. Thankfully, the stress was worth it as my fellowship has been an amazing educational experience with truly fabulous attendings and staff. Over the past...
A Practical Guide to Establishing Mentors as a Virtual Medical Student
By Shan S. Lansing 2020 was the year for virtual medical education. Preclinical students would jest that they were attending Zoom School of Medicine, and whole cohorts of new medical students were inducted with virtual white coat ceremonies. Though video platforms made it possible for clubs and interest group meetings to continue, the free pizza and casual networking was replaced with gentle encouragement to go ahead and turn your camera on, if you’re comfortable. Beginning a career in medicine is daunting, and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has only served to add new challenges to the already formidable tasks involved with beginning medical school, developing a support network, and creating meaningful relationships with mentors. I have heard from many preclinical medical students that the transition to virtual events has made it challenging to network and connect with surgeons. With that in mind, here are a few practical tips for establishing relationships...
Becoming a Urologist: The Journey from Little Girl to Certified Urologist
By Milena Taskovska, MD Being a surgeons’ daughter, I thought I was prepared for every possible gender discrimination when pursuing a career in urology, but I was wrong. Soon after starting my residency, I realized that it can always be worse. I was entering the field with knowledge of how most male surgeons perceive their female colleagues; about how much female surgeons were undesired and underrated, on other hand how much more effort, time and patience they invested in the process to prove that they can do the job equally successful as their male colleagues. During those six years, I often wondered why we are silently classified into residents and female residents. We did the same job, shared the same responsibilities, and were expected to obtain the same skills and knowledge; on the other hand, we were treated differently during the process. I will never forget the words of one...
Mentorship: How to provide it, how to obtain it
By Ashley Meagher, MD, MPH, FACS Mentorship is one of the most important facets of medicine. We rely on mentors to guide us in medical school, as we choose a specialty. In residency, we are frequently assigned a faculty mentor as well as a “peer” mentor (a more senior resident) to help guide sub-specialty selection, navigate residency issues, or even advise on research projects. Mentorship continues as we exit residency and take on fellowship or faculty positions. Most of us have experiences in which the mentorship relationship can best be described as “non-therapeutic”. Mentorship and menteeship is a relationship that requires effort and commitment from both parties. To maximize the relationship, it is best to start by laying some ground rules. “What do you/I hope to obtain from this relationship?” “What time do you/I have to commit to this relationship?” It can be helpful to answer these questions during the...
A year of radical changes
By Dr. Rocio Carrera The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted our lives and plans. Almost a year after the world went into quarantine and after countless losses of lives, jobs, and homes, we can finally see a light at the end of the tunnel thanks to the mass vaccination programs in many countries. My life, same as many others, changed radically during 2020. I was working as an attending at a general hospital in Mexico City. After finishing residency in both general and thoracoscopic surgery, that was not my initial plan. I wanted to complete my surgical training abroad, but my own indecisiveness, lack of savings, and support, led me to postpone that dream. Not having achieved it right after finishing my fellowship was disappointing, and one of my biggest mistakes was always comparing myself to others. At that time, I felt that all the people I knew, especially my residency peers,...
The Journey of a Female Surgeon – How do I Get This Right?
By Eanas Yassa Being a female surgeon - how do i get this right? Don’t be too happy, patients think you don’t understand the seriousness of their problem Don’t be too serious, patients think you can’t handle stress and don’t care about making them feel better Don’t provide answers, you seem like a “smarty pants” or “know it all” Don’t admit when you don’t have the answer, you seem too uncertain or unable to do the job Don’t threaten the men with your knowledge, voice or experience; you need them to like you Don’t threaten the women with your knowledge voice or experience; you need them to like you Don’t be pretty, it makes patients not trust you Don’t be ugly, it makes patients not like you Don’t be too well dressed, it gives people the impression you think you are better than them Don’t be poorly dressed, it gives...