diversity and inclusion
Reflecting on Pride
By: Monica Patten, MD PGY3 This is a special edition blog post presented in partnership with the Association of Out Surgeons & Allies (AOSA) in celebration of Pride Month. Happy Pride Month to all who celebrate. Pride is rightfully named. As defined by Oxford 9, “pride” is a consciousness of one's own dignity and self-respect. This definition helps remind us why June brings such joy, visibility, and community for so many of us. As a member of the community and a surgical trainee, I have felt nothing but acceptance for who I am throughout my training. I know this is certainly not the experience all LGBTQ+ trainees share, but I am deeply grateful for the warmth of this community and our allies, and for the ways that medicine continues to work towards inclusion. But, to truly reflect on what Pride means this month, we can’t celebrate without recognizing the fear...
Self-Advocacy as a Trainee: The Grace to Grow
Author: Rosmi Thomas, DO As a child, I grew up in a chaotic household, but it brought me resilience and a strong sense of self. In my youngest years, we lived in an extended family home, and my older cousin was one of my first role models. Despite the 15-year age difference, she took me under her wing and provided insight on self-respect that few young people are fortunate enough to grasp. She was the first person to open my eyes to the concept of advocating for myself, and she taught me the power behind asking for what you deserve. Her genuine ability to remind you that you are deeply loved, and her persuasive charm, taught me the first and most important lesson of self-advocacy: you must know your worth. As an osteopathic medical student, I was advised on the advantages and limitations of pursuing a surgical residency. As a...
The Art of Seeing Differently: Surgery Through Dr. Patricia Bath’s Lens
By: Julia Vasquez-Gonzalez and Dieynabou Diallo This is a special edition blog post presented in partnership with the Society of Black Academic Surgeons in celebration of Black History Month. Throughout everyone’s individual medical training, we are often guided to find mentors, to read, and to seek purpose. Nowadays we are taught: “if they can do it, so can you”. But can we transport to a time, not so long ago, when that was just a dream? In the 1940s in Harlem, New York, amid war, music, and hope, Louis Armstrong’s Jazz tunes played. In one of these specific homes in Harlem, Dr. Patricia Bath’s parents reminded her to “never settle for less than your best”, and so she didn’t. From an early age, Dr. Bath showed an interest in science and service. Inspired by Dr. Albert Schweitzer’s medical work in the Congo and shaped by her upbringing, she pursued medicine...
Understanding the Misunderstood: A Hidden Burden in Black Communities
Written By: Melissa Rony MSc, Mentor: Evan Garfain, MD This article is not intended to be used as medical advice. Views of the author do not reflect the views of the institution. I was inspired to write this article by the experience of a close friend whose Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS) was misdiagnosed for many years and whose symptoms were repeatedly dismissed by healthcare providers, allowing her condition to worsen before she received answers. I am writing in the hope that more patients will become aware of HS, recognize early symptoms, and feel empowered to seek care while helping to debunk harmful myths about the condition. Equally important, I hope this encourages clinicians to keep HS in their differential diagnosis, especially when caring for patients of color who are disproportionately affected yet often underdiagnosed. Ultimately, greater awareness can help drive more research, resources, and comprehensive approaches to understanding and treating HS,...
Flapping My Wings Across Borders: A Surgeon’s Journey of Resilience
By: Busra Ozkaya, MD Every migration is a form of rebirth and a gentle reminder that courage begins the moment we choose to step into the unknown. When I left my home in Turkey to begin a new chapter in the United States, I carried not just a suitcase but a heart full of determination and dreams that refused to be grounded — dreams strong enough to flap their wings. I was born and raised in Cappadocia, a region where strength and patience are part of the landscape itself. The people there taught me that true resilience is quiet, steady, and often unseen. My journey into obstetrics and gynecology began with a deep sense of purpose: empowering women means nurturing the foundation of society. Each delivery and each patient encounter reminded me that medicine is not only about healing the body, but also about listening patiently, showing compassion, and restoring...
Does Gender Bias Still Exist in Surgical Residency
By: Dr Swathy Elangovan, M.S General Surgery It's 2026, a time where the world is AI driven. Advancements and innovation drive people to more effective living. But it is a known fact that Surgeons can never be replaced by AI. Thus the course of surgical training remains crucial in saving the lives of patients. Both females and males residents have to be competently trained and given equal operating chances so that when they become an attending in the future, they would have the confidence to treat patients individually. The scalpel doesn’t know whether the operating surgeon is a female or a male .Then why the discrimination. One thing hasn't changed. The treatment against women in the field of medicine, specifically surgery, where buttering, flattery and fawning take an upper hand over sheer hard work, truthfulness and raw talent. You might be the best female out there in the course of...
Issues faced by the female surgical trainees in developing countries
By Dr. Eshana Samaranayake Across South Asia, women are still a small minority in surgical training programmes, and that imbalance shapes daily experiences in ways that are easy to miss from the outside. ‘‘Surgery is for men’’ I have wanted to become a surgeon since high school, but when I prepared for the entrance exam I heard frequent warnings from family, friends, and colleagues. Much of it was well-meant, yet it rested on an assumption: surgery is too demanding for women to balance with personal life, especially where women are expected to carry most household responsibilities. Those expectations sometimes made me doubt myself, not because I lacked interest or motivation, but because I wondered how I would fit into a role society does not always picture for women. I feel fortunate to have been selected for surgical training, and I am now in my third year of general surgery residency....
A Common Silence: Perspectives on Pregnancy Loss During General Surgery Residency
by Cleo Siderides, MD and Caitlin J. Cain-Trivette, MD Pregnancy loss is a painfully common experience among surgical trainees, yet our institutions remain poorly equipped to respond with support and compassion. Surgical trainees are more than twice as likely to experience pregnancy loss than the general population,1 yet no formal safeguards exist to protect trainees enduring these sentinel events. Cleo’s first pregnancy ended in a missed miscarriage at 9 weeks, followed by six weeks of medical and surgical management amidst the relentless pace of residency. The day after I took medication to induce a miscarriage I was on a 24-hour trauma call, bleeding through my scrubs to the point that I tied a jacket around my waist between cases. I emphatically stated that no, I did not feel like I needed to step away from work. I saw the hardship as a way to prove my grit and worth as...
Bridging the Gap: Female Surgeons in Malawi and the Power of Representation
By Dr. Sharon Cheryl Bonya Female surgical trainees face structural and cultural barriers that extend far beyond the operating room. They are not just training to master technical skills, they are also navigating expectations, isolation, and leadership in spaces where their presence still surprises many. In Malawi and across much of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), female surgeons face a double burden: under-representation within the surgical workforce and the cultural headwinds that make leadership, mentorship, and progression more difficult. Despite recent gains in training capacity in East, Central and Southern Africa, women surgeons remain a minority with implications for patient trust, communication, and equitable access to surgical care. According to the NHS workforce data, women make up about 17% of general surgery consultants in the United Kingdom. In the United States, women account for roughly 22.6% of general surgeons, based on figures from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). These numbers...
Show Up for Yourself: A Message to Women Surgeons Living with Disability
By Dr. Elizabeth Perazza Imagine ringing in the New Year, celebrating 25 years as a successful surgeon. You place a ruby-studded tiara on your head, proud to be 55 years old, 30 pounds lighter, and stepping into your power as Queen Bee—the new sheriff in town. Among over 100 surgeons, OR nurses, and technicians, you stand tall as the next Chief of Surgery. Then, six months later, everything changes. You begin to feel as though you’re slipping away—paralyzed, bedridden, and mentally foggy. You’re dizzy even while lying down. A tingling sensation creeps from your mouth to your toes. Your eyes hurt to open, and you feel exhausted just from breathing. You’re disoriented whether your eyes are open or closed. You undergo a spinal tap, waiting anxiously for results. Then the diagnosis comes: Multiple Sclerosis. Positive oligoclonal bands confirm it. That day, I became another name on the list of those...
