Underrepresented in medicine
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,...
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....
What Surgeons Can Learn from Greek Myth: A More Effective Mentorship Model
by Taylor Corsi, MD; Elise Presser, MD In Homer’s The Odyssey, Athena – protectress and goddess of wisdom, practical reason, handicraft, and war strategy – disguises herself as Mentor, a counselor who guides Telemachus in his journey to find his father and restore the kingdom of Ithaca. This story has framed the modern conception of mentorship as an intergenerational relationship between mentor and mentee that benefits the mentee’s growth and accomplishment of stated goals. While the importance of mentorship is clear in the story, the perception of how mentorship is best achieved is worth reinvestigating. Upon closer inspection of our beloved Greek myth, Athena’s wisdom was provided not merely from her form as Mentor. Importantly, Athena also disguised herself as a shepherd and the daughter of a ship captain. While many scholars have classically attributed Telemachus’ success to Mentor’s guidance alone, Athena advises a diverse network of figures who contribute...
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...
Finding My Flow: My Pursuit of Vascular Surgery in a Country Without Dedicated Vascular Surgery Training
By Dr. Swechha Bhatt My love for vascular surgery began in the very first year of medical school, when I studied hemodynamics. The intricate balance of pressure, flow, and resistance fascinated me, and somehow it all made sense. I carried this love with me into my clinical years, where the subject transformed from textbook diagrams into real patients and real problems. In clinics, every vascular case felt like a puzzle waiting to be solved. I often describe vascular surgery as “plumbing: it’s pipes, and you connect pipes.” Yet behind that simple analogy, I began to see the enormous gaps in access and awareness that patients in my country face. Patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) would walk into our hospital with critically cold limbs, many at the point of requiring an amputation. I often wondered how different their lives could have been if they had recognized claudication earlier, or if...
The Six Percent Club
By Dr. Susana Vargas Pinto This is a special edition blog post presented in partnership with the Latino Surgical Society in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. For 57 years, Latino heritage has been officially recognized in the United States. What began as a week-long celebration in 1968 under President Lyndon B. Johnson was expanded to a month-long observance by President Ronald Reagan in 1988. Hispanic Heritage Month offers an opportunity to honor the significant role the Latino community has played in shaping and strengthening our nation. Although the terms “Latino” and “Hispanic” are often used interchangeably, they have distinct meanings. “Hispanic” typically refers to people with a connection to Spain or the Spanish language, while “Latino” encompasses individuals of Latin American or Caribbean descent, regardless of their proficiency in Spanish. The term also creates space for diverse ethnic and ancestral backgrounds, including those of European descent, to be acknowledged within...
