mentorship
Mentorship Governs Your Relationship with Research
By: Ambreen Deol What decides whether you fall in love with research or avoid it altogether as your career takes shape? Your capabilities and academic rigor? Partly. But the real governing factor, especially when you're starting out, is mentorship. During my nearly six years of medical school in India, I got almost zero exposure to research. We crammed theory, regurgitated it onto exam papers, and rotated through wards. Research wasn't part of the curriculum, and no one really talked about it. When reading through a textbook, questions would pop into my head. Has anyone tried this? What if we did it this way? How do we know how this works? I'd just sit with the question, because I didn't know I could simply look something up. I had no clue what PubMed was. In most Indian medical colleges, the focus is overwhelmingly clinical, not academic. The advice that wasn't actionable...
Crafting Your Residency Professional Development (Research) Years
Authors: Paulina M. Gutkin, MD1, Nensi M. Ruzgar, MD, MHS2 1Stanford University, Stanford, CA 2Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Many academic general surgical residency programs offer 1-2 years of protected, non-clinical time as an opportunity to pursue research interests, advanced degrees, or select fellowships. This typically takes place after 2-3 years of clinical training. Deciding how to best approach this time requires thoughtful consideration of several key questions. What is my end goal? There are numerous career paths in surgery, and each may warrant a different approach to protected time. It is okay to not have a fully defined career path yet. Rather than focusing on details, it may be helpful to frame these years as an opportunity to establish a strong foundation and develop a specific skillset or area of expertise. If considering fellowship, early reflection on subspecialty interests is valuable. Data from NRMP 2025 Match1 highlight varying competitiveness...
We Plant Surgical Flowers When We Choose Joy and Mentorship in Challenging Times
Author: Dr. Christine Castater This is a special edition blog post presented in partnership with the Society of Black Academic Surgeons in celebration of Black History Month. It is both easy and reflexive to wake up in the morning by focusing on the weight of the socio-political climate pressing down on us. The news cycle moves fast. The commentary is loud. Social media is everywhere. The divisions feel deep. As surgeons and trainees, we are not immune to all of this because we live in it, we train in it, and we lead in it. I want to offer a different viewpoint. What if, instead of orienting ourselves around what feels broken, we orient ourselves around what is extraordinary? We are living and working in a time when technology makes it possible to share knowledge instantly across continents. We can increasingly use artificial intelligence (AI) to guide learning, workup, and...
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...
The Power of Social Media for Premedical and Medical Mentorship
By Ashley Cianchini In Medicine, mentors become the most important asset to thrive. The mentors we make along the way provide the most powerful insight on experiences they lived to keep us focused and motivated. Students without mentors often feel lost and have difficulty persevering through the biggest challenges in Medicine. Sadly, the traditional mentorship experience through shadowing, physician family members, or undergraduate experiences may often be inaccessible for some students, specifically underrepresented minorities and first-generation students. These students often become the first in their families to graduate high school or college. The dream of becoming a physician can feel extremely unachievable. Only 5.8% of the physicians in the United States are Latino, and only 5% are Black. This creates barriers for students with similar backgrounds, who struggle to identify with other physicians. Coming from a small school in the middle of Puerto Rico, it was difficult for me to...
Healing Hands: Crafting Care from Medicine to Lei Making
By: Jamie McDermott “May day is Lei Day in Hawaii nei” is a saying that rings through the air every May 1st in Hawaii. Have you ever seen visitors wearing flowers around their necks? Or noticed hula dancers draped in floral designs at a luau? What is the history? In 1923, the Hawaiʻi Territorial Legislature passed Joint Resolution No. 1, recognizing floral emblems. This resolution aimed to designate the hibiscus (aloalo) as the official flower emblem of the territory. Their argument succeeded by drawing on the widely accepted association between specific colors, lei, and their corresponding islands. As time passed, more people started wearing leis on May 1, giving rise to the tradition of “May Day is Lei Day in Hawaii.” Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, when large gatherings were limited, the island community found creative ways to honor this uniquely Hawaiian celebration. What is a lei? A lei is...
Breaking Barriers: Women in Cardiac Surgery
This is a special edition blog post presented in partnership with the Society of Asian Academic Surgeons in celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. By Dr. Hina Inam "Women cannot be cardiac surgeons. We have bets on when you will leave." These were the words of an attending, said just a few days after I joined the Cardiothoracic Surgery Residency. I was stepping into a field where women were a rare sight, and the expectation was clear—I would not last. But I was determined to prove them wrong. I worked hard, showed what I was made of, and ultimately became the first female cardiac surgeon to graduate from my institute. It wasn’t just about proving myself; it was about paving the way for those who would follow. Since then, the landscape has started to shift. Dr. Sara Iqbal became the second female cardiac surgeon to graduate from...
Tools for Empowering Female Medical Students in Research
By Xiomara Ortiz As a fourth-year medical student with aspirations of becoming a surgeon, engaging in research is an essential and fulfilling step in your career journey. Research allows you to deepen your understanding of surgical practices, hone your critical thinking skills, and build meaningful connections with mentors and colleagues who can guide your professional development. However, for female medical students, particularly those from smaller programs or non-traditional educational backgrounds, initiating or finding research opportunities can be challenging. This guide provides practical advice on how to get started and make the most of your research experience. Attend events and join professional organizations Networking is a cornerstone for finding research opportunities, especially if your medical school lacks integrated research programs. Begin by evaluating your current network and identifying your goals. Do you wish to gain insight into a particular surgical specialty? Are you aiming to publish papers or participate in clinical...
Bienvenidos, Hispanic Heritage Month is here!
By Susana Vargas Pinto, MD September 15 to October 15 is a significant period dedicated to recognizing and honoring the contributions, history, and culture of Hispanic and Latino Americans. This observance was officially established in 1988 by President Ronald Reagan, though its roots stretch back to the 1960s. The celebration offers an opportunity to reflect on the diverse heritage of Spanish-speaking countries and the impact these communities have had on the fabric of American society. The timing of Hispanic Heritage Month is symbolic: September 15 marks the anniversary of independence for several Latin American countries, including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. The choice of this date as the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month serves as a reminder of the historical and cultural significance of Latin American independence movements. Additionally, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September 18, respectively, further anchoring this period...
