networking
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...
Navigating Conference Networking & Presenting as a Medical Student
by Rachel Akers, MS I vividly remember my first medical school conference. I left the library, suitcase and poster tube in hand, and hopped into an Uber to O’Hare. A few hours later, I was somewhere across the Atlantic, heading towards Berlin. I stood in front of my poster, hoping that no one had any questions beyond my knowledge base as a medical student. I’ve attended many more conferences since, and I’m here to share what I’ve learned. Fully engage with the conference Find sessions that interest you. Many conferences have event apps that allow attendees to preview scheduled forums. Don’t be afraid to ask questions! Our knowledge may not be as advanced as others, but everyone starts somewhere. It’s okay to ask questions, you’re there to learn. Exhaust all options for funding Talking about money can seem taboo, but many research grants have travel funding. Don’t be afraid to...
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...
The Evolution of Women in Surgery: Defying Barriers and Shaping Medical History
By: Andrea Iturralde, MD Women in surgery have been in a constant state of evolution. In the early history of medicine, women played a fundamental role in surgery, but by the Middle Ages, they were forbidden from practicing. Despite these restrictions, women found ways to remain involved, demonstrating that when a woman has a dream and a strong desire, she doesn't let go. In Greek mythology, Asclepius, the god of healing, married Epione. They had five immortal daughters and two mortal sons. Their daughters—Hygieia, Aceso, Iaso, Aegle, and Panacea—were all physicians who represented different stages of the healing process and pharmaceutical treatment (Filippou et al., 2020). In the 11th and 12th centuries, another remarkable woman, Trota of Salerno (also known as Trotula), contributed as a practitioner and writer to the medical field. She was part of the Medical School of Salerno and was responsible for important advances in education and...
Breaking Barriers: My Journey As A Female Img And How The Association Of Women Surgeons Fueled My Surgical Aspirations
By Yashjot Kaur From a small town in India to the vast medical community in the United States, my journey as an International Medical Graduate (IMG) has been one of resilience, discovery, and growth. When I decided to pursue a residency in the U.S., I had few opportunities available. As a first-generation medical student, the first in my family to ever take an international flight, and from a background where neither of my parents spoke English fluently, my journey has had many peaks and valleys. In my first year of medical school, I fell in love with anatomy. As an artist at heart, surgery combined my passion for art and anatomy. Crafting mandala art, with its intricate designs and attention to detail, mirrors the precision required in surgery, and, very much like art, surgery provides me with an opportunity to work with my hands. When I decided to pursue a...
Surgical Rotations as a International Medical Student
By: Sarah Bueno Motter As an international medical student, doing elective rotations in the US brings us many challenges, but this experience also can open unexpected doors. I would like to talk about the good people we meet on this path. Seeing how people can help without knowing you well is very inspirational; they give us their best, taking our word as proof of commitment. The beauty is recognizing those people in your path and allowing them to help you. First, you must put yourself in their view and try connecting. Set up meetings, ask for conversations, ask questions, share your goals, and ask advice from the people you work with. We often focus on meetings with the PDs, for example, but we must remember the ones we are with daily. Ask your residents for feedback, and connect with them and other medical students. The medical staff, nurses, and surgical...
What @womensurgeons Has Done For Me
By: Katerina Jou Setting the scene: My medical school didn’t have an AWS chapter. Surgery was just starting to become a growing presence on the school’s campus, with most students pursuing specialties like pediatrics, internal medicine, and emergency medicine, and few, in this new era, choosing surgery. For a little background, my medical school is now eight years old. I’m a student in the 7-year BS/MD Sophie Davis Program for Biomedical Education/City University of New York (CUNY) School of Medicine – we used to be a 5+2 program, where students would complete five years at Sophie Davis and “match” into affiliated medical schools to complete clerkship education. Our program historically has prioritized primary care, and despite expanding surgical presence with coordinators and advisors of practicing surgical background, a good part of my time there was spent wondering how I was going to get from point A to point B -...
Navigating Science Policy as a Medical Doctor: Strategies for Engaging Beyond the Clinic
By Sewar Banimusa, MS3 In the realm of healthcare, the influence of medical doctors transcends the boundaries of clinicalsettings. Beyond diagnosing ailments and administering treatments, there lies a realm wheremedical professionals wield the power to shape policies that profoundly impact the health andwell-being of entire populations. Engaging in science policy empowers medical doctors toharness their expertise and advocate for evidence-based solutions to pressing health challenges. Science policy encompasses the intersection of science, technology, and society - guidingdecisions that affect research funding, healthcare delivery, public health initiatives, and regulatory frameworks. For physicians, involvement in science policy represents an opportunity to contribute to the greater good and drive positive change beyond individual patient interactions. Navigating the landscape of science policy can seem daunting at first, but there are numerous opportunities to start navigating your passion. Here are some ways to start your science policy career: Joining professional organizations dedicated to health policy...
Tackling Imposter Syndrome by Embracing Failure
By: Rachel Akers Failure is something I’ve become intimately acquainted with throughout my career. I’m not alone in this. We can all recall instances in our professional lives where things haven’t gone our way, and we’ve failed to reach the expectations set by our educators, mentors, colleagues, families, or ourselves. Failure can be painful, embarrassing, and even harmful for those in the medical profession, and it’s not easy to talk about with others. As students transition to residents and eventually become attending physicians, our understanding of failure changes in tandem with our values. New responsibilities like parenthood, caring for your own aging parents, repaying gargantuan loans, and being directly in charge of patients’ well-being supersede the worries of passing exams or confidently blurting out a wrong answer. Regardless of the nature of a mistake or the level of training you’re at, failures shouldn’t be seen as something shameful to hide...
Impact of Narrative Medicine in Surgery
By: Raslina Shrestha, MD “We can make the world a better place, one story at a time.”- Lisa Gerber A revelation unfolded during my shifts in the burn ward in Nepal. As the patients grappled with excruciating pain, disfigurement, and an arduous path to recovery, I observed an extraordinary phenomenon: patients from diverse backgrounds, occupying different beds, formed unexpected bonds of friendship and support. They shared their personal stories, extended solace to one another, and, most significantly, provided invaluable insights into coping and healing. It became abundantly clear that shared experiences and a sense of community had a remarkable impact on the recovery process. To bolster the confidence of these patients, they needed to be reminded that they were not alone. Motivated by this insight, I stumbled upon the realm of “Narrative Medicine”, the intersection of the humanities, art and health care. This emerging discipline equips clinicians to better comprehend...
