practice
Bridges & Breakthroughs: International Medical Graduate’s (IMG’s) Preclinical Research Experience
Author: Shivani Chaudhary (M.B.B.S, M.S General Surgery) Today, I want to share a deeply personal journey of resilience and perseverance which happened during my 2.5 years of preclinical neuro-oncology research. My research years began after I had already completed three grueling years of general surgery residency training, followed by a year of service at a community health center as part of my commitment to the Indian government. The excitement of landing a funded research position in a field I was passionate about was palpable, but I had no idea what challenges lay ahead. The first three months were a whirlwind of emotions that ranged from exciting yet intimidating. I was thrust into the entirely new realm of glioblastoma research, where I had to master unfamiliar techniques and learn a completely new scientific language. I even had to confront my deep-seated fear of handling mice. There were days when self-doubt crept...
Trusting Your Own Hands: Lessons from the OR
By: Dr. Wissam Benhami, MD, General surgeon Affiliations: Université des Sciences de la Santé (Youcef El Khatib) – Algiers, Algeria and Clinique Rahmouni Djilali (formerly Les Orangers), Chikh El Bachir El Ibrahimi, El Mouradia, Algiers Every surgeon faces moments when they feel like even though their hands know the truth, doubt pushes them to look outward for guidance. I often remember this playing out in two operations linked by the same thread. My hesitation was replaced by reassurance from someone who had not lived through the case from the beginning. The first case was an emergency colectomy in an unstable patient. The resection was complete, and the question was a familiar one. Should I restore continuity or divert the patient? The tissues were distressed and the patient’s physiology was fragile. My colleague also hesitated. It was not ignorance in either of us. Instead, it was the quiet calculations surgeons make...
Cold Tech, Warm Heart: How AI makes Private Practice More Personal
By: Dr. Erin King-Mullins In the current world of medicine where burnout is on the tip of everyone’s tongue, I’d like to make another case for artificial, or augmented, intelligence. With having to care for patients in a manner driven toward documentation for insurance reimbursement, let’s discuss how template life has been normalized. How many times have you met with your EMR system team to discuss how to make as many templates as possible to improve efficiency and decrease charting time? While it may tick off a few minutes of charting time and checks off necessary boxes... at the end of the day, if you go back and actually read the notes, can you differentiate between the patients? Have you gotten to the point in medicine where you rely so much on the template that you really don’t listen to key information your patient may be sharing with you? Every...
Applying the Growth Mindset in Surgery
By Fara Bellows In surgery, the only constant is change. With each passing milestone in our careers, we encounter new challenges, new demands, and new surroundings. We also face novelty within clinical medicine: the literature is always growing, new technologies and techniques arise, and practice changes can seemingly come out of nowhere. Surgeons tend to be perfectionists. We strive to do our best and to deliver exceptional patient care. But we are human, and as humans, we are never perfect at something the first time we do it. So it can be difficult to stray from our comfort zone and incorporate new techniques into our toolbox, perhaps due to fear of failure or fear of the unknown. It can also be painful to experience patient-related complications and struggle with learning curves. However, we cannot shy away from novel therapies or ideas. We must embrace novelty: a successful career relies on...
Scalpels and Strings: Similarities between the Orchestra and the OR
By Dr. Sruti Cheruvu Some of the earliest lessons I learned that helped prepare me to be a surgeon came from the orchestra. I played violin and viola in my school and regional orchestras throughout high school. Some of my fondest memories are of working on Mozart, Tchaikovsky, and Shostakovich - learning my pieces inside and out through hours of practice. It was often grueling but deeply gratifying. I made friends from across sections, including fellow string players and wind and brass musicians. We would share parts and swap cues to see how our different parts fit together. I often leaned over to ask the concertmaster or the cellist sitting next to me if I could look at their score to understand how my part fit into the bigger picture. If our director gave a cue for the clarinets before our entrance, I would write that part into my music....
SBAS – Sunday Series: Finding joy in the little things
by Dr. Crystal Johnson-Mann Most would agree that achieving the idyllic dream of self-care can be challenging at baseline, let alone when trying to incorporate it into a demanding surgeon schedule. The activities that fulfill one’s idea of self-care are highly variable, depending on who you ask. For some, it is a relaxing day at the spa; for others, it may be quiet and solitude in one’s “happy” place. In the current climate, self-care is of the utmost importance. But how exactly does one achieve it? This is much easier said than done, as one would presume. I’m an academic surgeon, wife, mother to 2 little boys, and a former D-I college athlete. I have repeatedly said at the start of each new year since becoming a mom almost 6 years ago that I would make a special attempt to really lean into devoting time periodically for me…to preserve my...
Empowering Women in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery: Breaking Barriers and Shaping the Future
By: Dr. Shohreh Ghasemi The field of oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMS) is dynamic and essential, focusing on surgical procedures involving the mouth, jaw, and face. As more women enter this specialty, it becomes increasingly important to recognize their contributions, the challenges they face, and the strides they have made toward greater representation. Over the past few decades, the landscape of OMS has changed considerably. Women now represent an increasing percentage of residents and practicing surgeons in this specialty. This shift signals a broader change in the medical profession, where women are stepping into roles once predominantly held by men. Notable female surgeons who have made significant contributions to oral and maxillofacial surgery and beyond include Dr. Lucy Hobbs Taylor, Dr. Gaziya Al-Habib, Dr. Nada Al-Badri, Dr. Valerie Murrah, Dr. Maria Troulis, Dr. Rania Habib, Dr. Patricia Numann, Dr. Salma Kefi, and Dr. Noma Heena. Adding to this inspiring list...
Getting the Reps In: Lessons Learned on Building Mental and Physical Strength While in Medical School
By: Rica Generoso As a third-year medical student navigating the clinics and operating room, I’ve learned that resilience isn’t just a buzzword – it’s a lifeline. Many hospital experiences have left me in awe, bringing to life medical knowledge I’d only read about, but the emotional rollercoaster of patient care and the constant pressure to perform can be overwhelming. No matter how prepared I felt, you can’t truly understand until you’re in it. What tested my resilience wasn’t just academics but also my passion for physical fitness. Many who have blazed the trail before us say the most important thing you can do as a medical student is to keep doing what makes you happy outside the hospital. For me, that happiness comes from weightlifting. As a former collegiate swimmer and water polo player, I’ve always been at home in the weight room, and that love has only grown since...
Breaking the glass ceiling: Importance of representation in medicine
By Camila Gonzalez,MD The glass ceiling is a metaphorical concept used to describe an intangible barrier that hinders the career advancement of certain individuals, particularly those seeking to attain managerial or executive positions within an organization or industry. Unfortunately, this term can be applied to the current environment in medicine, where underrepresented groups such as women and International Medical Doctors (IMGs) face significant obstacles in advancing their careers. This is a concept that I have been dealing with for a large portion of my young medical career. I come from a family of strong women who did the best they could with their circumstances, between migrating continents and countries, taking care of their families, and assuming jobs that could bring food to the table and give better opportunities for the generations to come by sacrificing their dreams. A good example of this is my grandmother, who had a great affinity...
Let it go!
By: Dr. Shruti Venkitachalam, Head and Neck Surgeon, Chennai, India It was an early morning surgery. I was the second assistant, retracting for a neck dissection. After almost three hours of retracting, I asked if I could get a five-minute break. The prompt reply was, “Why? Are you pregnant?" I was appalled and embarrassed. The others in the OR giggled. It made me cringe. He didn’t pause to think before saying that, and I was embarrassed - not him! Since completing my fellowship training, I have worked with only male superiors in different hospitals. I saw them as ‘surgeons’ and not as ‘male surgeons’ – until certain situations forced me to look at them that way. Years passed and faces changed but the story remains about several ‘hims’ and me. One morning, ‘he’ gave me several tasks to do. I scrambled to finish them but was late for the clinic....
