self-care
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....
Two Worlds, One Marriage: The Reality of Being an Asian Female Doctor with a Non-Medical Husband
By Ching Man Carmen Tong, DO 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 (AAPI) Month. When I was asked to contribute an article for the AWS blog during AAPI month, I thought to myself– what possible musings can I offer to the readers that could be enlightening and potentially useful? Then I realized– I’m not only an Asian woman, and a doctor, but I’m an Asian female doctor married to a white male who works outside the medical profession. It is an experience full of nuance, complexity, and mutual understanding. To understand our journey and marriage, it is important for me to describe just how different my husband, Brett, and I are. Not only do we come from different cultural backgrounds - I’m Chinese and he’s Irish and Spanish - but...
Finding Joy in Food and Culture During Residency
By Dr. Victoria Prete 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. ‘Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food’ is a sentiment commonly attributed to Hippocrates and often preached in medicine, but rarely followed by residents and fellows. The stress of training, combined with limited time and access to quality food, makes prioritizing delicious meals difficult if not impossible. Like most first- and second-generation Asian-Americans, much of my life revolves around sharing food as part of a community. While I sacrifice much of myself to training, I hold onto my love of food and this link to my heritage. Food plays a pivotal role in Asian culture, serving as more than sustenance for the body; food provides a means of replenishing the soul. Throughout my life, my mother...
Training Your Subconscious Mind in Residency
By Dr. Anupama Singh 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. Training my subconscious mind and building mental fortitude is a vital skill I learned at the start of my surgical residency. It molded me into a calmer person capable of adapting to any challenging situation and instilled in me a growth mindset that benefits me in all areas of my life, not just in residency. I wasn’t always like this. In high school, my friends and family labeled me as a “high-functioning anxious person.” I remember being unbothered by it. I still got the good grades and it didn’t matter if these achievements were the result of sleepless nights and spiraling, anxious thoughts that were trying to predict every outcome. That mentality was challenged when I started surgical residency,...
Dancing Into Destiny: The Unexpected Paths That Shape Us
By Dr. Chi Zhang 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. I was objectively terrible at dancing. My limbs felt too long, and my footwork betrayed even the simplest beat. My parents quickly unenrolled me from ballet. This was only partially because of my pleading, but they were probably relieved to no longer suffer second-hand embarrassment. While I thought my dancing career was over at the ripe age of 7, my dancing inabilities returned to haunt me when I was invited to be a part of my friend’s quinceañera. Out of obligation, and perhaps some curiosity, I accepted, unaware that this would be a turning point in my life. Unaware yet that a similar transformation would lead me to a life in the operating room. At rehearsal, as music pulsed...
Fertility Preservation and Family Planning in Surgical Training: Highlights from a Much-Needed Discussion
Authors: Nensi M. Ruzgar, Camila R. Guetter, Natalia Correa, Jessica Millar, Jessica Means, Kelsey Romatoski, Brooke Golisch, Pietro Bortoletto Affiliations: Nensi M. Ruzgar, MD, MHS - Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA; Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA Camila R. Guetter, MD, MPH - Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA; Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA Natalia Correa, MD - University of Miami Holy Cross Hospital, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA Jessica Millar, MD - University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI Jessica Means, MD - Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA Kelsey Romatoski, MD - Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA Brooke Golisch, MD, MS - Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL Pietro Bortoletto, MD, MSc - Boston IVF, Waltham, MA; Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA On Nov 12th, the Association of Women Surgeons Resident and Fellow 2024 Webinar Series offered...
Delving into The Fourth Trimester and Beyond Lectures
By Anna Hargrave, DO This past August, we had an incredible series of lectures and panel groups discussing “The Fourth Trimester and Beyond.” The Fourth Trimester is the twelve week period after giving birth, which is particularly critical to all of our women surgeons. The demands of a new baby compete with clinical responsibilities and career goals, and become challenging to balance. While this series was aimed to female surgeons starting or expanding families, the lessons I learned can be applied to all female surgeons including those without children. Some of my key reflections from the month of Surgeons' Career and Leadership Professional Education Lecture Series (SCALPELS) are shared with you in the following paragraphs. To learn more from these phenomenal female surgeons, you can tune into the recorded August lectures! Dr. Amy Vertrees, a general surgeon and veteran who served 17 years with deployments in Afghanistan and Iraq, joined...
Finding Balance in the Midst of Threats and Chaos: A Journey of Self-Care, Passion, and Community
by Dr. Carla Pugh, Past-President of The Society of Black Academic Surgeons In today’s climate, where social issues often leave us feeling drained, maintaining a sense of balance can be a challenge. When asked how the current climate is affecting them, a few SBAS leaders shared their thoughts. Dr. Carla Pugh, Past-President of SBAS started the conversation by noting that self-care is a must and invited her fellow SBAS colleagues to share a few examples. Dr. Adrienne Cobb shared her deep love for plants, particularly her two Monstera deliciosa. Caring for her plants in Wisconsin's tough climate requires patience and strategic effort, which Adrienne has mastered. Her enthusiasm for plant care not only connects her to nature but also provides a calming space in her life. It’s clear that nurturing something to grow brings a sense of fulfillment and peace. “Taking care of my plants has become a meditation of...
Food for Thought – Culinary Adventures in Medical School
By Gizelle Francis Medical school is notorious for its long hours, relentless studying, and the ever-present pressure to perform. Amidst this, finding time for hobbies can seem almost impossible. For me, however, cooking and baking have become more than just hobbies—they are a sanctuary. As a medical student, I discovered that the kitchen offers a creative outlet that balances the intensity of my studies while nurturing a deeper connection to my well-being. Cooking as an Art and Science For me, cooking isn’t just about putting food on the table; it’s an art form and a science, much like medicine. There’s a certain satisfaction in transforming raw ingredients into a meal that not only nourishes, but also brings people together. The same meticulousness that I apply to learning anatomy or understanding complex surgical procedures translates into my approach to cooking. Each ingredient has a role, and it’s fascinating how a little...
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...
