By: Christine Castater, MD, MBA
Congratulations! You’ve completed surgical training and are now a junior faculty member. This is the culmination of years of research and training, and this transition changes your career and lifestyle. When I finished training, I felt like I had been running a marathon and suddenly ran face first into a wall. The sudden cessation of everything that had been my reality left me feeling stunned and confused. I seriously wondered about my identity since for 15 years, my identity was “trainee.” It took me a year to breathe and acclimate into my new job. At that point, I was able to look around and figure out my next steps.
Setting Goals and Expectations: The first thing I did was to set realistic goals for my next five years. These goals partially depended on the dynamics of my new setting. Goals in academia can look quite different from goals in private practice. I met with my chief and chair to clarify expectations and explore what opportunities already existed for me to become involved in ongoing projects and to talk about my interests for starting projects of my own. I also made sure to obtain a copy of promotion requirements so that as I set goals for myself, I could make sure they aligned with what I needed for promotion.
Building A Network: Networking is crucial. I am painfully shy, but over the years I have learned how important it is to connect with others in surgery. These networking connections guided both my residency and fellowship match. As a junior faculty member, I sought to connect with other faculty members, join professional associations, and attend conferences. These connections have led to collaborations and mentorship opportunities that enrich my professional life.
Maintaining Work-Life Balance: Work-life balance has always been important to me, and as a new faculty member it has become more important than ever. I had to adjust to my new workload while maintaining a healthy work-life balance. I made a concerted effort to prioritize tasks, delegate whenever I could, and make time for myself, my family, and my friends. A career in surgery can take over every minute, so I still struggle to make sure that I carve out the time I need for my life outside of the hospital.
Self-improvement: I have made an evolving “to-do” list where I continue to critically evaluate my trajectory to make sure I am aligned with my values and goals.
Dr. Christine Castater is a “non-traditional” student who decided to pursue medicine after being a victim of violence. She lives in Atlanta Georgia and is an Assistant Professor of Surgery at Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM), Vice Chair of Operational Diversity, Inclusive Excellence, Equity, and Belonging for the MSM Department of Surgery, Assistant Clerkship Director for the MSM surgery clerkship, Site Director for the MSM trauma surgery clerkship, a trauma, critical care, and acute care surgeon at Grady Memorial Hospital, and the Medical Director for the Grady acute care surgery wards. She finished her BA, MD, and MBA all at the University of Connecticut before completing General Surgery Residency at UCSF East Bay followed by Acute Care Surgery and Surgical Critical Care Fellowship at Emory University.