The Power of Mentorship and Female Role Models with Dr. Sasha Shillcutt, Episode #007

03/23/21 • 46 min

Sasha K. Shillcutt, MD, MS, FASE is a Tenured Professor and the Vice Chair of Strategy and Innovation in the Department of Anesthesiology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC). She is a mother of four, cardiac anesthesiologist, the CEO & Founder of Brave Enough, a well-published researcher in cardiac anesthesiology and gender equity, author, and international speaker. Her greatest passion is empowering and encouraging others to achieve wellbeing in their professional and personal lives. She speaks frequently to executives and leaders on the topics of professional resilience and gender equity.

In this episode Dr. Shillcutt discusses the importance and power of female mentorship and role models as well as friendship. She gives valuable insight into physician advocacy and redefines female leadership in healthcare settings. She also discusses her book Between Grit and Grace and sends us off with valuable advice on leading authentically. You will not want to miss this engaging interview.

Previous Episode

Celebrating Women In Medicine with Dr. Qaali Hussein, Episode #006

Qaali Hussein, MD is a board-certified trauma surgeon, mother, and CEO of Defiance Academy who is an outspoken fierce advocate for equity in medicine. As a Hijab-wearing Muslim who had 6 children during residency and fellowship, she discusses the varying obstacles she faced during her inspirational journey. She also speaks about the challenges that come with clinging to authenticity. Dr. Hussein gives valuable powerful advice for under-represented minorities and re-frames the idea of resilience in medicine.

Next Episode

What Can You Learn From an Accomplished Black Surgical Trainee? with Dr. Imani McElroy, Episode #008

Imani McElroy is a general surgery resident at Massachusetts General Hospital. She is in the first two years of the research component of her residency, during which she’s completing an MPH and doing outcomes research in trauma and vascular surgery. She plans to pursue specialized training in Vascular Surgery and ultimately return home to California to care for underserved communities. In this episode, Dr. McElroy discusses why only 0.79% of academic surgeons are black women, as well as the barriers that contribute to this astounding statistic. This paucity of black women surgical trainees cannot be explained by a lack of black women applicants. We also explore the scarcity of high quality mentorship and the contributions inequities play. She defines the "glass cliff" and explains why black women and minorities are leaving academia in high numbers. We discuss the minority tax that women in medicine are bearing and the potential solutions to overcoming these barriers. Her insightfulness will cause you to deeply ponder the interactions you have had in the workplace and the subtle implications which may communicate a deeper truth. You won't want to miss this engaging conversation.