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

04/06/21 • 39 min

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.

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

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.

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undefined - Five Empowering Tools to Combat Gaslighting and Create a Competitive Advantage Against Inequity with Dr. Anushri Anandaraja and Dr. Stella Safo, Episode #009

Five Empowering Tools to Combat Gaslighting and Create a Competitive Advantage Against Inequity with Dr. Anushri Anandaraja and Dr. Stella Safo, Episode #009

Dr. Natasha Anushri Anandaraja was born in New Zealand where she earned her medical degree. She worked with international NGOs on child health and disaster relief before coming to New York City in 2002, where she trained in Pediatrics, Global Health and Public Health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She was the Director of Global Health Education at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai from 2008 until 2015, and then the Director of the Office of Wellbeing and Resilience at Mount Sinai from 2018 until October 2020.

Dr. Stella Safo is a HIV primary care physician with experience in clinical transformation and healthcare redesign at Mount Sinai Health System and Premier Inc, where she respectively serves as an Assistant Professor and Strategic Advisor. Dr. Safo received her medical degree from Harvard Medical School and a public health masters with a focus on global health at the Harvard School of Public Health, where she served as a Zuckerman fellow with the Harvard Center for Public Leadership. Dr. Safo completed a residency in Primary Care and Social Medicine at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, New York, followed by an HIV fellowship from the HIV Medicine Association.

In this packed episode Dr’s Anadaraja and Safo discuss gaslighting and holding institutions accountable with a transparency that is not readily accessible in a healthcare system entrenched with aggressive leadership bullying and silencing. They set a precedent that these types of behaviors should not be tolerated because they are driving black and brown women out of medicine at high rates. They speak up so others will be encouraged knowing that they are not alone and strengthened in their battles against inequity through collective a voice. They do not want you to let your experiences make you small but rather use your voice during your experience and grow from it. This insightful conversation normalizes your experience and equips you with five powerful tools to use as you combat inequity in healthcare.