The Medicine Mentors Podcast

Lidia Schapira, MD, is a Professor of Medicine at Stanford Comprehensive Cancer Institute and Director of Stanford's Cancer Survivorship program. A nationally renowned expert in breast cancer, Dr. Schapira has pioneered workshops and helped develop innovative educational programs to improve the communication skills of cancer clinicians by building experienced and compassionate teams. She has been a champion of promoting patient activation and self-management at all phases of the cancer journey. She is the former Editor-in-Chief of cancer.net, and consultant editor for the Journal of Clinical Oncology. She also hosts JCO's Cancer Stories: The Art of Oncology podcast which features stories, dialogue, and personal reflections that explore the experience of living with cancer or caring for people with cancer.  “We need to redefine what we mean by failure and success. Failure is not that the patient dies. Failure is that the patient dies abandoned, alone, or in pain. One can still die of an incurable illness, but that doesn't necessarily mean that we as the treating physicians have failed. If we can figure out how to treat an illness and support a person in a family, this is the best combination.” In this episode of The Medicine Mentors, Dr. Lidia Schapira offers an innovative perspective on success, teaches us how to find strength in the bleakest moments, and mentors us on how to outgrow conventional definitions of failure. Pearls of Wisdom:   1. The most important thing to look for within is what it is that tickles us, inspires us. Then trying to preserve at least some of our time to work on that to keep us engaged.  2. The Art of Oncology is finding the human side of the patients we care for.   3. I do this meditative hand-washing before I enter a room so I can be fully present and let them know I'm interested in them, not just the disease.  4. Have an open mind and be very curious, pursue answers in places that aren't obvious. 5. I've learned over the years to sit with emotion and not be eager to fix or stop it. Support people by letting them express their emotions.  

Daniel Laheru , MD, is the Professor of Oncology and Co-Director of Skip Viragh Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. He holds the Ian MacMillian Professorship in Clinical Pancreatic Cancer Research. Dr. Laheru has developed a vaccine along with Dr. Elizabeth Jaffee, that supercharges the immune system and causes immune cells, which tend to be tolerant of cancer, to seek out and kill pancreatic cancer cells throughout the body. He is a Member of the Miller-Coulson Academy of Clinical Excellence, Member of Bloomberg-Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, and Associated Director of the Institute for Convergence Science.  “There's no job that's insignificant here. Whatever you're doing, you need to do it to the best of your abilities.” A monumental lesson from Dr. Daniel Laheru's parents taught him to notice the janitor who moves by silently in the corner, the nurse who works overtime without appreciation, and the security guard who passes a silent glance at every passerby. In this episode of The Medicine Mentors, Dr. Daniel Laheru explains recognizing the interconnected nature of every person's role in the infrastructure of medicine, instilling gratitude in our practice, and paying it back by paying it forward. Pearls of Wisdom:   1. Enjoy the time that you're a student because you'll wonder what you did with all your time after. The future is entirely open to you, the ceiling is what you make it. 2. I'm happy doing what I'm doing right now, and if I can do this five years from now, I'll be ecstatic.  3. The fellows, residents, and medical students are the lifeblood of the institution and the next generation so don't be shy about asking somebody if they have time to meet with you.  4. A good mentor is like a parent in the sense that they put your goals ahead of their own. My mentor really saw my future before I was able to understand it for myself. 5. The little things in the course of a day actually make a big difference. Thanking and appreciating someone goes a long way. 

Timothy Gilligan, MD, is the Vice-Chair for Education and Associate Professor of Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute. He also serves as the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer for Graduate Medical Education at Cleveland Clinic. He is a nationally recognized expert in Genitourinary Cancers and a thought leader in healthcare communication. He is President of the Academy of Communication in Healthcare and is the co-editor of the book Communication the Cleveland Clinic Way. “Find people who have a track record of mentorship. There are plenty of smart people who are very successful but aren't great mentors.” According to Dr. Timothy Gilligan, being drawn to accolade holders is not the answer to our mentorship troubles. When he was still a young trainee, he recounts how his mentors sometimes enlightened him with direct answers and other times set him on the course to find them on his own, drawing a map and only acting as guides in his journey. In this episode of The Medicine Mentors, Dr. Timothy Gilligan teaches us to identify the significant predictors of mentors who will help us navigate medicine's pathways. Tune in for more. Pearls of Wisdom:   1. Humanizing medicine should be our priority, and we can do that by approaching medicine with humility, and by having a mindset of showing up and being present with the patient. 2. As mentees, we should focus on people with a proven track record of mentorship, someone who will draw a map for you and let you navigate the landscape of medicine. Once we find those people, all that remains is to reach out to them.  3. If we're not actively participating in the solution, then we are part of the problem, and the first step to finding that solution is to acknowledge the problem's existence.  4. The essence of the art of communication is talking less and listening more, and the three questions that will help us achieve that are, “What does the patient need to know?”, “What does the patient already know?”, and, “What does the patient want to know?”

Diane Reidy-Lagunes, MD, is the Vice Chair of Oncology Operations, Regional Cancer Network at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. In the past, she has served as the President of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Medical Staff. Dr. Reidy-Lagunes' primary focus is treating gastrointestinal cancers and developing methods to integrate molecular-based therapies into the treatment of neuroendocrine tumors, as well as designing and conducting clinical trials to better treatment strategies for patients with this uncommon cancer type. At a national level, she is a member of the National Cancer Institute neuroendocrine tumor task force and the Neuroendocrine Tumor Biospecimen Consortium. She is also the Creator and Host of Cancer Straight Talk Podcast which brings together national experts and patients with cancer to have straightforward, evidence-based conversations. "I was caring for an amazing woman who understood her sickness, but her husband was upset. She often asked him to leave the room when she spoke with the medical team. She ultimately opted for hospice and passed away after three months. Her husband called and said that I killed his wife. I didn't hear anything for a few months, and then, one Saturday morning, a floor head nurse calls and says, ‘Dr. Reidy, there's a protest outside and they have your picture on the poster.' I wanted to die...I couldn't get over that this was happening. I immediately called my mentor Dr. Lenny Saltz....” Join us for this special episode with oncologist and host of the Cancer Straight Talk Podcast Dr. Diane Reidy-Lagunes as she shares the impact mentors can have, not only professionally, but in dealing with major life crises. Pearls of Wisdom:   1. Let passion lead your innovation. Anybody can have a smart idea, but actually executing on the plan and following up takes passion. Passion takes commitment so it's important to ask yourself if you're happy with where you're at in life and where you'll be in 5-10 years. 2. Innovation is not just coming up with a new plan for something, it takes building and testing. If you're told that your idea won't work but you believe in it, try it out and see if the final product doesn't change minds.  3. Sometimes we can think of teamwork as the opposite of leadership, but true teamwork and true leadership both have the same thing in common; groups of people working together toward a singular goal. Good leadership and good teamwork come from setting good examples for each other.  4. In your career as a physician, you'll make mistakes or be blamed for things out of your control. It's important in these moments to have people you can call for clarity, but also to know that mistakes are portals to discovery and action.

Rachna Shroff, MD, is the Chief of the division of Hematology/Oncology and Associate Director for Clinical Research at the University of Arizona Cancer Center and the Associate Dean for Clinical and Translational Research at the University of Arizona College of Medicine. She is a clinical and translational investigator focused on developing novel targeted therapies and immunotherapies for pancreatic and hepatobiliary cancers and has led multiple clinical trials including the first randomized phase 3 trial in biliary cancers in the US. An internationally recognized expert, she is one of three women to achieve the prestigious 2022 Women in Oncology Award. “You have to understand your why and then let that drive you… be open-minded and try all kinds of different activities and opportunities. It's a little bit of throwing darts at a dartboard and seeing what sticks, and then going with your gut. Ask yourself, ‘What do you want your legacy to be?' Once you understand your legacy, you can create metrics for [your] success." In this episode of The Medicine Mentors, we discuss discovering our why and creating a long-lasting legacy with Dr. Rachna Shroff. Pearls of Wisdom:   1.  ‘What do you want your legacy to be?' is a different question than ‘What is your why?' Once we understand what we want our legacy to be, we can start creating the metrics for success. 2. It's essential to have the right people on board and maintain that network of mentors. One of the secrets to maintaining this network is to stay connected with them and keep them updated with what's going on in our lives. 3. If we can first learn how to take good care of patients, we'll identify the needs because the paramount questions come from the clinic. It will take a while, but our persistence, diligence, hard work, and patience will pay off.

Elizabeth Jaffee, MD, is an internationally recognized expert in cancer immunology and pancreatic cancer. She is the Deputy Director of the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Co-director of the Skip Viragh Center for Pancreatic Cancer and Associate Director of the Bloomberg Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy. Her research focuses on developing novel immunotherapies for the treatment and prevention of pancreatic cancer. Dr. Jaffee is a past president of AACR. She has served on a number of committees at the National Cancer Institute including the Co-chair of the Biden Moonshot Blue Ribbon Panel which identified high research priorities for the NCI. “You can be an amazing scientist, but what's most important is that whatever you do in science has implications for the patient.” From being inspired by Dr. Marie Curie's biography as a child to now becoming one of the leading names in pancreatic cancer research internationally, Dr. Elizabeth Jaffee helps us re-focus on the patient and our role as ‘physician' scientists. Tune in to this episode of The Medicine Mentors as we journey with Dr. Jaffee to connect the science with the patient. Pearls of Wisdom:   1. Regardless of the direction we take in our professional journey, we have to keep the implications of our actions and research focused on our patients and how we can help them. 2. While leadership is a forefront activity and mentorship an educational activity, both can be thought of as similar in that you're helping someone become the best version of themselves. That means taking into account each individual's strengths and weaknesses and tailoring that to the intended outcome. 3. Don't have just one mentor. It's futile hoping that one person can teach you everything you'll need to know. Find a network of individuals that can help you, which starts by putting yourself out there as someone who wants to do more and wants help.  

Robert Mayer, MD, is the Faculty Vice President for Academic Affairs at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Stephen B. Kay Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, where he serves as the Faculty Associate Dean for Admissions. He directed the Dana Farber's Medical Oncology Fellowship Program for over thirty years, overseeing the training of several hundred oncologists and established the Center for Gastrointestinal Oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Dr. Mayer is a past president of American Society of Clinical Oncology and has been a recipient of numerous awards including ASCO's Distinguished Achievement Award and the prestigious Giants of Cancer Care award. “Medicine is complicated now, [but] it's still the basic principle of people caring for people, trying to do good and making their lives better. I always tell people, ‘Put your feet in the water and see what there might be.' Try different things; don't think you know the answer before you really have a chance to see what all the opportunities are. When people give you a chance, take an interest in you, advise you, or guide you, say yes, listen, and go for it. Those are opportunities that are very special.” Having been provided rare opportunities by his mentors, Dr. Robert Mayer now does the same for his mentees. Tune into this episode of The Medicine Mentors to learn more. Pearls of Wisdom:   1. Availability is the key value of implementing a patient-first attitude because we have less time to get to know the patient and yet still have a responsibility to build the same level of comfort for their care. 2. Instead of looking for success in accolades and accomplishments, true success for physicians is knowing your patients and treating them over time. Caring for someone and keeping them priority means being a successful physician. 3. If somebody takes a chance on us, the least we can do is put our foot in the water and say yes, because those are opportunities that are very special.

Charles W. Sorenson, MD, is the President and CEO Emeritus of Intermountain Healthcare and the Founding Director of the Intermountain Healthcare Leadership Institute. Intermountain Healthcare is a not-for-profit system of 33 hospitals (including virtual hospitals), a Medical Group with more than 3,800 physicians and advanced practice clinicians at about 385 clinics. Prior to that, he served for eleven years as Intermountain's Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. Currently he serves as an Executive Coach at MEDI, the largest executive coaching firm in the nation dedicated exclusively to the healthcare industry. Additionally, he is an Adjunct Professor of Surgery at the University of Utah. He has been noted amongst 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare by Modern Healthcare. “Be capable, be affable, and be available. You've got to first become a very capable physician, and just going to medical school or even doing residency doesn't do it. So, do your best to become a doctor's doctor.” Dr. Charles Sorenson, the Founding Director of Intermountain Healthcare Leadership Institute, has been at the forefront of medicine's leadership for decades now. Join us in this episode of The Medicine Mentors as Dr. Charles Sorenson shares his transformation from being a surgeon to becoming an influential healthcare leader, the elements needed for tomorrow's physician leader, and how to be a force of trust in healthcare. Pearls of Wisdom:   1. Try to employ a ‘success without side effects' mentality, where putting the interests of your patients before your own becomes the point of success and not whatever outcome you expected.  2. A professional is one who is cognisant of how they affect a team or a patient. The patient's best interest is also a professional's best interest.  3. A leader doesn't always need a professional title or role. Learn to lead in the role you have now. In other words, learn to harness the referent power you have everyday to influence and change things for the better. Improve upon your character and competence follows.  4. Leadership means being affable, available, and capable. Being affable means having the humility to recognize your own limitations and knowing when to seek out advice or help. Being available means saying yes to opportunities and being open to risk. Being capable means to not only be a competent physician but learning to be a ‘doctor's doctor.' 

Konstantinos Arnaoutakis, MD, is an Associate Professor of Medicine In the Division of Hematology and Oncology. He also serves as the Program Director of Hematology Oncology fellowship at the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. His primary research interests are lung cancer and novel therapies. He is the Coordinator of the Thoracic Malignancy disease-oriented committee (DOC). “They say it takes two to tango.” Recognizing the value of the mentoring relationship means understanding both sides have their own perspective. Join us in a discussion on the Medicine Mentors with Dr. Konstantinos Arnaoutakis and his mentee, Dr. Arya Mariam Roy, as we dive into the specifics of mentorship from both sides of the coin. Tune in as we chat about how important it is for mentees to initiate mentorship and how a mentor can help their pupils in more than one way, as Dr. Arnaoutakis says, “successful physicians never became successful on their own.” Pearls of Wisdom:   1. A self-made man is a flawed concept based in ignorance. Just so, successful physicians never become successful without a mentor.   2. A mentor wears many hats. They should be invested in your professional as well as your personal development. In such a long-standing relationship, they should invest time into the work you've put in as well as giving honest feedback.  3. The mentee should  take the first step into the mentoring relationship and be able to follow through with expectations of working hard, being trustworthy, and caring.  4. Trustworthiness comes from caring well for your patients, for yourself, and for the community in general. Don't worry about your capability, as long as you're hardworking, honest, and care, capability will come along with that.

Yelena Y. Janjigian, MD, is the Chief of the Gastrointestinal Oncology Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. She is an internationally renowned medical oncologist who specializes in the treatment of malignancies of the gastrointestinal tract. Dr. Janjigian runs clinical and translational studies designed to develop better prevention, early diagnosis, staging and treatment strategies for patients with esophageal and stomach cancer. She is a recipient of numerous awards and was recently inducted as a member of American Society of Clinical Investigation. “Oftentimes, fellows will present every detail of how the patient presented, the quality of their dysphagia, what they could eat and not eat for a patient with known biopsy positive gastric cancer and skim over the fact that the patient lives three hours away and can't participate in a clinical trial or that they are scared to death of having a port placed because they recently had a love one die of cancer who had a port. It's an understanding of barriers, fears, and social background that ultimately guides treatment. As a trainee, learn to get the patient to tell you things that are not in the chart.” Join us on an inspiring journey from Azerbaijan to New York with Dr. Yelena Janjigian, the Chief of GI Oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.  Pearls of Wisdom:   1. We should be closers: People who can who can start and finish a project, bring something to fruition and close on it before progressing to the next stage.  2. The ability to get patients to talk about what's not in the charts by breaking down barriers will create a sure-fire marker of greatness in a physician.  3. In the world of medicine, leadership is not about dictating or directing, it's more about serving and supporting the people under us and around us.

Tyler Johnson, MD, is a physician, author, educator, and humanitarian. He is a medical oncologist at Stanford University. He leads Stanford's inpatient oncology services, and is one of the principal faculty members of the Stanford Educators-4-CARE program. Dr. Johnson is an author with a growing reputation for insightful analysis of the intersection of medicine, ethics, and spirituality; his writings have been featured by Religion News Service, the Salt Lake Tribune, BYU Studies, Dialogue, and The San Jose Mercury News. Dr. Johnson co-hosts "The Doctor's Art," the world's leading podcast dedicated to the examination of humanism in medicine. “There is an element to [being a physician] that you just can't find good words to describe other than things like spiritual and sacred.” While some have trouble finding the right words for it, Dr. Tyler Johnson provides us with a great one - ineffable. Tune in to an enlightening discussion with author, educator, host of ‘The Doctor's Art', and medical oncologist at Stanford University, Dr. Johnson, as we explore the ineffable side of medicine that drives us. Join us as we tap into the spiritual side of medicine, find out why kneeling and being eye-level to a patient can “puncture the aura of arrogance,” and why “we have to hold a space for mystery within medicine” to keep our passion from extinguishing. Pearls of Wisdom:   1. Treat rigorously but care tenderly. In order to care we must relate, and a quick way to puncture the aura of arrogance typified with a doctor is to kneel at a patient's bedside, or at least be eye level. Seeing someone eye to eye communicates a message that says I'm here to serve you.  2. On the path to achieving great heights, don't forget to remember the permanent things like relationships and the journey that sustain you. Your promotion or job will not love you back.  3. It doesn't have to be a church or an organization but lend yourself to a group that holds you accountable to a higher power or standard than yourself. Connect with something bigger than yourself that makes you reflect upon your actions in ways you don't already.

Marcel van den Brink, MD,  is the Head and Alan N. Houghton Chair of the Division of Hematologic Oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. He is internationally renowned for his work in the field of bone marrow transplantation, the gut microbiome, and immunotherapy. He is also the Co-Director of the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy and Chairman of the Board of DKMS, an international nonprofit organization devoted to bone marrow donor registration. He is a recipient of numerous prestigious awards and is a member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation and he has been elected to the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences for his contributions in the field of hematologic malignancies. “Finding solutions is often as simple as shutting up and listening to what people formulate as the problem and what they have thought of as the answer. Without fail, I'm surprised that they've got something better than I could have come up with.” Join us in this episode of The Medicine Mentors where Chairman of Heme Malignancies at MSKCC, Dr. Marcel van den Brink, shares tips of effective leadership. Tune in as we learn about the five-minute ‘no talking, only listening' rule at the start of meetings and why the best leaders find comfort in not knowing everything. Pearls of Wisdom:   1. We will be leaders before we know it, and the simple formula of leadership is listening. When we conduct meetings, all we have to do is be quiet for the first five minutes and listen. 2. To know when we are ready to move on to the next stage, the next level, we have to know what we don't know, that is, do we know how to prioritize what matters, and if not, are we ready to seek help for it? 3. Failure and success often follow a 9:1 ratio, and so, to increase our chances of success, we should try our hands in different endeavors to see where we can truly shine. 4. Just like listening is the pathway to leadership, respect is the pathway to teamwork, and we should be mindful of it in our day-to-day interactions.

Saby George, MD, FACP, is a Professor of Oncology and Medicine within the Department of Medicine and Director of Network Clinical Trials at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. He is a prominent clinical investigator in the kidney cancer space. Dr George is passionate about teaching and mentoring and is a champion advocate for his fellows. “I was lucky enough to work with some great mentors and envisioned a career I'd like.” Illustrating the power of mentorship, we sit down with Dr. Saby George in a discussion on mentorship, best practices for researchers, and why it's important for mentors to be unselfish and encourage independence. Join us on another empowering episode of the Medicine Mentors, as we dive into the fine print of mentorship from a master researcher and lauded mentor. Tune in as Dr. George shares with us the mentors that helped guide him to the position he's in now, how he actively champions mentees by offering independent opportunities, and how the best piece of advice he got was simply to be more patient. Pearls of Wisdom:   1. When looking for success in medicine, you must look at the legacy you're leaving behind. Mentorship helps us create an environment that continuously strives to push the field forward and leave behind a track-record of improving. 2. A few things to keep in mind when looking for mentors are: competing interests between a mentor and mentee should be avoided, and entering the relationship with honesty and truthfulness will prove to provide a strong relationship. 3. When identifying the traits of a great mentor, you should be able to see that your mentor is invested in seeing you succeed, is unselfish, and able to give honest feedback along with reasonable goals and expectations.  4. While it can be comfortable to work under the supervision of a mentor, a good mentee should seek out opportunities for growth and independence. Your mentor should provide you with roles and opportunities that help you feel comfortable in your skin.  5. A small but often overlooked detail for clinical and basic science researchers is to make sure you're setting realistic timelines and following through. Especially for conferences or studies, be sure to follow through and stay persistent. 

Enrico Novelli MD, is a classical (benign) hematologist, the Section Chief of the Benign Hematology, and an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. He is the Medical Director of the UPMC Adult Sickle Cell Disease Program. He obtained his medical degree from the University of Milan, Italy in 1996. He was a postdoctoral fellow at Johns Hopkins University, where he developed expertise in cellular biology and gene therapy. Subsequently, he pursued his residency and fellowship at UPMC, where he joined as faculty after graduating. He has numerous publications about vascular dysfunction in sickle cell disease and serves as a scientific reviewer for many journals, the National Institutes of Health and the American Heart Association. “It's an important component of mentoring; things you may not necessarily teach formally but that you can communicate through nonverbal behavior.” Illustrating the importance of learning “beyond our horizons” through mentors who showed him lessons outside of the classroom, Dr. Enrico Novelli joins us in another episode of The Medicine Mentors. Tune in as we learn about his journey from Italy to the States and how he continues to lead by showing “optimism, excitement, and faith” in every mentoring opportunity. Pearls of Wisdom:   1. It's easy to feel stuck in a situation but with new experiences come new perspectives, be sure to broaden your horizons and seek new challenges on your journey.  2. A good mentoring relationship requires a fine balance of two energies. A mentor should inspire passion and curiosity while remaining on the sidelines, and a mentee must be receptive to feedback and be coachable in order to grow. 3. It's important to ask yourself sooner rather than later what your long-term career goals are. Finding a niche can require some experimentation, especially in academia. No matter the direction, success requires a plan. 

Natasha Chida, MD, MSPH, is the Myron L. Weisfeldt Professor of Medicine, Director of the Osler Medical Residency Program and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Infectious Diseases at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Chida earned her MD and MPH from University of Miami where she stayed on to complete her internal medicine residency prior to coming to Hopkins to pursue a fellowship in Infectious Diseases. A passionate clinician educator, Dr. Chida has served on many national education committees for the ACGME and Infectious Diseases Society of America. She is passionate about career development for physicians-in-training, the advancement of women in medicine, and how to best train residents and fellows in HIV care. “Being intentional around what you want to accomplish is helpful because it prevents you from spinning off into something that you don't really care about or want to do.” Today we learn the art of building our mission statement and the science of staying true to it with Dr. Natasha Chida, Director of Osler Residency Program at Johns Hopkins. Tune in as Dr. Chida shares tips on identifying our true north, utilizing the village of mentors around us, and most importantly growing with intention to get the most out of our training years. Ultimately “if you know what your mission is and if you feel like you're fulfilling it, that to me is success.” Pearls of Wisdom:   1. In order to make the right decisions you need to know your mission. Whether that's been instilled in you since childhood or comes through new inspirations, balance is all about clarifying your mission.  2. When figuring out what your mission is, look back at your best and worst days. Piece out what happened in both that made them good or bad. Seek out the activities that bring you joy and be sure to re-evaluate when necessary.  3. In order to make the most out of any mentoring relationship, you must be intentional. Yes, they want to help you but you need to be able to define what you're looking to achieve and proactively monitor that as they help you on the journey. 

Margaret Tempero, MD, is an internationally renowned expert in pancreatic cancer, a Professor of Medicine and Director of the Pancreas Center at the UCSF Comprehensive Cancer Center. She organized the first Pancreas Cancer Think Tank in 1999 and chairs The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network's (PanCAN) Scientific and Medical Advisory Board. She was recently inducted into the prestigious Giants of Cancer Care. A thought leader in cancer, she is a former president of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and American Pancreatic Association and currently serves on the ASCO Conquer Cancer Foundation Board. She also serves as the Editor of Chief of Journal of National Comprehensive Cancer Network. “I remember asking a mentor of mine, ‘What does success mean?'” In her mind, Dr. Margaret Tempero expected an obvious answer: Some prestigious designation, a decorated award, maybe some groundbreaking research to her name; but when Dr. Ann Kessinger responded with the most fundamental truth of medicine, it revolutionized her medical philosophy to its core: “You're successful when you're improving the lives of your patients, plain and simple.” Join us for another episode of The Medicine Mentors as Dr. Margaret Tempero shares the true definition of success in medicine, teaches us how to improve the lives of our patients, and emphasizes getting to know the patient as a person before we know them by their disease. Pearls of Wisdom:   1. Success in medicine is found when you're improving the lives of your patients. Regardless of how you do it, the patient must be the first and center focus. 2. Get to know your patient as a person before you know them as a disease. It's as simple as asking them to tell you about themselves. Know the patient so you can help cater your discussion to a field that they understand. 3. Mentorship can be thought of like tennis; a bidirectional process where if your opponent is better, you do better. Mentees have to bring the full initiative to the mentor so they can play back.

Supriya Gupta Mohile, MD, MS, is the Philip and Marilyn Wehrheim Professor in hematology/oncology and co-leader of the Cancer Prevention and Control research program at Wilmot Cancer Institute. She also serves as the Vice-Chair for Academic Affairs in the Department of Medicine at the University of Rochester. She leads the Cancer Care Delivery Research (CCDR) efforts in the Research Base and sits on the CCDR Steering Committee at the NCI. Dr. Mohile is internationally renowned for advancing the field of geriatric oncology. To conduct a successful mentorship relationship, “We have to manage conflict and expectations,” says Dr. Supriya Gupta Mohile. She draws an intriguing contrast between mini-conflicts that are nothing more than minor peeves and major conflicts, which, if not addressed, can lead to irreparable rifts between us and our mentors. Tune in to another episode of The Medicine Mentors as we discuss the underpinnings of patient communication, managing conflicts within our mentorship relationships, and how to set clear expectations and follow up on our commitments. Pearls of Wisdom:   1. If we're not having thoughtful engagement with patients and families, and we're just kind of going from one thing to the next and we're not making those emotional connections, we as clinicians will burn out. 2. Mentorship is a partnership; it's being a teacher; and so, as a teacher, they have to understand what the mentee needs. And it's not for the mentee to be them, it's for them to understand what the mentee wants with their goals and to help them get to those goals. 3. Conflict in our mentorship relationships should be managed using open communication and setting clear expectations, and then following up on it.

Annie Im, MD, is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. She is also the Program Director for Hematology & Oncology Fellowship program. Her research is focused in hematologic malignancies, drug development, stem cell transplantation, and graft-versus-host-disease. She received her medical degree from Stony Brook School of Medicine in New York, and then completed both her residency in internal medicine and her hematology/oncology fellowship from UPMC. “I think the most impressive thing is when a physician can make you feel like you're the most important person in that moment.” Encouraging us to go the extra mile for patients by being present, Dr. Annie Im joins us in this episode of the Medicine Mentors as we discuss the fine details of empowering patients by giving them our full presence. Tune in as Dr. Im spreads the message of staying present for all parts of our lives, reminding us that we won't escape the rush hour busyness of physician life but that by being present we can learn to find a balance that works for any given moment. Pearls of Wisdom:   1. Even though you might be busy in your day, your patients will remember you as you are in the time that you meet with them. So be sure to stay focused and present so they can feel like they're the most important person to you at that moment.  2. When finding a work-life balance, think of it like rush hour traffic. Sometimes it will be easy to balance things and move with ease, but it's important to know that there will be times in your career when work or your personal life will take precedence and need more attention. The key is to find balance in all of those phases. 3. Whether it's research, personal life, or career trajectory, mentors don't all come with the same expertise so be sure to find a variety of mentors that can help you in each part of your life.  4. The onus is on the mentee to reach out to a mentor so when looking out for hiccups in the relationship, stay empathetic and realize that a mentor will have their own business and may not tend to every need. Long lasting relationships require work but pay off in the long run. 5. Successful people are those that find their drive through passion. Seeing that extra patient and going the extra mile isn't just about dedication but also passion. When working passionately, things like burnout and work-life balance become easy. 

Robert Brodsky, MD, is a world-renowned hematologist and the current Director of the Division of Hematology, as well as Professor of Medicine at Johns Hopkins University. He focuses on bone marrow failure states, specifically the use of bone marrow transplants in sickle cell disease and aplastic anemia. His lab studies complement mediated disorders and he has also developed the diagnostic assay that is used to diagnose PNH around the world. Dr. Brodsky is a recipient of numerous national awards and was recently elected as the President of the American Society of Hematology, the largest professional society of hematologists in the world. “I remember driving down 83. I just couldn't wait to get into work…that excitement, that flutter in your heart, that's what defines success for me.” A sentiment passed down through now three generations of hematologists, Dr. Robert Brodsky, Director of the Division of Hematology at Johns Hopkins and President of the American Society of Hematology, joins us for a grounding conversation. Tune in as we dive into the leaders that showed him what it truly means to love your job, how asking the right research questions is the biggest predictor of success, and why it takes decades to build a career that's worth having. Pearls of Wisdom:   1. Work-life balance is not every day. That is a critical distinction to understand, that overall, our lives should be balanced, but it's not an expectation we should come to work with every day. We should try to achieve the work-life balance globally, but not in a day-to-day, hour-to-hour fashion. 2. What is one of the biggest predictors of success? We connect it to the purpose behind the project: the Research Question. That's going to start the journey and create the flutter for us to come to work and pursue something that's actually going to have a meaningful change. 3. Life is likely to get more complicated as we move forward. The difficulty levels keep going up as we go to the next level, and therefore, if there's not a strong force driving us, we should not get to the next level just for the sake of getting there. It should be to reach an ultimate goal.

Amy Jones, MD, is the Program Director of  Hematology-Oncology Fellowship Program at UT Southwestern Medical Center. She also serves as the Medical Director of the Inpatient Hematology-Oncology Unit for the Parkland Health & Hospital System. She is a founding Co-Chair of the Parkland Cancer Improvement Committee and a recipient of the Niarchos Grant for Quality Improvement through ASCO. She serves on the Cancer in People with HIV/Kaposi Sarcoma Panel of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. Dr. Jones has delivered a number of invited lectures and published numerous academic articles, and she serves as a course director for medical education at the fellowship and medical student levels. “You can be a mom and hang out with your kids, have a husband who loves smoking meat, and still be a complete boss at work.” Between brisket and directing the Hematology-Oncology Fellowship Program at UT Southwestern, Dr. Amy Jones teaches us a thing or two about keeping our hearts and minds full. Join us in this motivating episode with Dr. Jones, as she takes us through her earliest inspirations and how they've instilled in her a sense of service while making sure she has time to fill her own cup. Tune in as we talk about recharging our batteries and leaning on mentors, learning how to take charge as a mentee keeping your torch lit, and why it's crucial to be able to tell your story. Pearls of Wisdom:   1. A good mentee is one that is honest about what they want and can take their goals across the finish line. Drive the relationship even when it's uncomfortable because that's what it takes for success. 2. When looking to the future, ask yourself what you dream of in a job and what your day-to-day life might look like. Write a letter that starts with who you are and what you've done, ending with where you're going and how you'll get there. 3. Balance is key for a long career. Because you have an ability to give back you also have the responsibility to serve, but in order to serve you have to be able to care for yourself, too.

Adam M. Brufsky, MD, PhD is a Professor of Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh. He is also the co-director of the Comprehensive Breast Cancer Center, and the Associate Director of Clinical Investigation at the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center. He is a prolific researcher and is actively involved in national oncology organizations. On the path to being a doctor, getting caught up in the race of seeking credit and finding validation is easy. Here to remind us that true success in medicine means “affecting the lives of the people [we] care for and being a reliable source of help,” Dr. Adam Brufsky joins us on this episode of The Medicine Mentors. Tune in as we take a page from Dr. Brufsky's book and learn why “you'll get a lot more done in science and medicine if you don't care as much about who gets the credit.” Pearls of Wisdom:   1. During training and throughout your tenure as a physician, getting credit seems to be a race to the finish. But you'll go further for longer if instead you support your peers and learn to put credit to the side; don't miss the forest for the trees. 2. It's easy to feel intimidated when reaching out for support, but remember that those in high positions only got there by standing on the shoulders of giants. Speak up and reach out and you'll find most people will happily oblige.  3. Two principles every good mentor must follow are: being a role model in every aspect, from work-life balance to professional candor; and being present for a mentee despite the circumstance even if just to listen. 4. Two principles every good mentee must follow are: showing interest and involvement by following through on opportunities; and understanding when to say no, which is something a mentor could help with. 

Ralph Hruban, MD, is a world-renowned pancreatic cancer pathology expert. He serves as the Baxley Professor and Director of the Department of Pathology, and Director of the Sol Goldman Pancreatic Cancer Research Center at Johns Hopkins University. He co-founded the National Familial Pancreas Tumor Registry at Johns Hopkins in 1994, created an award-winning iPad application to teach pancreas pathology and an iPad and iPhone app for patients with pancreatic cancer. Dr. Hruban has authored more than 850 peer-reviewed manuscripts and ten books, including the standard textbook on pancreatic pathology (the AFIP Fascicle on Tumors of the Pancreas) and the World Health Organization “blue book” on tumors of the digestive tract. He has received numerous awards including the PanCAN Medical Visionary Award and the Ruth C. Brufsky Award of Excellence in Clinical Research for Pancreatic Cancer. How did modern medicine get to where it is today? As much as it's about scientific advances, it's just as much about the people who overcame extreme hardships and helped forge not only advances in diagnostics and medicine, but also values and ethics of the medical profession. In this episode, Dr. Ralph Hruban highlights some of the pioneers of early American medicine from his new book, A Scientific Revolution: Ten Men and Women Who Reinvented American Medicine. Listen in as Dr. Hruban provides a fascinating glimpse into the trials and tribulations of America's medical founders who played a fundamental role in transforming medicine from a trade into a science. Pearls of Wisdom:   1. Not taking no for answer is the ultimate quintessential quality that we have seen in all of these medical pioneers who have been faced with hardships. 2. It's important to reflect on where science would be today had the barriers of racism and sexism not been present. 3. Our current medical mentors fill an important role but there's also value in historical mentors that help remind us of the medical professionals we aspire to be like.

Pier Paolo Scaglioni, MD, is the Herbert F. Koch Professor of Medicine and Director of the Division of Hematology-Oncology at the University of Cincinnati. He also serves as the Associate Director for translational research at the University of Cincinnati Cancer Center. Dr. Scaglioni is a physician-scientist and leads a cancer biology research laboratory along with a clinical practice in malignant hematology. He has been the recipient of numerous awards and grants, including the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institutes. What is the most prized possession of Medicine? As Dr. Scaglioni puts it, "Mentorship is the Holy Grail of Medicine." But does it end there? Mentors have different facets to their personalities. How can a mentee distinguish and absorb those traits that are tailored to their own clinical practice? Furthermore, can a mentee navigate the wilderness of academia without a mentor? To answer these critical questions, we are joined by Dr. Pier Paolo Scaglioni, Professor of Medicine at the University of Cincinnati, on today's episode of Medicine Mentors. Tune in for more. Pearls of Wisdom:   1. Mentorship is the holy grail of medicine. A mentor's role is to help you facilitate the trajectory of your career and allow you to navigate its wilderness. 2. Mentorship brings different perspectives to the relationship. A mentee should be able to troubleshoot themselves out of default mode and try more enterprising ventures with the hand of a mentor steering their way. 3. Passion and commitment are the two predictors of success that are often reflected in our actions.

Janet Abrahm, MD, is a nationally recognized expert in Palliative Medicine and Oncology and a Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School where she has been practicing at Dana Farber Cancer Institute for over 20 years. She has authored “The Comprehensive Guide to Supportive and Palliative Care in Patients with Cancer.” She was recently recognized with the 2022 AAHPM Award for Teaching and Mentoring and the Dana Farber's Edward Benz Award for Mentorship of Women in Medicine. “It's good to trust yourself, to have the courage of your convictions. But also be aware that it can lead you to not listen to criticism when you need to. Being a pioneer is a double-edged sword.” Dr. Janet Abrahm talks with us on walking the fine line between being confident and yet receptive to feedback. In this episode of The Medicine Mentors, nationally recognized mentor Dr. Janet Abrahm shares key insights on honing our ability to trust ourselves, combining feedback with self-confidence to reach better decisions and in the process escaping the bunker mentality. Pearls of Wisdom:   1. Being a pioneer means trusting yourself but also reaching out to mentors and being open to feedback. You might think you're the only one out there on the cutting edge but staying open and engaging with colleagues can reveal valuable and productive relationships you'd never imagine. 2. Just because you have an inclination doesn't mean it's a limitation. Recognize it now and be able to work with that and turn it into a strength as you move forward. 3. In order to continually progress in life, ask yourself these questions at regular intervals: Who am I? Am I happy or satisfied? Can and should I be doing this for five more years? 

Richard Francis Riedel, M.D., is the Program Director for the Duke Hematology-Oncology Fellowship Program and Associate Professor of Medical Oncology at Duke University Medical Center where he also serves as an Associate Director for Clinical and Translational Research for the Duke Sarcoma Program. An internationally renowned sarcoma expert, Dr. Riedel has a clinical and research interest in identifying novel therapeutics for patients with soft tissue and bone sarcoma. He is active in many national bodies including the Sarcoma Alliance for Research through Collaboration and has taken an active role in developing the NCCN guideline committees for sarcoma. “Choosing a mentor is probably the most important decision you'll make during fellowship. In the sense that your mentor will then become a peer, an advocate, and someone who opens doors for you.” Having guided hundreds of trainees, Dr. Richard Riedel joins us in this episode of the Medicine Mentors for a retrospective look at his journey and some tips he's learned along the way. Tune in as Dr. Riedel shares with us the importance of working with the three Ps in mind: being present, passionate, and purposeful; recognizing that a mentoring relationship is a two-way street; and how to realize success in the small accomplishments everyday. Pearls of Wisdom:   1. As a physician, your first major relationships are with patients. Given the short time you may have with them, take time to listen rather than speak. Engage with your patients and empathize with their worries to create room for stronger relationships.  2. The life of a physician can be stressful, taxing, and time-consuming. While you might think you're the only one in the boat, your family and loved ones ride along with you whether you know or not. Dedicating time for your family is important to stay balanced with physicianship.  3. Mentoring relationships can be what you make of them but their potential is limitless and can stretch a lifetime with the right people. Be sure to choose wisely and find a mentor that not only advocates for you, but that you admire professionally and personally.  4. Whether it's clinic based research or advocacy, achieving a broader goal of good in society requires the big three Ps: present, passionate, purposeful. If you love what you do every moment is appreciated, but it's also important to ensure that time is aligned with your goals. 

Melissa Accordino, MD, is an Associate Professor of Medicine and Program Director of the Hematology-Oncology Fellowship Program at Columbia University's Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center. Through leading clinical research trials in cancer she has been bestowed grants from high profile foundations like The American Society of Clinical Oncology, The Hope Foundation, and The American Cancer Society, and many more. A leader in cancer research, she aims to improve the quality and delivery of cancer care and cancer survivorship within oncology. “I tell my fellows, go meet with these big wigs. If you're the one person in their day not asking them for a bunch of money and you just want some advice and let them talk, that'll be the highlight of their day.” Accustomed to the reality of mentorship from both sides, Dr. Melissa Accordino joins us in this episode of the Medicine Mentors to remind us that asking for advice is good, but asking for advice early is better. “It's hard to admit that we do need the help and to yield that control...But I think in order to grow and be successful, it's essential." Pearls of Wisdom:   1. Asking for help is good, but asking for help early is the secret sauce. When our teammates need help, we want to be able to take on the burden. And at the same time, when we need the help, we should lean on them. 2. We all have a lot more in common than we think. We can start by finding common ground with our potential mentor and even just make small talk. That makes the relationship build organically and turns it from a skill-based mentorship to life-based mentorship. 3. We should stay true to ourselves. It's important not to sit there to try and tell our mentors what we think they want to hear, because if they're really invested in helping us, then we need to be honest.

Pamela Munster, MD, is a Professor of Medicine and a breast cancer specialist. She is the Director of the Early Phase Clinical Trials Unit, Co-leader of the Center for BRCA Research, and Co-leader of the Molecular Oncology Program at UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center. She is also the founder of Alessa Therapeutics. She has authored the book Twisting Fate, in which she describes her journey as a breast cancer specialist to a breast cancer patient and back. She serves on multiple committees around the world which focus on developing new treatments for cancer and leads breast cancer awareness campaigns in the United States, United Arab Emirates, and India. “Life in medicine is a marathon. It's not a sprint. There are many opportunities to reroute; there are many opportunities to succeed.” A competent physician is nurtured on a strong foundation of integrity in character and authenticity in practice, but an effective mentor is equally responsible for their growth. How can you as a budding physician instill these values in your career? Where can you find such a mentor? Join us on another episode of Medicine Mentors where we discuss these important questions with Dr. Pamela Munster. Pearls of Wisdom:   1. Two qualities that should never be compromised in an effective role model or leader are integrity and authenticity. 2. Doctors have incredible power and responsibility bestowed upon them as caretakers. It should be used to channel ourselves toward the best we can do for our patients.  3. Effective mentors act as sounding boards and help the mentee achieve their maximum potential. As mentees, it is our job to actively seek out answers and define for ourselves, "What does success look like for me?" 

Robert Soiffer, MD, is the Chief of the Division of Hematologic Malignancies at Dana Farber Cancer Institute and the Worthington and Margaret Collette Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. A renowned malignant hematology researcher, Dr. Soiffer has served as President of the American Society of Blood and Marrow Transplantation and is the immediate past chair of the board of the National Marrow Donor Program. He has co-authored more than 400 peer-reviewed manuscripts, book chapters, review articles, editorials, and monographs. “Early in my career, when I would mentor people, I would explain to them exactly how I did what I did. A lot of folks would say, I want to be like you. But you need to realize that you're not like me, you're different, you're YOU. So you have to find your own path.” Known as a “mentor to mentors”, Dr. Robert Soiffer teaches us how to best utilize mentors to carve our own path, how JOY in medicine lies in the JOurneY not necessarily the outcomes, and the ephemeral nature of success, which is why “you can't enjoy the successes too much or wallow in the failures too much because they're going to flip around.” Pearls of Wisdom:   1. We have to remember history in order to define the present and improve the future. The greatest memory tool is talking to the patient, asking the patient, and letting that serve as the way we remember their story. 2. Don't connect failure or success to the end result; focus on improving the journey and finding joy in that process. 3. You don't have to be a mentor's shadow; talk about your path and vision with them to gain insight on how you can achieve that. 4. Have fun everyday and never miss a meal.

Heinz-Josef Lenz, MD, FACP, is a Professor of Medicine and Preventive Medicine, J. Terrence Lanni Chair in Cancer Research, Section Head of GI Oncology and Co-Director of the Colorectal Center at the University of Southern California. He also serves as the Deputy Director for Research at USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Lenz is a physician-scientist known for his work on the pharmacogenomics of GI cancers. He is a member of several professional societies, including the AACR & AGA and serves on the National Advisory Board of a number of professional organizations. Dr. Lenz is the Co-Chair of the GI Committee and Correlative Science Committee for SWOG. He has published over 450 peer reviewed manuscripts. He has been listed in the Best Doctors' database since 2003. “You need to be very resilient and always dream big. Don't limit yourself with boundaries.” Why is resilience so important for a physician? Early in his career, Dr. Lenz was told that he cannot make it as a researcher by his superior; the only response Dr. Lenz had was, "I will show you." Looking ahead a few years, Dr. Lenz is now a highly renowned researcher and clinician with many accolades to his name. Join us on another episode of Medicine Mentors where we discuss core values a physician must exhibit, the success factor of effective mentors, and what it means to be an influential physician-leader with Dr. Heinz-Josef Lenz. Pearls of Wisdom:   1. Learn to be open-minded. Always be relentless and resilient in your pursuits. Explore different diversities with the right mindset and maximize your potential. 2. A successful mentor can instill a sense of accountability in their mentees, making sure they know that great things are expected of them. 3. A leader's job is to maximize the existing potential of the group and eliminate the gaps and weak links by recognizing talent and assigning appropriate roles.

Grace Makari-Judson, MD, is a Professor of Medicine and Chief of the Division of Hematology/Oncology at UMass Chan Medical School, Baystate. She is also the Co-Director of The Rays of Hope Center for Breast Cancer Research, and Chair of the Baystate Health Breast Network and Baystate Regional Cancer Program. She is known as an educator, speaking at forums for both medical and lay audiences and also serves as the Principal Investigator of the Breast Research Registry to provide opportunities for translational research and of numerous clinical trials to enhance care. “You always have to take advantage of relationships, even if you don't necessarily know who those people are that you're collaborating with. You just have to be open to it.” Joined by her own mentee, Dr. Prarthana Bhardwaj who rose to that very challenge, we sat down with Dr. Grace Makari Judson in a discussion on mentorship, taking chances, and staying enthusiastic. Tune in as we dive into the details of mentorship from both sides, gain insight into the specific pitfalls of bad mentoring relationships, and why it's important to learn from your surroundings and take chances when they're afforded. Pearls of Wisdom:   1. Stay open to new opportunities because your path is ever-changing and we can gain so much from learning around us and exploring different experiences. But be sure to instill a foundation of excellence so when that time comes you're ready.  2. A great mentor is somebody who's invested in your growth. They can be sponsors, teachers, or advocates. But be sure to find one that can set an agenda, meet with you frequently, and share beneficial opportunities with you. 3. A great mentee is one who shares enthusiasm about the work and jumps on opportunities presented to them. 4. As physicians, we need to be aware of our own personal biases when caring for patients by reminding ourselves that we're there to empower them. Rather than relating to their issues, empathize and find out what's best for them. 

George Weiner, MD, is a Professor of Hematology and Medical Oncology at the University of Iowa. Dr. Weiner has also served as the Director of the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center for over two decades. He is also the CE Block Chair of Cancer Research at the University of Iowa Health Care and provides all oversight to cancer research at the cancer center. Dr. Weiner runs a research lab focusing on novel approaches to cancer immunotherapy. In honor of Dr. Weiner's service, the institution has announced an award named ‘The George Weiner Cancer Control Visionary Award'. When paralyzed with a life-changing decision, how often do we take a step back and let the critical thinker inside us reign free? To really analyze the situation and understand its outcomes on a larger scale? In today's episode, Dr. George Weiner shares a secret formula for making complex decisions in a split-second with the promise of the most successful pay-offs. To learn this “P.A.U.S.E.” protocol, tune in for more. Pearls of Wisdom:   1. There are people who can have the same goals but come from very different backgrounds and perspectives, and if we really work hard to understand where they're coming from, it makes it much easier to identify the joint goals because there are different approaches that can be successful towards the same goal. 2. We shouldn't let the lingo get in the way when communicating with peers or patients. We tend to use terms we understand very well, but others don't know what we're talking about. Everyone's capable of understanding very complex issues if we use terminology that they can understand. 3. Before we make any decisions. we should “P.A.U.S.E.” and look at it from different angles to try and think about what or how that would impact other people before executing it. 

Karen Ballen, MD, is a Professor of Medicine at the University of Virginia. She serves as the Chief of Hematology/Oncology. Dr. Ballen is an international expert in stem cell transplants, particularly for patients who have a difficult time finding a donor. She started one of the first umbilical cord blood banks in the United States with the American Red Cross. Her research focuses on access to transplant care. She is the Chair of the Cord Blood Advisory Committee for the National Marrow Donor Program and has served multiple leadership roles for the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research. Bludgeoning our way through medical questions might bereave us of an indispensable aspect of the patient history: the social history. “When I meet a new patient, I say, ‘I've read your records, and I've talked to your referring physician, but why don't you tell me your story?' And it's very open-ended, and it gives them five or 10 minutes to just go.” To derive key insights from the subtle hints our patients give us in between their stories, join us for today's episode of The Medicine Mentors as we learn about the patient-doctor exchange from Dr. Karen Ballen. Pearls of Wisdom:   1. At each stage of the journey, mentorship is very important in terms of [deciding] where to devote energy and time, but maybe even more importantly, where not to. 2. Often in medicine, we try to shield our personal life from our professional life, but sharing some of those personal stories and asking for support when we need it will help us create an environment of support and trust. 3. When we meet a new patient, we should keep the conversation open-ended by saying, “I've read your records and I've talked to your referring physician, but why don't you tell me your story?”

Renuka Iyer, MD, is a Professor of Oncology, Section Chief for Gastrointestinal Oncology and Co-Leader of Liver and Pancreas Tumor program at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University at Buffalo. She is also the Vice Chair of Faculty Recruitment and Retention in the Department of Medicine. She is a world renowned authority on Neuroendocrine Tumors. She was recently awarded the Mark R. Clements Award, for Vision Innovation and Collaboration from the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation. “If it's in my power to make something happen and I don't, then I've failed them.” Having found her own path with the help of mentors that encouraged her, Dr. Renuka Iyer shares challenges and hurdles that helped make her into the mentor, professor, and researcher she is today. Tune in to this special episode of The Medicine Mentors at ASCO 2023 as we learn from Dr. Iyer how to be better mentees and people by working hard and keeping our word, why studying woodchucks helped her understand that challenges are opportunities for exploration and discovery, and how mentorship can be a lifelong continuum of support. Pearls of Wisdom:   1. Try not to pigeonhole the idea of a mentor. You can find mentorship from anyone as long as they care about your future and want to help; stay open to diverse forms of mentorship.  2. When you run into a wall, don't be quick to give up. Work around obstacles and reach out to find new answers. As Dr. Iyer says, “necessity can be the mother of invention.”  3. Not only does a good mentee respect their mentor's time, but they recognize the value of vulnerability. Sharing your insecurities and fears with a mentor means you're asking for help and growing. The other part of that is following through with agreements and tasks. 3. Find a balance between work and your own life. Find a support system that allows you to feel good about work and nourished at home. Your job is to care for others but that requires taking care of yourself first.

Sam Lubner, MD, is an Associate Professor at the University of Wisconsin, where he directs the Hematology and Medical Oncology fellowship program. He specializes in gastrointestinal malignancies and is the leader of the Gastrointestinal Disease-Oriented Team at the Carbone Cancer Center. He also serves on the Education Council for the American Society of Clinical Oncology. He has received numerous awards for clinical care, including Ambulatory Patient Experience Physician Champion, and has been selected for the Department of Medicine Clinical Excellence Award. Ever wondered why wizards are like doctors and wands are like their specialty? There are times when every milestone of your career will be clear and you will know the right steps to follow. But what about the times when everything is shrouded in uncertainty and doubt? As Dr. Lubner suggests, "Like Harry Potter, let the Sorting Hat decide." Tune in to today's episode of the Medicine Mentors, where we are joined by Dr. Sam Lubner, the Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Wisconsin, as he shares wisdom perfected over many years of mentoring countless residents and fellows and why every time his mentees are unclear about their career path, he just lets the Sorting Hat decide. Pearls of Wisdom:   1. The best gift that we can give to a patient (or ourselves) is to think deeply about them because patients are deliberately trying to find answers through us. This will help us deliver empathetic and compassionate care. 2. We should realize that we're never alone in medicine. We're never stranded on an island. We always have a team of doctors that we can reach out to. People feel valued when they are sought out for answers to difficult questions. 3. Synthesizing the experiences and the perspectives we gain from our mentors will help us assimilate all of that into a decision. As mentees, one of the most valued traits that we can develop is intellectual curiosity and to never shy away from going back into the patient room to seek those answers.

Laurel Lyckholm, MD, is a Professor of Hematology/Oncology at the West Virginia University Cancer Institute. She also serves as the Interim Chief of the Department of Hematology/Oncology. She is actively involved with the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Dr. Lyckholm is the recipient of a number of awards, including the Leonard Tow Gold Humanism in Medicine Award and several others for exceptional teaching and mentorship. Every self-improvement, motivational, and leadership literature highlights the inextricable nature of listening with being a high-value professional. “Patients really notice when physicians listen, and you have to listen with your heart as well as your head,” says Dr. Laurel Lyckholm. Join us for another episode of The Medicine Mentors as we discuss implementing listening as a habit in our practice, looking inward when moving past emotional barriers, and using the correct metrics to assess the efficacy of our mentoring relationships with Dr. Laurel Lyckholm. Pearls of Wisdom:   1. Matching is important in mentorship. It's okay to reevaluate mentoring relationships if it's not working out and moving on from them 2. Listening makes the best physician, somebody who is conscious about the listening-to-talking ratio in their meetings with the patients. 3. We should look outward instead of inward. If someone has upset us, maybe they have projected hurt or pain that they are suffering. It's best to move on. 

Linda Vahdat, MD, MBA, is a breast cancer medical oncologist. She serves as the Deputy Cancer Center Director, Section Chief of Medical Oncology, and Interim Chief of Hematology at Dartmouth Cancer Center. She is a leading breast cancer researcher with special interests in drug development. She has led three separate drug-development efforts that led to FDA approval of three drugs active in metastatic breast cancer. She founded the Triple Negative Breast Cancer Clinic, the second only in the entire country. Mentorship need not be limited to the confines of medical institutions.“Looking back and thinking about all the people I felt really helped me develop into who I am today, there's actually quite a list because everybody brings something different to the party.” And she ascertains the fact that many of her mentors were outside of medicine. Tune into another insightful conversation on The Medicine Mentors as we discuss building long-term relationships to be conducive to growth and seeking mentors outside of medicine that can supplement our medical practice with Dr. Linda Vahdat. Pearls of Wisdom:   1.  The most successful leaders have high EQs and having a high EQ makes a huge difference. It is a skill that can be learned through different outlets—online courses, specialists, podcasts—where we can begin to understand the underpinnings of EQ. 2. We should ensure that we match properly, either as a mentor or as a mentee, with the other person, and re-evaluate that relationship, that it is not a waste of time for either parties, and communicating if that is so to act as a frequent check of the relationship as well as of goals and objectives that we have set up. 3. A good mentor is someone who listens, creates opportunities, and helps balance life. As mentees, we should follow up and close the loop with our mentors because we have to be respectful of the mentor's time, as well. 4. Mentorship doesn't have to be restricted to just medicine. It is more about learning the approach from individuals not just in medicine but also outside of it. It is important to go out of the box and look for mentors who can help you with a mentorship map.

Martina Murphy, MD, is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Florida. She also directs the Hematology and Oncology Fellowship Program. Dr. Murphy specializes in caring for patients with gynecologic malignancies. She is a prolific researcher with a focus on equitable and accurate healthcare communication across the oncology spectrum. Dr. Murphy is passionate about medical education and mentorship. “Once you've got an idea about the things that excite you and the things that make you tick, ask for what you want. Don't be afraid to tell your mentor, ‘This is what I think I need help with.'” Dr. Martina Murphy understood that fear will only weigh her down once it was time to reveal a great secret to her mentor. Tune in to another inspiring episode of The Medicine Mentors as we discuss key topics like discovering our passion and using it as leverage to finding effective mentorship with Dr. Martina Murphy. Pearls of Wisdom:   1. We should be ourselves and let our mentors see us, and if we allow them to see ourselves and the things that make us tick and excite us, we're going to have such a great relationship and that person is going to be so much better equipped to help us in the process. 2. Trainees that have a spirit of inquiry about constantly wanting to keep growing and to keep learning are very impactful, and it certainly comes across in conversations. 3. We tend to sometimes forget that our patients are experts in their own lives. It's really important to communicate with patients about what's worrying them because we make a lot of assumptions from where we sit as doctors about what our patients care about. That goes a long way in terms of helping people and be engaged participants in their own health.

VK Gadi, MD, PhD, is the Professor and Director of Medical Oncology at the University of Illinois Chicago. He also serves as an Associate Director of Translational Oncology there. Dr. Gadi has more than 30 years of experience in clinical oncology, cancer research, and translational breast cancer research. In his clinical practice, he is focused on providing expert care to eliminate breast cancer with a team-based approach. He is a pioneer in precision medicine and has co-founded an organization called SEngine Precision Medicine. “People are the most effective when they're their true self, their true version, the best version of themselves.” Mentors have the highest degree of accountability in cultivating the best version of their mentees, but how can it be achieved? Are you certain if your role model is the right fit for modeling behavior? Is there a way you can find out which mentor will create the best space for you to be the best you? Yes, there is. Tune in to another compelling episode of Medicine Mentors, where we are joined by Dr. VK Gadi, the Professor, and Director of Medical Oncology at the University of Illinois Chicago, as we discuss how to identify mentors that exhibit model behavior, which mentor will help you unlock your potential, and how you can carve out your path to success. Pearls of Wisdom:   1. Find a mentor who can create the space for you to be the best and truest version of yourself. 2. A mentor should be someone their mentees can model. The qualities they wish to pass on should be exuded in their actions without being relayed in a forceful and threatening manner. 3. Success is not produced by a specific algorithm or a systematic method. It's a diversified and arduous process and it's achieved in many different phases during different parts of our journey.

Anil Rustgi, MD, is the Director of the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, the Irving Professor of Medicine, and Chief of Cancer Services at the New York Presbyterian Hospital-Columbia campus. Dr. Rustgi is a world-renowned physician, scientist, and leader in the field of gastrointestinal cancers, spanning from molecular pathogenesis to pre-clinical models to clinical studies. He has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine, is the former President of the American Gastroenterology Association (AGA), Editor-in-Chief of Gastroenterology, and recipient of the AGA Friedenwald Medal for lifetime achievement. “You're always in touch with your parents, siblings, uncles, aunts, cousins, and so forth…the amount of contact may vary, but the contact should never cease. The mentor-mentee relationship is the same.” Tune into another conversation on The Medicine Mentors as we take a deep dive with Dr. Anil Rustgi on what makes the mentor-mentee relationship so powerful. Because ultimately, “one doesn't stop being a mentee and should continue being a mentor.” Pearls of Wisdom:   1. Have two mentors that work with each other and aim at having lifelong mentorship. We shouldn't stop being a mentee and should always continue being a mentor. 2. A mentor should always be thinking about the mentee and both should have a periodic engagement to celebrate the successes and give support during failures. 3. To influence the landscape, we should get engaged in professional societies, volunteer at the local level to influence patient care and healthcare policy, and aim at participating in the community.

Dr. Luis Diaz-Sr., MD, is the C.E. Wheeler Jr. Distinguished Professor in the Department of Dermatology at the University of North Carolina. He is a nationally renowned academician, running a robust NIH-funded lab that has been groundbreaking in discovering the immunopathology of pemphigus and pemphigoid. In his career spanning over 40 years, he has chaired departments of dermatology at the Medical College of Wisconsin and the University of North Carolina. He is the past president of both the Society for Investigative Dermatology (SID) and the Association of Professors of Dermatology (APD).   “When you feel you're at the top of the mountain, look around. You'll recognize that there are taller mountains all around you. This will help you to remain humble as you grow.” Join us for an inspiring discussion with renowned dermatologist Dr. Luis Diaz Sr. A mentor to hundreds of residents and research fellows, we journey with Dr. Diaz from finishing medical school in Peru to becoming one of thirteen dermatologists who are members of the National Academy of Medicine. Tune in as we learn the secrets to overcoming disadvantage with hard work, embracing the small tasks, and remaining humble as we climb our mountain.   Pearls of Wisdom:   1. With hard work, we can overcome any disadvantage we enter life with. Recognize that and stick to your goal despite possibly having to work harder than others. 2. When you reach the top of the mountain, don't forget that there are other mountains around you that are much taller. Remember to be humble. 3. As we progress, the smaller more menial tasks somehow become less important. If we remember to always be helpful, to pick up those small tasks that others may not want to do we will become individuals that the lab or hospital is going to miss rather than be glad you're gone.

Toni Choueiri, M.D., is the Director of the Lank Center for Genitourinary (GU) Oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI). He is the Co-leader of the Kidney Cancer Program and the Jerome and Nancy Kohlberg Chair and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. He has received the George Canellos Award for Excellence in Clinical Investigation and Patient Care, the Eugene Schonfeld Award from the Kidney Cancer Association, and last year he was inducted into the prestigious Giants of Cancer Care. He has over 675 PubMed indexed publications and is the lead investigator of multiple, national, and international phase I-III trials in GU cancers. “A great physician is not measured by the number of publications or how fast you become a professor or the awards you have received. A great physician is measured by people saying (not in your presence) -  ‘I want to send my mom to this person.' That to me is a great physician.” Tune into another conversation on The Medicine Mentors as we talk about rediscovering ourselves, building trust, and aiming for peak performance in medicine with Dr. Toni Choueiri. Pearls of Wisdom:   1. There is no one path to success; the path differs for everyone, and so rather than having a tunnel vision, we should be honest with ourselves and keep our mind open to all possibilities so that we can really find what makes our heart palpate. 2. We are all going to face scenarios where a patient needs our help and at the same time we have a call from our family or a meeting for our research project, or an issue in the lab. The question is what comes first, and categorically the patient should always come first and should be the priority. 3. We should ask ourselves: ‘Am I a doctor that my physician friends would send their mom or a loved one to?' And its really when we start to continually raise the bar for our personal performance that we move to the next level.

Darryl Elmouchi, MD, MBA, is the President of Corewell Health West, where he leads 11 hospitals and a medical group of over 2000 providers. Corewell Health was formerly Beaumont Health and Spectrum Health. A cardiac electrophysiologist by training, he has served in a number of roles within Spectrum Health, including the Chair of the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, and currently serves as a clinical professor of medicine at Michigan State University. He's been noted as an influential healthcare physician executive with numerous accolades. "This is the classic US vs. THEM. I was speaking in front of a large group of physicians, and I remember saying, 'I was always one of ‘US'. And I was always frustrated with ‘THEM'. Until one day I realized, I am now ‘THEM'." Join us for an inspiring conversation with Dr. Darryl Elmouchi, a cardiac electrophysiologist and President of Corewell Health West, one of the largest health systems in Michigan. Tune in as we take a deep dive into leadership in medicine, specifically why the best physicians have the potential of becoming the best leaders and what we can start doing today to unleash that potential. Pearls of Wisdom:   1. We should hone three skills: Kindness, discipline, and the ability to deconstruct complex problems into simpler instances. 2. We think of leadership as something that starts when your hair starts to gray. Leadership is not acting when you have a title. Leadership is simply about finding solutions to problems. 3. The moment we all start to take the time to understand the why behind what the THEM or US are doing, that "why" leads to the WE. 4. The ability to poke fun at ourselves or other things in the middle of our serious jobs really brings the team together and makes us human.

Ann LaCasce, MD, is the Director of the Dana-Farber/Mass General Brigham Fellowship in Hematology/Oncology and an Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Dr. LaCasce completed her medical school from Tufts University and residency in Internal Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital where she later served as Chief Medical Resident, followed by a fellowship in Hematology/Oncology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. She is a nationally renowned lymphoma specialist, chairs the steering committee for Women in Lymphoma and is currently serving as Chair-elect of the Lymphoma Research Foundation.   “You're never going to find one person who can provide all the mentorship. Break it down into people who can provide various expertise.” Tune into a conversation with nationally renowned lymphoma expert, Dr. Ann LaCasce, on her own journey and the impact a community of mentors can have. Leading one of the largest fellowship programs in the country, she helps her fellows build and leverage a mentorship mosaic to address pivotal conversations and foster effective mentoring relationships. “Get a bunch of people to think together about your career. It's really amazing.”   Pearls of Wisdom:   1. We should use our time wisely while getting to know the patient. How can we achieve that? As Dr. LaCasce suggests, by combining our review of systems as we're doing the physical exam, spending that extra minute to get to know the patient, because, ultimately, we are best positioned to deliver the care our patients deserve when we really know them. 2. We should use mentorship wisely by engaging with not just one but a group of mentors on pivotal conversations that can really change the trajectory of our careers. The first step should be to build a mentorship mosaic of professionals who can be our sounding board. 3. How do we start exploring the decisive question of, "Who am I?" It starts with being honest with ourselves, wherein lies the ability to recognize our strengths and goals without fitting into a predefined supposition. This will help us pave the way forward in our lives and careers.

Nancy Davidson, M.D., serves as the Executive Vice President for Clinical Affairs and Senior Vice President and Professor of the Clinical Research Division at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center at the University of Washington, where she heads the Division of Medical Oncology. She is the past President of both the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). She is a recipient of a number of prestigious awards including the ASCO Gianni Bonadonna Breast Cancer Award and the NCI Rosalind E. Franklin Award and was recently inducted into the Giants of Cancer Care. “I don't think I can ever be a professor at Johns Hopkins,” said Dr. Davidson when she was a junior faculty to her mentor Dr. Martin Abeloff. He responded with three words she has taken to heart since: “Why ever not?” Tune into a conversation with Dr. Nancy Davidson, world-renowned breast cancer researcher and past president of both ASCO and AACR, on pushing beyond doubts and uncertainties, preserving the ‘One Community' mindset as we work in teams, and embracing the most effective mentoring relationship: Bidirectional. Pearls of Wisdom:   1. The central theme of our careers should be the patient. With every setback, failure, challenge, lost opportunity, and professional strife, we should try to reorient ourselves and bring our focus back to the patient's healthcare. 2. Mentorship is bidirectional. We will provide mentorship to people, but if we're smart and we listen well, some of the people that we are so-called mentors for will be teaching us all along the way. 3. Why ever not? An important question when we doubt ourselves. There is an element of resilience and recovery; not everything will go swimmingly in our career, but taking what we can learn from it will help us move forward. 4. All of us are looking for growth, but one thing that is essential is seizing the moment, and that involves saying yes and jumping on the opportunity when many times we are taught to say no.

Naveen Pemmaraju, MD, is the Director of Blastic Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cell Neoplasm (BPDCN) Program and an Associate Professor of Cancer Medicine at MD Anderson Cancer Center. He also serves as the Executive Director of Cancer Medicine for the MDACC Cancer Network. He is a principal investigator for several national clinical trials in MPNs, AML, and BPDCN, and he has helped develop novel targeted therapies for patients with these disorders. He led a multicenter team in a phase 1/2 clinical trial for patients with BPDCN that ultimately led to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for the first targeted agent available for this rare leukemia. He has authored/co-authored over 315+ publications and has been awarded the Gerald P. Bodey Award for Excellence in Education from MD Anderson. “It is knowing the story behind the story that sets apart the ‘go-to' clinicians. They are able to make connections and discoveries about diseases and situations that other folks miss.” Tune into a conversation with Dr. Naveen Pemmaraju on clinical ‘base-building', developing a wins-'learns' mindset, and becoming innovators in our field.   Pearls of Wisdom:   1. Have a strong and fundamental base of knowledge. The best physicians aren't working the longest hours, they are working the smartest, and the reason they can do this is that they have a vast reserve of knowledge. That is the key to mastery. 2. There are no losses, only wins and learns. When you start to realize the opportunities for learning that lie in failures, that's when losses shed their disguise and become a momentous phenomenon of growth. 3. Become a leader. Be the go-to doctor for other doctors when they are faced with unsolvable, diagnostically dilemmic cases. This can only take place when you master your craft and take an effort to know the patients as people first.  

Roy Ziegelstein, M.D., is the Vice Dean for Education at Johns Hopkins University and the Vice Chair of Humanism in the Department of Medicine at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center. He is the Sarah Miller Coulson and Frank L. Coulson, Jr. Professor of Medicine, and the Mary Wallace Stanton Professor of Education at Johns Hopkins University. He is an internationally-recognized expert in the relationship between depression and cardiovascular disease and a five-time recipient of the George J. Stuart Award for Outstanding Clinical Teaching along with the Alpha Omega Alpha Robert J. Glaser Distinguished Teacher Award of the Association of American Medical Colleges. “Find something that you have some talent for, something that you are passionate about and enjoy, AND something that others find valuable. That is the Trifecta that I search for in my professional life.” Tune into a conversation with Dr. Roy Ziegelstein on practicing ‘personomics', reversing the empathic disconnect, and identifying your trifecta for peak performance in medicine. Pearls of Wisdom:   1. The Art of Medicine is nothing but connecting, but as we progress, we seem to get more disconnected.  The key to reversing that disconnect is actually counterintuitive, being proactive in engaging in activities that are outside of medicine—normal people activities—and prioritizing that. 2. How to practice ‘Person-onomics'? By starting with life first and symptoms next. Understanding the patient and inquiring about their life first before delving into the symptoms will assist more in the broad overarching perspective in the long run. 3. When you combine passion plus talent plus an unmet need, and focus those energies in the right space, things will start to happen. That's the Medical Trifecta.

Kenneth Anderson, M.D., holds the Kraft Family Professor of Medicine and is the Director of Jerome Lipper Multiple Myeloma Center and LeBow Institute for Myeloma Therapeutics at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. He has conducted research on multiple myeloma for over four decades and his work has led to clinical trials that culminated in new FDA-approved targeted therapies. He is the past President of the International Myeloma Society and the American Society of Hematology and is a recipient of many scientific and humanitarian awards including the Giants of Cancer Care and the American Association for Cancer Research Joseph H. Burchenal Award amongst many others. “Treat patients as family and make science count for patients - if you do these two things, all the rest of the details will fall into place.” Tune into a conversation with Dr. Kenneth Anderson on his journey to developing therapies that have transformed care for patients with multiple myeloma -  highlighting the importance of maintaining focus while keeping an open mind, recognizing the power of teamwork, and always keeping the patient at the center of your research. Pearls of Wisdom:   1. Make science count for patients and treat patients like family. There is no greater honor for physicians than to be part of research that leads to advances in medicine and improved treatment for patients. 2. Life is not a linear trajectory. All opportunities that come our way must be considered and accounted for. Too much focus and unidirectionalism can lead to hindrances in growth. When opportunity knocks, open the door. 3. Medicine is a team sport, but don't forget, the patient is part of that team, as well. Yes, the physicians, diagnosticians, and nurses are important, but the patient is just as important in seeing the treatment process through.

David Hellmann, MD, holds the Aliki Perroti Professorship in medicine at the Johns Hopkins University, and he is the Co-founder and Director at the Johns Hopkins Center for Innovative Medicine. He served as the Chairman of Medicine and Vice Dean at the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center until 2020. He is a nationally recognized rheumatologist and educator and is a recipient of many awards including the Martin Abeloff Award for lifetime achievement in medical and biomedical education. Know anyone who's ridden on a magic carpet? When Dr. David Hellmann was 5 years old, he developed Perthes disease. “My neighbor built a device for me that allowed me to lay down and propel myself into every dirt pile in the neighborhood. I remember having no limitation. At a time when the world was telling me I was a cripple, I had a next-door neighbor making me a magic carpet.” Tune into an inspiring conversation with Dr. Hellmann on knowing our patients as people first, finding our North Star, and leaving our fingerprints on the profession of medicine. Pearls of Wisdom:   1. Know the patient as a person. You are not only treating a disease but you are healing a person. Certain subtle gestures of compassion, warmth, and humanity in your patient interactions can make a great and lasting difference. 2. To know the North through a compass is not enough, you need a guide to take you through the difficult terrains; that is, you need a mentor to show you how things are done and why they are done the way they are in order to progress in your medical journey. 3. Leave your fingerprints on the jewel of medicine. Medicine is a progressive field. No matter how many developments are made, there will always be a place for innovation and discoveries, and you must be the one pioneering that effort.

Luis Diaz, MD, is the Head of the Division of Solid Tumor Oncology and holds the Grayer Family Chair at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Dr. Diaz is an internationally recognized physician-scientist, accomplished physician, researcher, and leader in the field of clinical oncology. He has pioneered several diagnostic and therapeutic genomic approaches to cancer and has developed the basis for a molecular pap smear, a promising way to detect early-stage ovarian and endometrial cancers based on genetic markers. He is one of the seven distinguished members of the National Cancer Advisory Board at The White House and was recently inducted into the prestigious Giants of Cancer Care. “Trust amongst a team enables ideas to emerge that can change a project from one that is mundane or incremental, into one that can deliver a world class result. Try to assimilate yourself in teams which not only have passion, resources, and talent, but that also give you the opportunity to speak freely; so that when moments come, ideas can flow that make a world class difference.” Pearls of Wisdom:   1. Trust is the key component of successful teams, and it is what will create an environment where creative ideas are unleashed and take incremental success to world-class success. 2. Leadership is about being nervous that sets the stage for equanimity and having comfort and clarity that allows you to navigate the situation. 3. We have to be better every day and the mindset of continuous development is the key to making the difference between great and master clinicians.

Talmadge E. King Jr., MD, is the Dean of the School of Medicine and Vice Chancellor for Medical Affairs at the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. King is also a Master of the American College of Physicians and Fellow of the American College of Chest Physicians. He holds the UCSF Julius R. Krevans Distinguished Professorship in Internal Medicine, and is a recipient of the 2007 Trudeau Medal, the highest honor of the American Lung Association & American Thoracic Society. His research has led to pioneering treatments for interstitial pneumonias, and his bibliography comprises more than three hundred publications, as well as the co-authorship of eleven books. “Keep working to become the best and don't worry about what opportunities are out there. If they want you now, they're going to want you even more later because you're going to be better.” This was a piece of advice the young Dr. Talmadge King received from one of his mentors. Tune in as we listen to the now Dean at UCSF share impactful anecdotes from his life reinforcing fundamental values of trust, kindness and continuous self-development to find joy in medicine. Pearls of Wisdom:   1. Start with trust, assuming that most people are decent and have good intent. You should give them the benefit of the doubt. 2. Early in your career, embrace a growth mindset, seek help, and develop the areas where you're weak. Later on, become more and more expert so that your work becomes your joy. 3. Let the game come to you—engage in continuous self-development so that you're better today than you were yesterday. If they want you now, they're going to want you even more later, because you'll be better.

S. Vincent Rajkumar, MD, is the Edward W. and Betty Knight Scripps Professor of Medicine at the Mayo Clinic and Chair of the ECOG Myeloma Committee. He is also the Associate Editor of Mayo Clinic proceedings, as well as the Editor-In-Chief of Blood Cancer Journal. He was recently awarded the Giants of Cancer Care Award in 2019 and the Waldenström Award for lifetime achievement in myeloma. When Dr. Vincent Rajkumar first joined the Mayo Clinic, he was inspired by his colleagues to embrace the “unhurried patient visit” with a focus on "hearing the patient's whole story" however long it takes. Today, Dr. Rajkumar elaborates on why really knowing the patient is critical in truly being able to help our patients and provide care tailored to their unique circumstances. Join us as we journey from Madras to Minnesota with one of the most respected names in Myeloma to learn the tips to building relationships with patients that last a lifetime. Pearls of Wisdom:   1. The secret to building clinical excellence is to use same-day, patient-oriented learning. Make it a habit to read up on patients you've seen that same day—rather than doing it later. 2. Patients are vulnerable and need the comfort of knowing they can access their doctor, if an emergency happens. Be proactive and share your direct contact information. Let's be available for our patients in times of need. 3. Mentors are critical in achieving our peak potential. There's so much to learn in medicine that we can't become good at those things if we aren't proactive in finding other people who are brilliant, and try to emulate them.