5. Master of Mentorship with Dr. Scott Friedman
The MuD/PhuD Mind Project
I’m so delighted that my PI from my grad school years, the great Dr. Scott Friedman, agreed to be a guest on my podcast. He exemplifies excellent mentorship and today, in fact, teaches others how it's done. For anyone looking to mentor others in the lab or otherwise, listen up and take notes! Also, please refer to his beautifully written Master’s Perspective written in Hepatology in 2015 (available on website: mudphudmindproject.com).
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4. Pen to Paper - Time Management Step 1
The MuD/PhuD Mind Project
We are going to start by focusing on Time Management, one of my absolute favorite things to coach.
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3. Fitting the “MD/PhD Mold” Just Right with Dr. Zahra Ghiassi-Nejad
The MuD/PhuD Mind Project
My very first podcast guest is a rockstar physician-scientist and also a dear friend, Dr. Zahra Ghiassi-Nejad. The title of this podcast was inspired by something she said “Wait a minute...no one needs to tell me what to do and I can do it however I want to...or however I want to decide to proceed - use both of the degrees or one of them” “I get to decide” - those are very powerful words and words matter! Sometimes these words are forgotten along the way of this long training journey. She came to the US from Iran on an F1 visa to attend NYU for undergrad. Despite what others...
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2. My Big WHY
The MuD/PhuD Mind Project
The beautiful thing about the journey we will take into looking at our mind with curiosity is that it mirrors what we already do in research. We start with the scientific question. Why do we want to answer that question? Why is it important to us? It may help someone I’m curious (just because I want to) It sounds interesting or exciting to know the answer It sounds like fun I want you to ask yourself why you are doing the research you are doing. Then ask yourself why you keep doing it. Is your ‘big why’ compelling enough to get you through the obstacles that are in...
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1. Preview for The MPMP Podcast
The MuD/PhuD Mind Project
Mission: To serve as a platform for sharing stories and insight from other physician-scientists and pay it forward. This knowledge has been hard earned and I can’t think of a better way to give back than to share it with all the budding physicians scientists out in the world who are filled with big dreams and high hopes! This podcast is also for you seasoned physician-scientists especially if you have developed a hard edge over the years and perhaps some bitterness at the NIH pay line. Join us here to regain some inspiration and learn some tools to get you back to your...
info_outlineI’m so delighted that my PI from my grad school years, the great Dr. Scott Friedman, agreed to be a guest on my podcast. He exemplifies excellent mentorship and today, in fact, teaches others how it's done. For anyone looking to mentor others in the lab or otherwise, listen up and take notes! Also, please refer to his beautifully written Master’s Perspective written in Hepatology in 2015 (available on website: mudphudmindproject.com).
Some of his lessons:
- Passion and curiosity are key
- Mentorship needs to be an intentional goal
- Being a physician first means he doesn’t need to think very hard on how his research will impact patient care.
- Embrace the bigger picture of where your research fits in.
- Enjoy going into work in the morning and the people you work with, then it isn’t work at all.
- Be resilient in the face of rejection. Having a strong mentor in the face of these rejections is so essential to learning the skill of resilience.
- Great mentors create great mentors
- View trainees as partners
- Learn from trainees on how to be a better mentor
- Joint ownership and partnership will create empowerment in your trainees
- Put your money where your mouth is. Make your mentees a priority.
Intuition can be key to finding someone who is aligned with your values and will be an advocate for you.
We also touched on a personal passion and mission of mine - to address diversity, equity and inclusion within the physician-scientist space. Scott mentioned considering his mentees partners in the pursuit of science and from that belief he took actions that reflected this.
With respect to the racial and social justice movements, he states “The trajectory of awareness and growth and improvement is continuing to move in the right direction.”
He acknowledges that we are all works in progress.
He acknowledges his white privilege and states “I’ve had nothing but privilege and opportunity in my life.” I respect that and acknowledge him for being humble in this goal of being a lifelong learner.
As a final tribute to my time in Scott’s lab, I’ll just read from the plaque that I was given upon my graduation from his lab entitled “Ten Rules for the Clinical Investigator”
- Do be inquisitive.
- Do be ambitious.
- Do not be too ambitious.
- Do measure something.
- Do not jump at the first problem that presents itself.
- If possible, do arrange your data in graphic form.
- Do not be a lone wolf or secretive.
- Do develop a theory.
- Do not be a slave to your theory.
- Do reserve some time each day for unadulterated thinking.
From Fuller Albright