Mentorship can inspire young women ophthalmologists
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Outstanding leaders and mentors support young women ophthalmologists at pivotal points in their careers, according to panelists at a webinar hosted by Ophthalmic World Leaders.
A mentor who leads by example can show what is possible for physicians advocating for their patients in the face of bureaucracy, Elizabeth Yeu, MD, FACS, said.
“There can be a lack of those kinds of examples, female or male, within our training and in our careers,” Yeu said.
For American Academy of Ophthalmology president Tamara R. Fountain, MD, one tough point in her career was during her residency at Wilmer Eye Institute.
Fountain was the first Black woman resident at Johns Hopkins and felt from the beginning of her residency that specific expectations were lower for her, she said.
However, “There were people who did look out for me, who saw something in me that other people didn’t,” Fountain said.
Overcoming those challenges was a matter of recognizing who those people were, who to turn to for support and networking with those people, she said.
Heather Attra, senior vice president and head of global quality at Alcon, cited memorable advice she received: “To truly be successful, you need a passion for it, and you need to be connected to your purpose.”
“I’ve always been thankful for that advice early on, because it connected both my head and my heart to what I do every day,” Attra said.
Not only is having mentors and role models important but also being a mentor and role model is important.
“Having role models as you go along, that is one of the things that is really important that we on the panel and others in OWL can do for other people coming through now -- just showing that we’re here now and doing it,” Kerrie Brady, Bpharm, MBA, MSc, CEO of OcuTerra Therapeutics, said.
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Charting your course: Women entrepreneurs, CEOs and leaders. Ophthalmic World Leaders webinar; March 8, 2021 (virtual meeting).
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