Early Career Section Mentoring Program Testimonials
Here are some reflections on the ECS Mentoring Program from a few of the many mentors and mentees who have been involved throughout the years.
Mentees:
David Xu, MD: “The ECS Mentoring Program has been a great resource for me and an amazing program for the ASRS. I am thankful and so grateful for the program which supports early career retina specialists like myself.”
Chinwenwa Okeagu, MD: “I’m so grateful to be a part of ECS mentoring, I’ve really enjoyed the program. As a second-year surgical retina fellow, I had so many questions about life after training. The ECS Mentoring Program helped me as I navigated the job market, reviewed contracts, and ultimately selected my first position as an attending. My mentor was a listening ear as I voiced my feelings about starting out on my own, and offered guidance on being successful early in my career. I’m so thankful for the ECS Mentoring Program.”
Sruthi Arepalli, MD: “The ASRS Mentoring Program is an invaluable resource to form connections with those we may not have naturally crossed paths with. The e-mail check-in questions sent throughout the year often sparked a telephone call, and I especially enjoyed being able to have frank discussions about real life issues, like work-life balance, setting up a clinic to my liking, and suggestions for involvement within the retina community. I’m thankful to the program for introducing me to a mentor who has shown genuine interest in my development as a retina specialist and myself as whole.”
Mentors:
Peter K. Kaiser, MD, FASRS: “The lifeblood of ASRS is younger members serving and becoming future leaders. Mentoring these future superstars and helping them learn the ropes in areas we were not be taught in medical school or residency is very rewarding. Seeing them blossom gives me great satisfaction that our field is in good hands.”
Jessica Randolph, MD, FASRS: “Mentorship is one of the most important parts of training. Good mentors can really help accelerate your career, and the ECS Mentoring Program helps facilitate those connections.”
Kamal Kishore, MD, MBBS: "We all can benefit from mentors because they have already gone through the struggles that we are facing. ECS mentoring program is a great way to connect with young retina specialists who are starting out their careers and help them flatten their learning curve for so many things, both medical and administrative. Operational and administrative issues are rarely if ever discussed in teaching programs and can be a significant source of frustration. It has been great pleasure to educate and help young retina specialists who are the future of our great specialty.”
Flavio A. Rezende, MD, PhD: “Mentorship by experienced retina physicians uninvolved in your training validates your learnings and secures real-life professional decision-making early on in your career. The ECS Mentoring Program is a unique opportunity that ASRS provided me as a mentor to contribute to continuing knowledge exchanges with young and upcoming colleagues.”
Homayoun Tabandeh, MD, FASRS: “The ECS mentoring program at ASRS plays an important role in developing our young colleagues’ careers by providing informal and friendly support that may not be easily available otherwise. We have all benefited from mentors supporting us throughout our careers. It is a real pleasure to be part of the program and help our younger members succeed.”