New M.D.

A Great Mentor is a Great Help

By Lauren Eckstein, M.D.

I have recently found myself reflecting upon my experiences to date as the oculoplastics fellow at the Scheie Eye Institute in Philadelphia. As I write this column, I have completed nearly half a year of my 2-year commitment (because of publishing deadlines, by the time you read this column it will be a few months beyond.)

Taking some time to reflect now on all of the events, personalities and new challenges that have made up the last 6 months, I have found this period to be one of the most intense and rewarding experiences of my professional training, and indeed of my private life.

But it has not always been easy, starting with the basic adjustment to Philadelphia from California, which had become comfortable and familiar to me during 15 years of university, graduate school, medical school, internship and residency training.

An Avalanche of Knowledge

Much like residency, internship and medical school before, fellowship training has often been like attempting to drink from a firehose. There is so much knowledge to acquire, so many surgical techniques to master, so many new systems to learn, and yet there is so little time to do so. The demands of the position require the application of advanced diagnostic acumen and sophisticated management skills nearly from the first day. As one advances through the hierarchy of the medical establishment, it often appears that there is less and less time available for such abilities to mature.

As with the earlier stages of my career training, my hours remain long. The time I spend in clinic and the operating theatre are but a fraction of the hours I spend devoted to the study and practice of oculofacial plastic surgery. The day is rarely over when I leave the hospital. On the contrary, there are frequently patient follow-up phone calls to make, administrative duties to complete, papers to write and presentations to prepare. And, of course, endless book chapters to read, contemplate and incorporate. Doubtless, these same daily chores are shared by all in academic pursuits and by most in private practice; this is the framework for my life for years to come.

But perhaps the most important lesson I have learned (really, confirmed) these last few months is that fellowship is like a marriage. I am often surprised when residents, fellows, or other staff remark that my advisor, Roberta Gausas, M.D., and I get on so well. Not because I feel their observation is unjustified; on the contrary, she and I get along beautifully. Rather, I am bewildered because their comments suggest that not all fellows have such a positive and effective relationship with their advisor.

The Value of a Caring Mentor

I am blessed, of course, in having a wonderful, caring and devoted mentor. Surely, it makes getting along easy; but the success of the relationship is predicated on much more than these tangible attributes.

She and I spend countless hours together throughout the week. Often, she is both the first and the last person I see every day. Indeed, I spend more time with her than I do with anyone else in my life. I wonder if she might say the same of me. To be successful, such an intense relationship demands of each partner total respect, absolute commitment, limitless patience and occasional compromise. Absent these essential qualities, the relationship cannot function for long.

A Shared Resolve

What is most important, however, is the understanding that these attributes may not necessarily emerge spontaneously. Success (in its myriad forms) is rarely coincidental; it is achieved through tireless work and unshakable resolve.

If my advisor and I have a successful partnership, it is not because we simply began working together this past summer and let the relationship evolve freely. Rather, we work well together because of our dedication to each other and to our shared endeavors.

Simply put, we have both made a conscious effort and devoted ourselves to establishing and maintaining a successful relationship. Success in a medical fellowship (as in all intimate partnerships) is built on the foundation of hard work, willpower and dedication. OM