Dr. Marie Crandall (Mentor) and Dr. Cassandra White (Mentee)

The EAST Mentoring Committee is proud to introduce the third 2019 "Featured EAST Mentoring Pair", congratulations to Dr. Marie Crandall, MD, MPH (Mentor) and Dr. Cassandra White, MD, FACS (Mentee)!

Drs. Crandall and White were matched as a 2018-2019 Mentoring Pair in the EAST Mentoring Program. See what they have to say regarding their mentorship and the EAST Mentoring Program.

Mentor Testimonial:

I have known Dr. White since she was a medical student at the University of Illinois at Chicago. As a student, Dr. White had a very strong interest in trauma surgery and was a frequent attendee and participant at our multi-institutional Chicago Metropolitan Trauma Society educational events. I was an attending trauma surgeon at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine from 2003-2015; she approached me at that time for career advice and we discussed her plans for residency. Since that time, I would see her occasionally at meetings, and I was delighted when she became faculty at the Medical College of Georgia, beginning her career as an academic trauma surgeon and educator. In the past two years, we have had a formal mentoring relationship through the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma Mentoring Program—it was in this role that I began to really know her as a colleague and peer. During our time as mentor/mentee, we have had phone calls several times per year and met in-person as frequently as possible, usually at meetings. I was able to advise Dr. White as to important leadership roles to pursue, academic projects to research, and, possibly of even more importance, opportunities to turn down. As an African-American woman, Dr. White was asked to serve on virtually every committee in the hospital and in professional organizations; I advised her to identify the ones that were of the most interest to her and would most enhance her career path, to avoid burnout and to optimize her productivity. It is clear that, in all respects, Dr. White has excelled academically; she has won teaching awards, is now the Program Director for the Surgical Critical Care Fellowship, and the Medical Director of the Shock Trauma Intensive Care Unit. Prior to these leadership roles, she had served on multiple educational and institutional leadership committees, such as the medical school Admissions Committee, the Program Evaluation Committee, and the Clinical Competency Committee. Finally, she has authored or co-authored nearly a dozen scholarly works. In summary, it has been a pleasure to work with Cassandra over the years and I’m happy to call her a mentee and a friend.

Mentee Testimonial:

How did I get here? Such a simple question, however the answer is more complex when I turn the lens to myself. I used to describe my path leading to my career in academic surgery as a comedy of errors when talking to undergraduate and medical students. On further analysis, it is also an example of how someone can become lost despite the presence of resources. I received my undergraduate and medical school training in Illinois prior to transitioning to Alabama for my surgical training. Upon completion of my surgical training, I received further education in surgical critical care in Pennsylvania. I entered, completed, and practice in a field that is male-dominated. Good, right? Additionally, I have recently been promoted to Associate Professor when women, especially women of color, rarely rise above the rank of Assistant Professor compared to men. Great! So what’s the problem right?

As I previously stated, my path to becoming an academic surgeon was an interesting one. I entered medical school believing that I was going to become a forensic pathologist. I am inquisitive by nature and as an introvert, I felt that this would be a perfect field for me. Well, clerkships came and then I had a change of heart. I decided that surgery suited me best, however it was a late decision. While I was nervous about this decision, I read up on what I needed to do and made some adjustments to my fourth year schedule. I mean, all answers are in a book right? My personality at that time did not allow me to venture out and seek help from others. This was not because I didn’t think I needed it, I will seek out information to improve my understanding, I just didn’t feel comfortable approaching unknown people for aid. Asking patients about their most intimate details was way easier for me than asking someone who I didn’t have a relationship with how to improve my chances of matching in surgery. For the sake of brevity, I didn’t match scrambled into a surgical preliminary position in Alabama. I then became fortunate to obtain a categorical position in the same institution. I say fortunate because I received no mentoring regarding this process of “what next” as a preliminary resident. While I have matured since my time in medical school, this character trait has also affected my career to an extent.

So why participate in EAST mentorship program? What happened to being an introvert? Well, I am still an introvert, but I am also more mature compared to fifteen years ago. I felt may career was stagnant and I had no one that could guide me or my career. I also felt like a hypocrite advising undergraduate and medical students to do certain things to help their career but not following my own advice. The great thing about this program was I able to go to the “No Suit, No Problem: Fostering Relationships & Building Careers” session and speak to EAST membership and leadership in an environment that was non-threatening. It was at this session that I met, and subsequently requested, to be paired with Dr. Marie Crandall. I was already familiar with her work and was of some interest to me. I felt, and still feel, that she provided me with the insight that I needed to guide and mold my career. My personality, such that it is, still hinders me from reaching out like I should. However, my interactions with Marie have been very insightful and meaningful. Additionally, she’s very personable which made it easier to open up to her about my concerns regarding my career and work environment. While I do have more to learn, I will be forever grateful for this opportunity EAST has provided and Marie for giving me the time of day to help me evolve to the next level of my academic career.

Statements posted are those of the Mentor and Mentee and do not represent the opinions of the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma.