In this week's episode of Promising Young Surgeon, Dr. Frances Mei Hardin is joined by Dr. Ceisha Ukatu, an accomplished female ENT surgeon, to discuss the underrepresentation and unique challenges faced by minorities, particularly black physicians, in surgical training. With black ENT surgeons making up only 1% of all ENT specialists in the U.S., Dr. Ukatu shares her inspiring journey, from her childhood battle with sickle cell disease to becoming a trailblazer in her field.
Dr. Ukatu opens up about the systemic barriers, implicit biases, and cultural obstacles that minorities often encounter in their surgical careers. She highlights her personal experiences, including the profound impact of receiving a formal letter of counseling based on vague and subjective criteria, and how she overcame these challenges to become a successful ENT surgeon. Their conversation underscores the importance of diversity and inclusion in medicine and advocates for more standardized and objective criteria in residency evaluations.
00:00 – Cold Open
02:20 – Introduction to Dr. Ceisha Ukatu
06:07 – What Brought You to ENT?
22:42 – Increasing Support for Residents
28:10 – Pivotal moments
38:04 – Final Grand Rounds
44:53 – Outro
Resources:
https://theblackotonetwork.com
nonprofit organization with a mission to promote Black excellence and advancement in otolaryngology through mentorship, sponsorship, community building, and advocacy
https://blackdocvillage.org
non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness about the inequitable dismissal of Black resident physicians and leveraging research into policy change
https://www.nationalcouncilforresidents.org
multi-specialty, board-certified physicians whose sole goal is to support the next and current generation of young physicians along their path to becoming board-certified physicians
https://physicianjustequity.org
exists to provide peer-support for physicians and surgeons navigating workplace conflicts, while also advocating for optimal patient care and necessary institutional change
https://www.cliniciansequity.org
Alliance for Clinicians Equity (ACE) is a nationwide alliance in pursuit of promoting equity for minority clinicians
Interact with the podcast! Email me at pys@heyinfluent.com to ask questions. We would love to hear from the Promising Young Surgeon audience.
Promising Young Surgeon is sponsored by Pattern. Discover why more than 20,000 doctors trust Pattern to shop for disability insurance. Request free quotes in 5 minutes. Compare policies with an expert. Buy with confidence.
LINK: https://www.patternlife.com/promising-young-surgeon?campid=349433
Subscribe, tune in, and join the conversation as Dr. Hardin and her guests tackle the pressing issues facing today's medical professionals and ponder how to nurture a more compassionate and sustainable healthcare environment.
Connect with Frances Mei:
https://linktr.ee/francesmei.md
https://rethinkingresidency.com/about/
Find More info on this series and other podcasts on the Influent Network at HeyInfluent.com
Follow the Influent Network on Social Media:
LinkedIn | Twitter (X) | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook
The Influent Network is where emerging healthcare professionals and esteemed medical experts converge. Our platform is a straightforward resource for career development, financial planning, practice management, and investment insights, designed to foster strong professional connections.
Powered by Hurrdat Media.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.