Season 3, Episode 4: Mentor of the Month: Interview with Dr. Rebecca Minter

SSAT Mentor of the Month Interview
January 30, 2023
4 PM EST / 3 PM CST

Host: Linda Qu, MD
Interviewee: Rebecca Minter, MD

Topic: Surgical Culture
1. Let's start by addressing the elephant in the room, which is that many people – medical students, colleagues in other specialties – still view surgery as having an intimidating, malignant culture, which often influences how they interact with our field. Do you think this view is justified, and if so, what can we do to reform or dispel it?
2. Leaders set the tone of any workplace. As chair, how do you "brand" your department, specifically as it relates to department culture?
3. On any team, there will be differing personalities and individual priorities. How do you generate buy-in from faculty towards promoting a healthy culture? Have you ever encountered resistance?
4. What advice would you give if someone is witness to or the subject of a toxic interaction? As chair, how have you handled these issues?
5. Culture is set at any level of the totem pole. Trainees often learn habits and behaviors by example of their faculty, but students and residents also learn from each other. How can we coach trainees to themselves lead by example?
6. In closing – if you can describe the ideal surgical culture in 3 words, what would they be?