Mentor Spotlight: Dr. Trista Reid
Mentor Bio: Dr. Trista Reid did her undergraduate training at Johns Hopkins University, followed by Medical School, a Master's in Public Health, and General Surgery Residency training at The University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill (UNC). She completed her Trauma Critical Care Fellowship at Stanford University and returned to UNC as an attending. She is currently the General Surgery Residency Program Director. Her research interests include Health Disparities in race/ethnicity and gender, Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO), Global Surgery, and Surgical Palliative Care. She has built mentorship programs at UNC and is highly involved in both medical student and resident education.
Q: What is one thing you wish you could tell your medical school self?
A: I have three things I’d like to tell my medical school self. There is a whole list, really.
- Set goals for yourself! Not just longer-term, large-scale goals, but micro-learning goals for every case and every day. If you have a goal for what you want to get out of a particular case or experience, you are more likely to build directed knowledge and skills rather than passively trying to absorb it without engaging as well in what you are doing. And tell your resident and attending what your goal is! Not only will you look more engaged, but they’ll probably let you do more and you will actually achieve what you intended.
- Challenge yourself. The best learning only happens when you are a little uncomfortable, so you have to embrace the uncomfortable.
- I would also tell myself that Imposter Syndrome is very real and literally everyone experiences it to some degree. When you are a medical student considering surgery, it may seem daunting and impossible that you could actually become a surgeon, but the truth is we all have felt that way to some degree. Don’t hold yourself back in pursing something you are passionate about and talk to your mentors about what you need to do to achieve your goals.
Q: As you have moved through your surgical career how has your perception of surgery changed?
A: I've realized that the most important part of surgical training is realizing when NOT to operate. The surgical skills will come with repetition. The subtleties around when to operate and who is an appropriate candidate in different situations is one of the hardest parts of surgery. Just because we CAN wield a scalpel doesn't mean we always should. I now also spend more time trying to figure out what the patients actually want. Patient centered, goal directed care is really important and sometimes when we are making decisions about an operation, just talking honestly to the patients and families can help direct the right choice better than just making the "clinically correct" decision.
Q: What motivates you to provide mentorship to trainees?
A: Most people who enjoy mentoring have a “pay it forward” attitude; we’ve benefitted from mentorship so much ourselves and so we want to provide that support to someone else. I love encouraging people to reach for their dreams. I love helping people navigate stressful periods in their life. I enjoy lifting people up and giving them the tools to lift themselves up. A mentor should be someone who is approachable and who you can bounce ideas off of without judgement.
Q: What accomplishment are you most proud of?
A: My kids! I have a 3-year-old and a 6-year-old. They are my biggest accomplishment and my highest priority. My work is very important to me. Being a surgeon is part of my identity, but my faith and my family will always top the list! I'm happy because I can balance the priorities in my life.
Interviewer: Sophie Hockran
Sophie Hockran is a fourth-year medical student at Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Lillington, North Carolina. Sophie is originally from a small town in Northeast Ohio and received her undergraduate degree at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia while competing as a collegiate athlete. She is excited to be applying for General Surgery Residency for Match 2025. Sophie has a deep passion for international and domestic service. She annually travels to West Africa to promote health care partnerships and lead medical teams to villages in need. While in the states, Sophie has a profound interest in promoting rural surgery and providing access to those in resource limited areas. She hopes to become a dedicated rural surgeon improving health care access to a population in need, domestically or abroad. Sophie is currently serving as the AWS National Medical Student Committee Social Media and Marketing chair and has spent the last year as co-chair of the AWS Instagram Sub-Committee. He research interest include global surgery, West African surgical access, impacts of social determinants of health and trauma informed care. In her free time, you can find Sophie training as an Olympic weightlifter, traveling to a new place, or spending quality time with her cat Penny.