President of Women in Thoracic Surgery Discusses How Organization Provides Support, Community, and Mentorship

Mara B. Antonoff, MD, FACS, who is an associate professor in the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, joined Lung Cancers Today to discuss the Women in Thoracic Surgery (WTS) organization.

Dr. Antonoff, who became president of WTS during the 61st Annual Meeting of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, reflected on her involvement with the organization and why it’s critical to offer a sense of community for women in the field.

“Over my time working with the Women in Thoracic Surgery, some of the elements that I’m most proud of about this group are that we have served as a source of mentorship, support, inspiration to so many young women who maybe haven’t seen a place for themselves in our field,” Dr. Antonoff said.

Although many women in cardiothoracic (CT) surgery may find themselves “trying to figure out the best way to fit in,” especially during their time in training, Dr. Antonoff explained that it’s important for them to go beyond the idea of fitting in.

“What I would really hope to see in the future for women in thoracic surgery is no longer an attempt to try to fit in or to be accepted as one of the guys, but for us to be celebrated for all the unique things that we do bring to the field,” she said.

She explained why it’s critical for the WTS organization to support women within the field of CT surgery, especially as more women enter the field.

“Even when we reach equality or equal representation within CT surgery, we will have issues that still need to be addressed,” Dr. Antonoff said. “We recognize that culturally, outside of the world of medicine, there are inequities and disparities and differences in our experiences that may lead to distinct needs for women in our field. In order to best support everyone, it’s valuable to be able to get together as groups of individuals who have commonalities.”

For those who are interested in becoming involved with WTS, Dr. Antonoff explained that there are multiple opportunities to play a role in leadership, committees, mentorship, education, and preparing for the WTS Annual Meeting. In addition, the WTS organization offers multiple scholarship opportunities for trainees and faculty, including scholarships that support apprenticeships, conference travel, and more.

“There’s so many ways for folks to get involved, whether it’s applying for scholarships to individual meetings, conferences, mentorship, or submission of research to our conference,” Dr. Antonoff said.

She concluded by reflecting on why it’s critical for WTS to provide a platform and resources for women in thoracic surgery.

“More than anything, we just want folks to feel that there is a community and that there are others who may have shared experiences and that these mentorship experiences and relationships are mutually beneficial,” Dr. Antonoff said. “I think the more time that we can spend with others and lift them up and help one another, it’s the best way for us all to support each other.”

To learn more about WTS and its resources, visit http://wtsnet.org/.