Assoc Prof. Rashmi B. Halker Singh, MD, FAHS, FAAN is a neurologist at Mayo Clinic, USA. She is Chair of the Women’s Issues Special Interest Section of the American Headache Society and a member of the International Headache Society’s Women’s Leadership Forum.
In this interview with Assoc Prof. Rashmi B. Halker Singh, we asked her about what inspired her to pursue a career in the headache field and how she has implemented career development activities for women.
Mentoring other women, and sponsoring other women for opportunities, are key to attracting women to the field of migraine research and to leading roles. By mentoring them, women can see what the field has to offer, and by sponsoring them for opportunities, they have a chance to advance their careers. Mentorship and sponsorship are related, but different, and both are vital to accomplishing these goals.
I was inspired to go into headache medicine because of my mentor, Dr. David Dodick. He was my neurology residency program director, and I was able to witness the difference he made in the lives of so many people first hand, and the incredible opportunities available to make a difference in the field of headache medicine. Consequently, I decided to stay on and do a headache medicine fellowship with him, which ended up becoming one of the best decisions of my life.
We need more opportunities to educate young researchers on the research process, including things such as grant writing, conducting trials, etc. This is a specific skill set that is not widely taught in training programs and can be an obstacle that leads one to choose a career otherwise less focused on research. Focused mentorship can help.
Seek out a variety of mentors. Different individuals can offer different things to help you in your career. Network widely and widen your circle. Consider the individuals who you admire and think about what qualities set them apart – try to cultivate those things in yourself. When you have an opportunity to promote others, pay it forward.
It’s very important to me to help promote women in the field of headache medicine, and to do what I can help promote their careers. I am passionate about this. We know that there are gender disparities in medicine, and this contributes to burnout. By helping my women colleagues reach their career goals, I am helping to combat these things, and in a way, helping my own career and improve the field as well.