It wasn’t until Başak Çoruh, MD, FCCP, was a mentee herself that she realized the value of structured mentoring. And now, she has more to give.
Dr. Çoruh, Associate Professor of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine and Director of the Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine fellowship program at the University of Washington, was named as the mentor for the Medical Educator Diversity Scholarship Fellowship.
It was created to support a fellow who intends to pursue a career in medical education but who may have limited resources to train in teaching, formal medical education curricula, and medical education research.
“The fellowship is an incredible opportunity to increase the diversity of our medical education community,” Dr. Çoruh said.
The fellowship also closely aligns with CHEST’s newly established philanthropic pillar of “Support of the profession.” CHEST is devoted to elevating the field of chest medicine through top-notch clinical education and empowering early career clinicians from diverse backgrounds with the latest knowledge.
“I’m particularly excited to serve as a mentor for an aspiring medical educator without access to resources for coursework, teaching activities, or scholarship at their home institution,” Dr. Çoruh said. “I am fortunate to be a part of a large and welcoming education community at the University of Washington that I’m excited to share with my mentee.”
The importance of mentorship cannot be overstated, as it can shape the rest of a clinician’s career. There is immense value in not only the funding and research aspect but in the wisdom-sharing and motivational side, as well.
“It wasn’t until my own fellowship that I experienced the value of structured mentoring, and the mentoring I have received has impacted my career in countless ways. I look forward to helping [the fellow] achieve their goals.”
The fellowship recipient will be announced in early 2024.