Page 18 - Women Unlimited | Rochester Medicine | University of Rochester Medical Center

Cover Story: Women, Unlimited

Despite struggling with impostor syndrome, Jennifer “I took over the job for three weeks and then had a
Corbelli went after a position as chief resident at the baby,” she says. “I don’t think I would’ve done it except
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine because of I had more mid-career and senior women around me
a female mentor, Melissa McNeil, MD. who have really rich careers and are fantastic moms.”

“I never would’ve pursued it except that she put the Corbelli recently co-authored a systematic review
idea out there for me,” says Corbelli, who landed the of the mentorship of women in academic medicine.
position. “I wouldn’t have even sought that out myself, Published in April 2019 in the Journal of General
but she told me she was going to put my name forward, Internal Medicine, the review shows that mentorship
and that made a huge difference for me.” programs designed for women are met with high
satisfaction and can facilitate promotion and retention.
While she had several women role models at the
University of Rochester School of Medicine and “In some ways, the more people have in common, the
Dentistry—most importantly Valerie Lang, MD easier the mentoring relationship might be, but our data
(Res ‘00)—she continues, “at that young age I still showed that gender concordance isn’t nearly as important
thought most of what I had to offer was that I was as we’d hypothesized,” she says. “So a lack of enough
efficient and worked well with a team. I didn’t see in senior female mentors shouldn’t be a barrier to developing
myself what she saw in me. It would take me years.” and optimizing mentorship programs for women.”
Jennifer A. Corbelli The confidence Corbelli eventually developed Now a mentor herself, Corbelli helps women reach their
(MD ’07) spurred her to take on her current role as program individual definitions of success—even when the road
director of the University of Pittsburgh School of gets a bit bumpy.
Associate Professor of Medicine Medicine’s Internal Medicine Residency program. The
Program Director of the Internal Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education “So many women are not only showing us it can be
Medicine Residency Training done, but are also talking about it—and being real
Program requires program directors to have completed residency about the things that are difficult,” she says. “It’s so
University of Pittsburgh School of at least five years earlier. important to have role models who give you permission
Medicine
“I did it in my sixth year so I barely met the to bring your whole self to work, who can both
requirements,” says Corbelli. acknowledge the challenges and help you best shape
your career in ways you define as most meaningful and
She was also about to give birth to her first child. rewarding.”

Leadership Positions in Academic Medicine

100 100 100
100%

85 84
80% 75 79

66
62
60%
54
46
40% 38 34

25
20% 15 21 16

0 0 0
0%
Assistant Deans Associate Deans Senior Associate Deans Chairs Deans
National Women National Men URSMD Women URSMD Men

ROCHESTER
28 28 ROCHESTER MEDICINE | 2019 – V2MEDICINE | 2019 – V2