Since being named an ASCP 40 Under Forty, I have taken on a lot of administrative responsibilities, including a new Vice Chair position in my department that is focused on improving the interface of pathology operations with clinical and translational research. It’s a big job, but I like the challenge of thinking through all the intricacies of systems.

The biggest lesson I have learned in these years is that we all must always keep in mind that we only get to use our time once! So, when I find myself frustrated that I am doing something that is taking a lot of my time and not dependent on the skills I bring to the table, I ask myself, “Who should be doing this?” If I know the answer, it’s time to delegate. If I don’t know the answer, then it’s time to think about operations and what we could do to improve our workflows. But when it comes to changing workflows, we must remember that laboratory staff only get to use their time once too! As pathologists, we don’t always know the ins and outs of running the lab, but if we respect our operational leaders and work with them as a team, we can have a positive environment that generates successful solutions when new challenges arise.

Within my work, I am most proud of the mentoring I have done for students in our Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP), both in career guidance and directly including them in my research. Some of them were not sure about pathology as a field, but I’ve been able to show them what an exciting field pathology is as a surgical pathologist and as a scientist performing translational work. By working closely with them, I’ve formed great relationships with future colleagues and have watched them go on to great training programs, where I am sure that they will provide a similar influence for students in the future. It doesn’t get better than that.