The Weill Cornell Medicine Department of Psychiatry recognizes the importance of building inspiring mentorships and fostering a learning environment in which young researchers have the opportunity to work closely with experienced faculty.
Dr. Anna Dickerman (Assistant professor of Clinical Psychiatry, Assistant Attending Psychiatrist, and Chief of Psychiatric Consultation-Liaison Service) and Dr. Ariel Claman (PGY-III Resident) recently worked together on a manuscript titled, “Altruistic Renal Donation in a Patient with Dissociative Identity Disorder: A Case Report”, which was just accepted for publication in the Journal Psychosomatics
"Working with Dr. Dickerman on the C/L rotation during my second year of residency inspired me to pursue a career in consultation-liaison psychiatry.”
Dr. Dickerman is a highly accomplished C/L psychiatrist and has published extensively within the field, and Dr. Claman was thrilled when she asked him to work on this case report together after expressing interest in getting involved with her various academic projects.
“I think our publication is a great example of the interface between complex medical problems and unique psychopathology that first fascinated me about the field,” says Dr. Claman.
Mentees with a novel interest and excitement, like Dr. Claman, can often bring a new perspective to the mentor.
“Mentoring Ari through this process has been very fun and rewarding for me. He has asked thoughtful questions that led me to reflect further on what makes a great case report. He dove in to the topic with infectious enthusiasm and determination, and his attention to detail kept me on my toes!” said Dr. Dickerman.
A case report like this can be a powerful tool to disseminate information about unusual clinical presentations or scenarios. They are also one of the best ways for authors to get started in scholarly publishing.
“I'm looking forward to working with Dr. Dickerman on future writing projects and receiving her valuable mentorship as I look towards applying to fellowship in C/L," said Dr. Claman.
As exemplified by Dr. Dickerman and Dr. Claman, collaboration and mentorship can lead to innovative ideas and advancement for both mentor and mentee.