Mentorship Matters January 2024: Community Through Mentorship – A case example with neurodiversity
Culture & Inclusion
As physicians, we are in a position of privilege and we often forget that we have other identities that coexist with this identity. Some of these identities are visible and some are invisible. One such “invisible identify” is neurodiversity and I recently had the privilege to reflect on this in medicine.
Neurodiversity is a concept that regards individuals with differences in brain function and behavioral traits as part of normal variation in the human population, and considers neurodevelopmental conditions like autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and dyslexia as differences, not deficits1. Because this is invisible, it's underrecognized and likely more prevalent in medicine than we think. Navigating academia with neurodiversity can be challenging and mentorship becomes even more important, as I heard from one of our colleagues:
“I just wanted to circle back and let you know that I met up with Margaret* yesterday. We had a long and meaningful conversation. They provided so much validation and valuable practical support based on their own personal experience, and what they said really resonated. It was great to know that I'm not the only one who's grappled with these issues. Thank you so much for the connection!”
Thank you to our diverse faculty for your support! And stay tuned for our next Mentorship Matters Column where we share how this mentorship interaction was just as heartfelt and fulfilling for the faculty member doing the mentoring!
For more reading about neurodiversity in medicine:
