Mentorship Matters September 2024: Learning from a master mentor, Dr. Moira Kapral

By Dr. Caroline K Kramer, Faculty Lead Mentorship, Culture and Inclusion Portfolio

I would like to welcome Dr. Moira Kapral, Chair of the Department of Medicine, beginning in September 2024. Instead of writing about Dr. Kapral’s incredible accomplishments as a professor of medicine, leader and researcher, I would like to take this opportunity to learn more about our leader as a human being. I asked Moira for a “fun interview” during the summer and here’s what she told me.

Serious questions related to mentorship:

Was there a time you messed up and felt like you’d failed? How did you bounce back?

I still remember my first grant application being rejected and thinking that meant I shouldn’t be a researcher. My mentor at that time, Don Redelmeier, explained to me how common rejection is for scientists, and that it’s normal to have to resubmit grants for funding or papers for publication. That perspective helped me weather many subsequent rejections.

What do you wish you had known before taking your first leadership role?

My first faculty leadership role was as site clerkship director at Toronto General Hospital (I loved the position!). I knew nothing about leadership, but I learned a lot from attending meetings and observing more senior leaders. Over the years, I’ve learned that time spent serving on committees, while often seen as “busy work” that detracts from our core activities, can provide leadership training and valuable opportunities to meet people from different areas.

Which leadership skills were the most difficult to develop?

Delegation can sometimes be hard, but it’s essential, and everyone benefits when it’s done thoughtfully.

Best advice from a mentor ever received?

When making important decisions (personal and those made in a leadership capacity), get lots of advice. Early in our careers, we typically don’t have the experience or institutional memory to appreciate all of the consequences of various possible actions. Discussing things with more senior colleagues can be really valuable.

Worst advice from a mentor ever received?

I don’t recall receiving any particularly bad advice. But I do know that despite being appreciative, I often ignored the advice I was given. Advice is meant to be weighed, not simply acted upon. Only you know what’s right for your specific circumstances.

To relax and recover from a grant rejection/bad teaching eval/frustration with academic life, I (complete the sentence)…

Spend time with my family.

Fun facts:

What would I find in your fridge right now?

Our whole household is into smoothies right now, so the fridge is packed with Greek yogurt and fruit. Otherwise, my husband (Dave Juurlink) is the main chef, so the fridge contains food for whatever he plans for dinner.

What did you want to be when you were 10 years old?

A writer. Now I write all the time for papers and grants, and I have to agree with Dorothy Parker: “I hate writing; I love having written.”

Which superpower would you like to have and why?

I would welcome any superpower related to gardening or household chores.

If you had to watch one movie on repeat, what would it be?

North of Superior, the first official IMAX film. I saw it several times as a child at Cinesphere at Ontario Place and was always thrilled by the music and the sensation of flying during the aerial shots over Lake Superior. Last year, I had the privilege of seeing it again at the invitation of director Graeme Ferguson’s family, and it was just as good as I remembered.

If you could go back in time, what historical event would you want to see?

Women getting the vote.

What’s something on your “bucket list”?

Honestly, I feel like I’ve been lucky to have seen and done a lot of things already. But someday I’d like to learn how to play guitar properly.

Quick quiz:

Cats or dogs?

Dogs. But I love both. It’s the litter boxes I don’t like.

Favorite food in the entire world?

Maple sugar candies. I have a terrible sweet tooth.

Sunny or rainy days?

Definitely sunny. And the hotter the better.

Mountains or beaches?

Do I have to choose?

Closing question:

As a mentor, are there any words of wisdom you would like to say to our faculty members?

Enjoy the incredible work we get to do. Yes, it is sometimes hard, but there aren’t many careers that can provide such satisfaction and joy on so many levels.