Extending Mentorship Beyond Professionalism with Dr. Stephen Knohl

Stephen Knohl, MD, is a Professor of Medicine, Residency Program Director of Internal Medicine and Vice Chair of Education at SUNY Upstate Medical University. Dr. Knohl completed his medical school and residency in internal medicine and then pursued a fellowship in Nephrology from SUNY Upstate. Dr. Knohl’s research interests include Genetic Hypercalciurias, Nephrolithiasis and Bone Disease in CKD. He is passionate about teaching communication skills to his residents, and has developed a program called 'Learning to T.A.L.K.' (Treat All Like Kin) to teach medical residents to be more effective communicators, and ultimately better physicians. It’s okay not to know. That is what makes us human. But according to Dr. Stephen Knohl, it’s not okay not to know the second time we’re asked. That is what defines character. Today, we learn about the strengths we have by learning to be introspective. When we are passionate about our career, we must prove it by devoting ourselves to filling in our knowledge gaps, being humble about feedback, and being willing to course correct throughout our career.  Dr. Knohl also shares his unique perspective on mentorship: Mentorship should exist on a personal and professional level, but it is the mentor’s responsibility to take it to a personal level.  A strong mentorship should take the initiative to show their mentees that they are invested in them personally. Because after all, we’re human. And in order to solve problems and cure disease in medicine, we must bring our whole selves to the equation. Pearls of Wisdom: 1. You must learn how to prioritize your career in order to achieve a healthy work/life balance. Study hard, but find things that make you whole, and do things that are enriching. 2. In finding a great mentor, look for a “twinkle” and trust your gut. Mentorship should extend beyond your professional self, and strong mentors will connect and invest in you personally. 3. When we approach patients, we should think of ourselves as actors: We need to be prepared for every situation, and we need to put the patient first.