Having the Confidence to Believe in Yourself with Dr. Fariha Shafi

Fariha Shafi, MD is an Associate Professor of Medicine, the Chair of the School of Medicine Diversity Council, and the Co-Director for Women in Medical Sciences Programming at the University of Missouri—Kansas City. Dr. Shafi completed her medical school from Universidad Tecnologica De Santiago (UTESA) and residency in drug medicine from The State University of New York—Buffalo. She has a strong interest in physician wellness, and also serves as the Chair of the ACP's Wellness Committee of the Missouri chapter. Dr. Shafi serves as a docent to medical students through year one to six and, and is passionate about mentoring medical students and residents. Recognized for her contributions, Dr. Shafi has received a number of awards and honors. Most recently, she was awarded the Betty M. Drees Excellence in Mentoring Award. If you don’t believe in yourself, why should someone else? That is the advice Dr. Fariha Shafi learned at a young age; and she shares it with us today. She explains the true power of mentorship; how those that stand behind us are the ones who inspire us to be the very best we can. That mentors (and sponsors) are the ones who will invest the most in our success; but it is up to us to carry ourselves across that finish line to success. The more honest, intentional, and confident we can be with ourselves and our mentors, the clearer we will get on our goals,; and the more our mentors will be able to help us achieve them. Pearls of Wisdom: 1. A mentoring relationship has to be approached actively - We should identify our challenges, and approach a mentor with an agenda. 2. Every morning, give yourself a few minutes to think about 3 things you are grateful for in your life. This gratitude exercise will help us see positivity in our lives. 3. Learn to say NO. Be mindful of what all you pile up in your plate and have the realization that there is a finite amount of space in that plate. 4. Remember the 4 key traits to be successful: Be goal-oriented, work hard, ask for feedback and self-reflect often.