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Duration: 00:23:45

How “Master Connectors” Quietly Transform Careers

As we close out our Pediatric Insight Conversations series on mentorship, the Child Health Advisory Council (CHAC) turns to a topic that may be the most influential and the least discussed driver of career satisfaction in academic pediatrics: the master connector.

Inspired by Malcolm Gladwell’s concept and shaped by decades of leadership experience, the panel explores how master connectors do far more than match mentors and mentees. They actively shape cultures, open doors, accelerate careers, and most importantly – help protect clinicians from burnout.

As Dr. Craig Hillemeier put it, “Mentorship is one of the few things in medicine that creates a truly positive impact for both the mentor and the mentee. A master connector ensures people understand that and helps make those relationships actually work.”

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Watch the Conversation.

Resources and Related Topics.

• Measuring Mentorship Success, CareerPhysician.com, Valerie Opipari, MD, moderator
• The Mentor Role and Responsibilities, CareerPhysician.com, Valerie Opipari, MD, moderator
• The Master Connector: The Ultimate Guide to Building Impactful Connections for Life & Business, Nichole Harmon-Pointdujour, 2025
• Advocacy & Mentorship, CareerPhysician.com, Robert Sawin, MD, Craig Hillemeier, MD
• What I wish I knew in medical school about finding a mentor, ama-assn.org, Sara Berg, MS, Feb. 13, 2023.
• Mentoring in medicine, NIH.gov, Savithiri Ratnapalan. Feb. 2010.
• Fellows Survival Guide: Choosing a Mentor, Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society, pids.org
• What Is a Mentor? Suzanne Koven, M.D. n engl j med 390;8 nejm.org. February 22, 2024.

Meet the Panel.

View the Child Health Advisory Council’s bios. Click here.

Have a question or a topic you’d like us to discuss? Send us an email.

Listen to the Podcast.

Duration: 00:26:12

How Do You Measure Mentorship Success?

In part two of our Pediatric Insight mentorship series, we continue the conversation addressing how to measure mentorship success.

In this episode, the Child Health Advisory Council (CHAC) members discuss important questions such as:

• Measuring mentoring success and impact
• Navigating common challenges
• Identifying and resolving mentor-mentee conflicts
• Mentoring and supporting new leaders and recruits

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Watch the Conversation.

Resources and Related Topics.

• The Mentor Role and Responsibilities, CareerPhysician.com, Valerie Opipari, MD
• Advocacy & Mentorship, CareerPhysician.com, Robert Sawin, MD, Craig Hillemeier, MD
• What I wish I knew in medical school about finding a mentor, ama-assn.org, Sara Berg, MS, Feb. 13, 2023.
• Mentoring in medicine, NIH.gov, Savithiri Ratnapalan. Feb. 2010.
• Fellows Survival Guide: Choosing a Mentor, Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society, pids.org
• What Is a Mentor? Suzanne Koven, M.D. n engl j med 390;8 nejm.org. February 22, 2024.

Meet the Panel.

View the Child Health Advisory Council’s bios. Click here.

Have a question or a topic you’d like us to discuss? Send us an email.

Listen to the Podcast.

Duration: 00:32:34

The Power of Mentorship

This week, we kick off a three-part series about how mentorship, coaching and sponsorship is shaping the next generation of pediatric leaders.

In this first episode, moderated by Valerie Opipari, MD, our expert panel dives into what makes mentorship effective and enduring. They answer:

• How does a mentor’s role differ from that of a coach or sponsor?
• How can young clinicians identify the right mentors to guide their careers?
• What traits define a successful mentor–mentee relationship?

Packed with practical insights and real experiences, this conversation offers inspiration and guidance for both mentors and mentees in academic medicine.

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Watch the Conversation.

Resources and Related Topics.

• Advocacy & Mentorship, CareerPhysician.com, Robert Sawin, MD, Craig Hillemeier, MD
• What I wish I knew in medical school about finding a mentor, ama-assn.org, Sara Berg, MS, Feb. 13, 2023.
• Mentoring in medicine, NIH.gov, Savithiri Ratnapalan. Feb. 2010.
• Fellows Survival Guide: Choosing a Mentor, Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society, pids.org
• What Is a Mentor? Suzanne Koven, M.D. n engl j med 390;8 nejm.org. February 22, 2024.

Meet the Panel.

Wesley D. Millican, MBA
CEO and Physician Talent Officer

Valerie Opipari, MD
Pediatric Hematologist/Oncologist

Bruce Rubin, MEngr, MD, MBA, FRCPC
Pediatric Pulmonologist

Craig Hillemeier, MD
Pediatric Gastroenterologist

F. Bruder Stapleton, MD
Pediatric Nephrologist

Robert Sawin, MD
Pediatric Surgeon

Peggy Troy, MSN, RN
Emerita President & CEO
Children’s Wisconsin

Arnold (Arnie) Strauss, MD
Pediatric Cardiologist

View the Child Health Advisory Council’s bios. Click here.

Have a question or a topic you’d like us to discuss? Send us an email.

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Duration: 00:32:21

Who Will Be Your Boss? Navigating New Roles Under Interim Leadership

If you’re considering a new role under an interim leader, learn why:

• Interim leadership is very common
• You need to validate resources and put must-haves in writing
• Understanding the culture and history of the institution is critical

This and more in the latest Pediatric Insight, “Who Will Be Your Boss? Candidates for Leadership Roles Under Interim Leadership.”

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Watch the Conversation.

Resources and Related Topics.

• Transitional Leadership: Three Leader’s Perspecties on an Increasingly Common Position, The Journal of Pediatrics, Allison S. McBride, MD, Evelyn Y. Anthony, MD, FACR; Julie A. Freischlag, MD, Sept. 7, 2021.
• The Inevitable Interim: Transitional Leaders in Academic Medicine, National Library of Medicine, Chris Merritt, Brian Clyne. Jan. 2025.
• How to Navigate Interim Leadership, Child Health Advisory Council, Pediatric Insight, April 2025.

Meet the Panel.

Wesley D. Millican, MBA
CEO and Physician Talent Officer

F. Bruder Stapleton, MD
Pediatric Nephrologist

Craig Hillemeier, MD
Pediatric Gastroenterologist

Danielle Laraque-Arena, MD, FAAP
Child Abuse Pediatrics

Valerie Opipari, MD
Pediatric Hematologist/Oncologist

Bruce Rubin, MEngr, MD, MBA, FRCPC
Pediatric Pulmonologist

Robert Sawin, MD
Pediatric Surgeon

Arnold (Arnie) Strauss, MD
Pediatric Cardiologist

View the Child Health Advisory Council’s bios. Click here.

Have a question or a topic you’d like us to discuss? Send us an email.

Listen to the Podcast.

Duration: 00:28:34

Integrating Full-Time Clinicians into Pediatrics

Pediatric departments are stretched by unprecedented clinical demand. How do you fully integrate full-time clinicians into the academic mission without losing alignment across the university, hospital and community?

In this episode, Dr. Arnie Strauss leads a candid discussion on what actually moves the needle.

• Bridging the “university vs. hospital” gap
• Achieving diplomacy with data
• How to set clear expectations & accountability
• The hospital point of view
• A look ahead on achieving team-based care

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Watch the Conversation.

Resources and Related Topics.

• The Evolving PHM Workforce: Shortages and Opportunities, American Academy of Pediatrics, Alexandra Kilinsky, DO; Jennifer Reese, MD, July 14, 2025.
• The Pediatric Health Care Workforce Landscape, The Future of Pediatric Subspecialty Physician Workforce: Meeting the Needs of Infants, Children and Adolescents, NIH National Library of Medicine, National Academies Press (US). Sept. 7, 2023.
• Two Steps Forward, One Step Back: The Complexity of Accurately Defining and Measuring Clinical Activity in Academic Pediatrics, Susan Kline, MS; Anne M. Reed, MD; Liz McCarty, MS; Gil Park, MHA; Lucky Jain, MD; Morris Gessouroun, MD. The Journal of Pediatrics, Volume 259, 113446, August 2023.

Meet the Panel.

Wesley D. Millican, MBA
CEO and Physician Talent Officer

Arnold (Arnie) Strauss, MD
Pediatric Cardiologist

Danielle Laraque-Arena, MD, FAAP
Child Abuse Pediatrics

Robert Sawin, MD
Pediatric Surgeon

Bruder Stapleton, MD
Pediatric Nephrologist

Craig Hillemeier, MD
Pediatric Gastroenterologist

Jon Hayes
Executive Vice President, Child Health, CareerPhysician

View the Child Health Advisory Council’s bios. Click here.

Have a question or a topic you’d like us to discuss? Send us an email.

Listen to the Podcast.

Duration: 00:39:54

Leadership Strategies to Engage Underrepresented in Academic Child Health

The latest Pediatric Insight episode tackles a critical question: How do we ensure the future of pediatrics reflects the diversity of the children and families we serve?

Moderator Danielle Laraque-Arena, MD, with special guests Lisa Eiland, MD and Colin Orr, MD, MPH, explore:

• The most compelling reasons medical students choose a career in pediatrics
• What institutions can do to attract and support underrepresented in medicine (URiM) students
• The challenges and opportunities in strengthening the pipeline of diverse pediatric leaders.

This conversation offers practical insights for academic leaders to shape a more inclusive future for child health.

Host: Wesley Millican, MBA

Moderator: Danielle Laraque-Arena, MD, FAAP

Special guests:
Lisa Eiland, MD, Division Chief, Neonatology, Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital, Hackensack University Medical Center
Colin Orr, MD, MPH, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, General Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Monroe Carrel, Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt

Our panel: Arnold Strauss, MD; Robert Sawin, MD; Craig Hillemeier, MD; Bruder Stapleton, MD

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Watch the Conversation.

Resources and Related Topics.

• Getting to Your Goals
• My Goals, My Programs, Our Future
• Stepping Up and Leading in Pursuit of Racial Equity Resource List
• Inspiring the Next Generation

Meet the Panel.

Wesley D. Millican, MBA
CEO and Physician Talent Officer

Danielle Laraque-Arena, MD, FAAP
Child Abuse Pediatrics

Lisa Eiland, MD
Neonatologist

Colin Orr, MD, MPH
Pediatrician

Arnold (Arnie) Strauss, MD
Pediatric Cardiologist

Robert Sawin, MD
Pediatric Surgeon

Bruder Stapleton, MD
Pediatric Nephrologist

Craig Hillemeier, MD
Pediatric Gastroenterologist

View the Child Health Advisory Council’s bios. Click here.

Have a question or a topic you’d like us to discuss? Send us an email.