Finding Happiness as a Trailblazer

Deborah Benzil, MD, FAAS

In July 1983, on my first rotation as a third-year medical student, I encountered a 16-year-old male who arrived by stat flight after a water-skiing accident on the Chesapeake Bay. Neurologically, he was in extremis. Minutes later, I drilled a hole in his skull that released the expanding blood clot that was damaging his brain. The next morning, he asked when he could go home! My career path was irrevocably changed.

I had little idea how challenging it would be for a woman to succeed in the world of neurosurgery. My first attempt was rebuffed ‒ I was told I had not demonstrated sufficient intellectual ability. Following a mentor’s advice, I spent 2 years doing research at the National Institutes of Health to counter this argument. My second attempt also failed ‒ my clinical skills were questionable. Still, I persevered, and my third try was successful. Looking back, I appreciate that I was a trailblazer, which is never easy!

Getting a residency position was just the first hurdle. During my training, from 1987 to 1994, it was standard to work 100 to 120 hours a week, be constantly sleep-deprived, and have minimal supervision. Being the first and only woman in my program and having to prove myself daily was an added burden. I also had two children during that time. What I had in my corner was a wonderfully supportive husband and an indomitable spirit.

A major turning point came in 1989. While presenting at a national meeting, I met a few other women residents. We quickly bonded and organized, and, in 1990, I ran the first meeting of Women in Neurosurgery (WINS). That organization would transform my life and career. WINS provided connection, mentorship, sponsorship, and a safe haven.

As an organization, WINS decided to advocate from within the existing neurosurgical structure rather than through confrontational activism. This proved highly effective. Women slowly advanced in academics, residency, and leadership. As an early leader of the organization, I was well-placed to be part of this wave of advancement. At the request of top neurosurgical leadership, we authored a blueprint for progress: The future of neurosurgery: a white paper on the recruitment and retention of women in neurosurgery. Years later, I learned this served as the foundation of efforts in many specialties and institutions across the country. Its enormously positive impact remains one of my proudest accomplishments.

There has been real progress in medicine, surgery, and neurosurgery. Today, few surgeons’ lounges remain INSIDE the male locker room, dress scrubs are no longer required, and within neurosurgery, women now represent 20% of the entering resident cohort. Most of the medical world now supports paid parental leave ‒ something that was unimaginable when I had my children. These are small but tangible steps. They help sustain my belief in the value of trailblazing.

I have come to understand that I have helped effect meaningful and important change. Some of that work will amplify over time as part of me is carried forward in others. After the years of struggles, the very dark nights and the lonesome days, I am content. The future of medicine relies on US being drivers of a necessary evolution, because, in the end, patients need us.

The challenge of our profession is to envision how to deliver exemplary medical care for the future, not just fine-tune how we practice now. This will require that we embrace a trailblazing philosophy, not just tinker with tradition. Everyone has that capacity but to be effective and sustain the work is hard. My own road has been long with many dark and difficult stretches. Now I feel the sun on my face almost every day.

I encourage everyone to find their own path. It may look very different from mine and may not lead to a “title” or “position,” but it is one’s own unique journey. I have found my happiness as a trailblazer, it is the turn of others now.