On mentorship: A conversation with Dr. Gina Cuyler ’92M (MD), ’95M (Res)

Dr. Cuyler is passionate about helping people fulfill their potential–especially young Black women in medicine

Dr. Gina Cuyler (MD ’92, Res ’95)

When Dr. Gina Cuyler ’92M (MD), ’95M (Res) walks into a room, people notice.

“She’s a force,” says one of her mentees, Bianca Audrey Duah, a second-year medical student at the University of Rochester’s School of Medicine and Dentistry (SMD). “Dr. Cuyler cultivates excellence, stresses accountability, and prepares me for what I might encounter in a certain class or situation—especially as a Black woman in medicine.”

Dr. Cuyler is passionate about mentorship and service. In 2015, she co-founded the Black Physicians Network of Greater Rochester, a nonprofit agency that matches role models with underrepresented youth who want to pursue careers in medicine. Then, in 2017, the University honored her with its Presidential Diversity Award, recognizing her contributions at both URMC and in the community. In 2018, she published Insider’s Guide to Leading Your Medical Care.

Recently, at the recommendation of SMD’s students and in recognition of Dr. Cuyler’s commitment to them, URMC dedicated a multicultural learning space within the school in honor of her. The Dr. Gina Cuyler Wellness Room represents URMC’s revitalized commitment to diversity and inclusion and serves as a place where community, healing, and excellence can coexist.

Today, Dr. Cuyler is the co-chair of the University’s Black Alumni Network and has volunteer roles with the University’s Diversity Advisory Council, SMD’s Women in Medicine group, Rochester’s Network Leadership Council, and more. She is also a mentor within the University’s Meliora Collective, an online networking portal for University alumni and students.

“Few people are as engaged as Dr. Cuyler in the professional development of the next generation of physicians,” says Karen Chance Mercurius, associate vice president of Alumni and Constituent Relations. “She is an authentic, dedicated, and joyful trailblazer who is highly respected by her mentees, colleagues, peers, and the Rochester and medical community. Wherever she goes–at the Medical Center and beyond–she so willingly shares her energy and enthusiasm to make a difference in the lives of others.”

Here, Dr. Cuyler provides her insights regarding medicine, mentorship, and the spirit of Meliora.

What does mentorship mean to you?

Every person has a gift. It’s my responsibility—and my honor—to help people think about what their gift is, what are they good at, and how can they help other people develop their gifts. Mentoring is about doing that, and it’s a bridge to resources—people, places, experiences—that help make each other, and the world, better.

In my experience, mentorship can be formal and informal. For instance, I’ve been engaged in The Meliora Collective’s mentoring match program, which has aligned me with stellar students including Black women pursuing medical careers. Mentoring can also happen anywhere. I encourage people to be open-minded and lead by example. You never know when someone may need guidance or support.

Can you give an example of informal mentorship?

I was talking to an alumna recently who is in a leadership role at another university. I was trying to connect some colleagues to her and the work she is doing, and, during our conversation, she stopped me and said that my voice was the same as 25 years ago. That’s when she was a resident, and I was her senior resident. She’s a woman of color who overcame a lot of adversity to get where she was, as so many of us have. She told me that she had so little confidence back then and she remembered feeling really down, but I helped her feel like she belonged, which built up her confidence. I was so surprised to hear this so many years later. Sometimes you get opportunities to pour your knowledge and life experience into others. I tell people, be ready.

Who’s your greatest mentor?

I have a few people who have filled that role in my life. First, my mother. She’s a woman of faith and she instilled that faith in me, which has empowered me throughout my life. My father died when I was just two, after succumbing to an acute illness that took him in just a matter of days. Soon after, the two of us moved to New York City, where she dreamed of a better life for me. My mother taught me to persevere. Then there’s my amazing husband, Lloyd. He is very practical, whereas I tend to be more emotional. He always helps put things into perspective for me.

There’s also Brenda Lee. She was the dean of students at SMD for many years, including when I was a medical student in the late 1980s. She retired just a few years ago. When I was a student, there were problems with subjective grading, exclusivity, and racism. One day, I went to her weeping and she said to me, “What are you going to do? Give up?” I’ll never forget that. She was a tough love kind of person, which is what I needed. It was a time when there weren’t many recourses for unjust actions. No one was having diversity, equity, and inclusion conversations back then. Today, I can draw on those kinds of experiences to guide and support others and give them insights if they should encounter similar situations.

What are the biggest opportunities and challenges at the University and the Medical Center regarding diversity?

The biggest thing, I think, is for everyone to remember the “me” in Meliora. Every person needs to realize that change starts within each of us. We can’t wait for the next person to do something—we have to take action and do what we can to make the world better. It’s about all of us being committed to each other, to our community, and to humanity at large. We need to build a culture that supports everyone.

Here’s an example of something that’s happening that is doing just that. There’s a great mentoring programming happening right now between the Department of Medicine and East High School in Rochester. That’s where the University has been engaged for a few years and has been working hard to improve student outcomes and create pathways to educational, career, and life success.

A variety of our faculty—not just underrepresented faculty either—are involved, along with our residents and medical students. Working together, they have created a bridge program that is helping many underrepresented youth. It’s a beautiful thing. They are creating support systems that foster and nurture the gifts these young people have inside them, and they are encouraging them if they are interested in medicine. I mentor some of the residents who lead the group.

Where can people start to make a difference?

I can—and all of us can—help others navigate roadblocks to success. As mentors, we can forewarn them. It’s like, if you are driving down a street for the first time and you didn’t know there was a pothole around a bend. If I tell you about the pothole, then you know it’s there and you have some insight regarding how to avoid it. Mentors are kind of like AAA, the Automobile Association of America. If you know about AAA and you’re a member, great. You can call them when you have a flat tire or when you lock in your key in the car. But, if you don’t even know they exist, you’re stuck. So, make sure people know you are out there, that you can help them.

What advice do you have for those interested in a career in medicine? Especially Black women?

Believe. If this is in your heart, know that you can do it. And if you are in medical school, you’ve proven you have the academic talent needed to succeed. Don’t be afraid to reach out for help either. Even if you don’t know someone but think they can help you, reach out anyway.

Get comfortable identifying and sharing your goals with others, too. So many people can contribute to your career path—from “minute mentors,” who are in and out of your life quickly, to “longitudinal mentors,” who are there for the long haul, to see you achieve your dreams.

Keep in mind that not everyone will believe in you. I call those people dream killers. Know that they are out there and then surround yourself with those who will support you and tell you when to go straight or turn. Be prepared to fail, too. Failing simply stands for our “first attempt in learning.” All it means is that we didn’t master what we didn’t learn. When things are hard, we grow. When they are wrong or unjust, we need to stand up for change and remember to pass along a positive light.

For more on Dr. Cuyler, read “Profiles in Perseverance” from the August 2019 issue of Rochester Medicine and her nine tips to decrease fear during the pandemic, an article written at the beginning of COVID-19.