June 12, 2026
28 min watch
Key takeaways:
- Mahsaw Mansoor, MD, explains her decision to pursue a second fellowship.
- Work-life balance is important, but a “season of intensity” can propel professional growth.
An unconventional, nonstandard career path in ophthalmology can result in a unique skill set and stronger doctors.
In this episode of Steeped Insights, a video blog series produced by Women in Ophthalmology and Healio, host Karen Chen, MD, of Permanente Medical Group, and cohost Cynthia A. Bradford, MD, formerly of Dean McGee Eye Institute, sat down with Mahsaw Mansoor, MD, Masket Foundation fellow at Advanced Vision Care. Over a cup of tea, the physicians discussed how Mansoor’s decision to pursue a second fellowship gave her more clarity on what she wanted out of her career.
In this episode of Steeped Insights, host Karen Chen, MD, and cohost Cynthia A. Bradford, MD, sat down with Mahsaw Mansoor, MD, for a cup of tea.
“I always knew that something was missing for me,” Mansoor said. “My niche, I hope, will be the management of uveitic patients in a more holistic fashion. … I knew I needed more training. For anyone who is considering two [fellowships], I would say that you should do it but do it with intention. I knew what was going to come of this fellowship and how it would actually add a distinct set of skills to what I had already gone through.”
The discussion also highlighted the importance of being a team player and knowing when to pass an opportunity on to someone else.
“You don’t want to be the person who always gets the free jobs,” Bradford said. “Anytime I do something, I try to think, ‘What can I get out of this? What can I make better here?’”
While striving for proper work-life balance is essential for a sustainable career in medicine, sometimes professional growth requires a bit of imbalance, according to Mansoor.
“It’s OK to have a deliberate season of intensity, but it’s not a permanent thing,” she said. “You can have purposeful imbalance for learning, building and creating relationships. Even if it’s busy, that’s sustainable.”
For more information:
Cynthia A. Bradford, MD, can be reached at cabradfor@gmail.com.
Karen Chen, MD, can be reached at karen.willa.chen@gmail.com.
Mahsaw Mansoor, MD, can be reached at mahsawm@gmail.com.
Sources/Disclosures
Source:
Healio Interviews
Disclosures:
No products or companies that would require financial disclosure are mentioned in this article.
Ask a clinical question and tap into Healio AI’s knowledge base.
- PubMed, enrolling/recruiting trials, guidelines
- Clinical Guidance, Healio CME, FDA news
- Healio’s exclusive daily news coverage of clinical data
