In honor of #WomeninMedicine Month, the UAB Department of Surgery is kicking off a new Q&A series to showcase some of our favorite women in surgery.

This week, we’re talking with Melanie Morris, M.D., who serves as an associate professor in the Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery, the vice chair of perioperative services for the department and the chief of general surgery at the Veterans Affairs Hospital in Birmingham, Alabama.

What is your leading charge at UAB?

I love participating in quality improvement at UAB Hospital. I completed the UAB Medicine Quality Academy in 2016 and earned a graduate certificate in Healthcare Quality and Safety. I have been able to use what I learned there to lead quality improvement projects for our surgical patients.

It is a privilege and really interesting to co-chair our OR executive committee. We work on improving the efficiency of our operating rooms and ensure we are providing the safest, highest-quality care possible. These jobs allow me to have an impact far greater than just with the patients I operate on. I can also be a voice for my colleagues and improve our job satisfaction by streamlining processes and decreasing variation in care.

What would you say to other young women who might be considering going into medicine?

Medicine is an excellent career for anyone. It is such a privilege to care for people in a time when they are very vulnerable. As a surgeon, we are able to form deep bonds with our patients quickly and help them through a scary time.

Plus, operating is so fun! We get to work in teams in the operating room with our nurses and anesthesiologists. There is a great energy in the OR, which is contagious.

If you have a mentor who is also a woman in medicine, do you find it beneficial to have a strong, woman mentor?

I have had many mentors throughout my career. Both men and women have invested in me and helped shape my career. I am grateful for them all.

It is more important to have a mentor who shares your core values and interests rather than a mentor of the same gender. I now mentor many people: junior colleagues, residents and students. I try to help both men and women.

We are all better when we have equal representation and diverse teams.