Define your Legacy with Dr. Rachna Shroff

Rachna Shroff, MD, is the Chief of the division of Hematology/Oncology and Associate Director for Clinical Research at the University of Arizona Cancer Center and the Associate Dean for Clinical and Translational Research at the University of Arizona College of Medicine. She is a clinical and translational investigator focused on developing novel targeted therapies and immunotherapies for pancreatic and hepatobiliary cancers and has led multiple clinical trials including the first randomized phase 3 trial in biliary cancers in the US. An internationally recognized expert, she is one of three women to achieve the prestigious 2022 Women in Oncology Award. “You have to understand your why and then let that drive you… be open-minded and try all kinds of different activities and opportunities. It’s a little bit of throwing darts at a dartboard and seeing what sticks, and then going with your gut. Ask yourself, ‘What do you want your legacy to be?’ Once you understand your legacy, you can create metrics for [your] success." In this episode of The Medicine Mentors, we discuss discovering our why and creating a long-lasting legacy with Dr. Rachna Shroff. Pearls of Wisdom:   1.  ‘What do you want your legacy to be?’ is a different question than ‘What is your why?’ Once we understand what we want our legacy to be, we can start creating the metrics for success. 2. It’s essential to have the right people on board and maintain that network of mentors. One of the secrets to maintaining this network is to stay connected with them and keep them updated with what's going on in our lives. 3. If we can first learn how to take good care of patients, we’ll identify the needs because the paramount questions come from the clinic. It will take a while, but our persistence, diligence, hard work, and patience will pay off.