As a new addition to our regular Honors Posts, we are pleased to introduce the Thomas Jefferson Point-of-Care Ultrasound Educator of the Month Series!  This post is brought to you by Kelly Goodsell MD, Point-of-Care Ultrasound Fellow and Danielle Matilsky MD Point-of-Care Ultrasound Faculty at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, PA.

The Thomas Jefferson Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) Division (@jeff_sono) has organized an educator of the month series. Each month, an expert is invited for a round table discussion. The topic is directly or indirectly related to education, administration, research, or the clinical practice of POCUS. The roundtable format allows a more interactive, personal, and approachable education experience.

In September 2017, Nova Panebianco, MD, MPH joined @jeff_sono. The session was entitled “Be a Leader: Locally and Nationally.” Dr. Panebianco has worn many hats over the course of her career. For example, she is a former President of the Academy of Emergency Ultrasound of the Society of Academic Emergency Medicine. She is the Interim Director of Emergency Ultrasound at the University of Pennsylvania and leads a medical student elective in POCUS. Dr. Panebianco is married and she and her husband have three young daughters.

Dr. Panebianco shared some of the highlights and challenges she faced while developing her career. She expressed a self-described strong work ethic and an innate desire to distinguish herself amongst her peers. Her earliest role models were her parents; her father was a local physician in a small community on Long Island and mother an artist, and the marriage of science and creativity is the foundation of her ambitions. Nova admitted that she did not always see herself as a leader. This is not an uncommon feeling – she noted that many ED physicians would not classify themselves as leaders, despite being cast in this role on a daily basis. Dr. Panebianco discussed how she came to be in a leadership role at her institution, and the process through which she developed her leadership style. She challenged us to think of the strong leaders who have motivated us and some characteristics that made them effective. She asked us to distinguish that having a title doesn’t make one leader, rather leadership comes from recognizing when others are looking to you for guidance and inspiring others to work toward a common goal no matter how small. Common themes identified included good communication skills, teamwork, creativity, and the ability to delegate. Dr. Panebianco also emphasized the importance of frequent self-assessments. Strong leaders admit personal weaknesses and take responsibility, when mistakes happen. Dr. Panebianco closed by reiterating that personal style and leadership development is a process that takes practice and self-awareness.

Congratulations Dr. Panebianco on being selected for this honor and thank you for sharing your expertise!