Children's Hospitals Today - Fall 2022 - 28

VITALS MEET A MEMBER
Kelly Mahaney
(middle right) and
her team of pediatric
neurosurgeons.
Paving
the way
Meet the leader
of an all-female
team of pediatric
neurosurgeons.
BY KATIE CHEN
Roughly half of graduating
medical students in the United
States are female, according
to the Association of American
Medical Colleges-but only
9.3% of neurosurgeons are
women. When Kelly Mahaney,
M.D., began training to be a
neurosurgeon, she was the
only woman in her department.
Now, Mahaney is the interim
chief of pediatric neurosurgery
at Stanford Medicine Childrenʼs
Health and a part of something
rare: an all-female pediatric
neurosurgery team.
A SUPPORTIVE
ENVIRONMENT. Diversity
is central to the culture
at Stanford Medicine
Childrenʼs Health, Mahaney
says. Leadership not
only recruits women and
underrepresented minorities
but also supports them by
providing opportunities to lead,
encouraging their goals, and
helping them thrive.
A FULFILLING CALLING.
Despite the long, demanding
training, Mahaney says itʼs an
extraordinary and fulfilling
career. " We have the privilege
of caring for young patients
at what is often the most
vulnerable time of their lives, "
she says. " The impact we have
on children is even greater,
as their whole lives are ahead
of them. This has been the
biggest motivation for me: to
give children with neurosurgical
conditions a chance for a
brighter future. "
VALUING WORK AND
FAMILY. " We try to promote a
community that is supportive of
women as neurosurgeons and
as mothers, " Mahaney says.
" An amazing example of this is
a neurosurgeon colleague of
mine who encouraged me to
breastfeed my daughter when
she was born. She taught me
that we donʼt have to choose
whether to be great mothers
or great neurosurgeons. She
inspired me to find a way to
make it work. I want to give the
same support to my current
and future colleagues who are
finding their way in balancing
motherhood and neurosurgery. "
A PATH FORWARD. For women
who find themselves called to
care for the sickest patients,
know there are others who have
paved the way, Mahaney says.
" It is possible to be a great
neurosurgeon and be a great
friend, daughter, sister, mother,
partner. It is up to us to shape
the future of neurosurgery-
and I hope many more women
will choose this path and shape
it with us. "
Katie Chen is manager of
Media and Public Relations
at Stanford Medicine
Children's Health.
Know someone we should
meet? Email magazine@
childrenshospitals.org.
28
CHILDREN'S HOSPITALS TODAY Fall 2022
Photo: Stanford Medicine Children's Health
Children's Hospitals Today - Fall 2022

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