The Medical Sisterhood: Building Influence in Medicine as Women Physicians, With Nastasha Mensikovzka, MD, PhD

Welcome to The Medical Sisterhood!

In this episode of The Medical Sisterhood, host Mona Shahriari, MD, an assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Yale University School of Medicine and a practicing dermatologist in Connecticut, is joined by Natasha Mesinkovska, MD, PhD, a dermatologist and researcher at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine Department of Dermatology, for a wide-ranging conversation on visibility, resilience, mentorship, and the art of commanding a room recorded in recognition of Women's History Month.

Mesinkovska opens by describing her journey as an immigrant from the former Yugoslavia who arrived in the US as a high school exchange student and built her career through state schools, Mayo Clinic, and Cleveland Clinic. She credits her early breakthrough to a residency-era presentation at Winter Clinical Dermatology, delivered, memorably, in a beach dress and flip flops, where she placed second and received her first invitation to return to a national stage. From there, she describes her career as a product of persistence, gratitude, and a willingness to simply ask for opportunities, encouraging listeners to put their names forward without fear of rejection.

The conversation turns to Mesinkovska's distinctive approach to medical education on the podium, one Shahriari describes as simultaneously scientifically rigorous and genuinely funny. Mesinkovska attributes her communication style to years spent translating complex science for patients as chief scientific officer at the National Psoriasis Foundation, an experience she credits with sharpening her ability to make dense material accessible without sacrificing depth.

On the subject of women navigating visibility and judgment in professional settings, Mesinkovska is characteristically direct. She encourages women to embrace what makes them feel confident on the podium, whether bold fashion choices or a quiet, understated presence, and to resist any pressure to perform inauthenticity for the sake of broader appeal. She also reflects on her own deliberate distance from social media and influencer culture, noting she values the credibility of evidence-based independence over pharma-friendly positioning.

Closing with advice for women seeking a national platform, Mesinkovska urges listeners to build genuine connections with people they admire, identify what truly excites them clinically or scientifically, and pursue that niche with focus and flexibility. "Carve your own path," she says, "but carve a whole lot of paths."

Editor’s note: This episode was produced with the help of AI tools.

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