Dr. Urmimala Sarkar is the recipient of the ZSFG Mentoring Award

Congratulations to Dr. Urmimala Sarkar!

Dr. Urmimala Sarkar is the 2019 recipient of the ZSFG Mentoring Award!

This award is given to a Medicine faculty member in recognition of his/her exemplary contributions in mentoring students, postgraduate trainees or faculty members. Mentoring achievements may pertain to clinical, educational or research activities or a combination of these areas.

The ZSFG Medicine Education Committee solicits nominations from ZSFG-based Medicine faculty and all Medicine residents for candidates whom they feel exemplify these qualities. The Committee would like to share just some of the comments received from faculty and residents who nominated and voted for Dr. Urmimala Sarkar:

There is no faculty more deserving of this award than Dr. Sarkar, who has made mentoring a career priority and has fostered the success of countless students, residents, researchers, and junior faculty. While there are many things that are remarkable about her mentoring style, 3 specific points come to mind. First, she is an active mentor and actively seeks to foster the success of those around her and engages them in a proactive way. Second, her mentorship spans multiple divisions at ZSFG, multiple domains at UCSF, and even mentors others all over the country. Third and perhaps most importantly, she seeks to provide not only work-specific mentorship but also really tries to support her mentees with their success in life generally-- personally and professionally. Thank you Dr. Sarkar!

I am extremely excited to nominate my mentor, Urmimala Sakar, for the Mentoring Award. Since joining UCSF in 2011 as a research fellow, I have had been very fortunate to work with some of the most prominent and respected faculty members at this institution. Urmimala is by far the most versatile mentor I have worked with. She is a complete mentor. She has mentored me over the past three years as a Junior Faculty clinician researcher. She has mentored me in writing multiple first-author manuscripts. She invited me to co-lead a successful grant application as Joint Principal Investigator to lead a randomized control trial of technology tool to assist safe-net primary care physicians in their diagnostic decision-making process. She has been a career mentor, a personal mentor, and a fierce advocate for me. As a career and personal mentor, she has implemented a tailored program with specific tools to help me with time management, goal setting, and research productivity. What distinguishes Urmimala as a mentor is that she exemplifies the art of team building and leadership. She has an uncanny methodical way of making everyone on her team feel uniquely valuable in a way that is extremely motivating and uplifting.  It is with great pleasure that I nominate her for this Mentoring Award.

Dr. Sarkar has been an integral part of DGIM, but her work extends beyond both her clinical and research productivity. She has gone above and beyond to mentor numerous trainees, residents, and faculty members with regards to their career trajectories and how to navigate the UCSF system.  She cares deeply with regards to gender equity in the world of academia and has taught valuable lessons and has coached many (including myself) on how to advocate for oneself even when the cards are stacked up against you.  She takes her work very seriously and spends time outside of her already busy schedule to listen and mentor so many people! It truly is amazing! She deserves recognition.

The 2019 ZSFG Medicine Faculty Awards will be presented on Tuesday, May 21, at 1 pm in Carr Auditorium following Medicine Grand Rounds.