Kathleen C. Kobashi, MD, MBA, FACS

Abstract

You have accessUrology PracticeEditor of the Month1 May 2023Kathleen C. Kobashi, MD, MBA, FACS Kathleen C. Kobashi Kathleen C. KobashiKathleen C. Kobashi Urology, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1097/UPJ.0000000000000395AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail It is a true privilege to serve as the Associate Editor of Urology Practice® under the Chief Editorship of Dr Stephen Jones, who is kindly asking each of the members of his Editorial Board to introduce themselves to our readership. I have had the pleasure of serving Urology Practice® first as a Section Editor at its inception in 2014 and more recently as the Associate Editor of this burgeoning journal, and it has been an exciting journey. I have learned a tremendous amount, not only from the Editorial Board and staff, but from the authors who continuously submit their innovative work that spans a broad range of interesting topics. I recently moved to Houston Methodist Hospital from Seattle, where I practiced for 22 years. During that time, we established a fellowship, a residency, and a robust clinical database to facilitate longitudinal follow-up on patient-reported outcomes in pelvic floor medicine. In addition to my dedication to our patients and their care, my passion lies in mentoring and developing others who will be the future of urology, whether that be our treasured residents and fellows or our invaluable nurses, medical students, and staff. Accordingly, when faced with a question around what makes research “novel” and what areas should be studied further, my thoughts align with the above. Researchers who take on and explore a given issue from a variety of perspectives prompt us to contemplate questions with a new eye, thereby providing us with a valuable opportunity to make meaningful changes. This approach can be impactful in patient care, assessing everything from how we accurately capture and quantify patient symptoms to how we define outcomes and determine what variables are most important to our patients. It is also very relevant to how we best evolve with a changing landscape in the area of education, not only of our patients, but of our students and mentees. Clearly, with the emergence of remote learning, simulation training, and artificial intelligence, the education of our trainees is evolving at a rapid pace. Proper assessment of the effectiveness of training is imperative in order to continue evolving and advancing. The opportunities to contribute to the development of effective educational strategies as well as techniques to accurately measure them are boundless. These areas of study are critically important. As far as advice for first-time authors, remain curious and creative. Consider novel perspectives that have not previously been explored, or expand upon innovative approaches that have been introduced by other authors. Identify a mentor to provide experience and a seasoned point of view. Lastly, persevere. Never get discouraged. Consider the feedback you receive from reviewers as an investment in your work that empowers you to perpetuate your development. Asking new questions and is a journey to be relished. Enjoy it! © 2023 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 10Issue 3May 2023Page: 217-217 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2023 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.MetricsAuthor Information Kathleen C. Kobashi Urology, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...