MetaCast #31 - How Conference Networking Turned Into U.S. Opportunities with Thais Iwashita

About this episode

Dr. Thais Iwashita shares her journey in neonatology and the importance of networking and mentorship in building an international career.

Waitlist: https://research.metaanalysisacademy.com/rha-le-spot-en-post In this MetaCast #31 episode, we welcome Dr. Thais Iwashita, a Brazilian neonatologist whose story shows what’s possible when clinical excellence, curiosity, and global collaboration come together. After training in Brazil, moving from Marília to USP Ribeirão Preto for pediatrics and neonatology, Thais built an international path that took her to Paris, Iowa, and ultimately an observership at Boston Children’s Hospital, one of the world’s leading pediatric centers. In this conversation, Thais shares what NICU life is really like, caring for extremely premature infants as early as 22-24 weeks, often under 500 grams, and why she believes she was “born to do this.” We dive into the step-by-step strategies she used to build meaningful mentorship: doing her homework before conferences, asking thoughtful questions, and following up with the right email weeks later to turn a brief interaction into a real professional relationship. We also discuss how meta-analysis helped her collaborate internationally from Brazil, why research can elevate clinical practice, and what she noticed about the differences between academic…

People in this episode

Guest: Thais Iwashita

Topics covered

• conference networking
• international collaboration
• neonatology
• mentorship
• academic medicine
• clinical practice

Keywords

• neonatologist
• premature infants
• meta-analysis
• clinical excellence
• academic training
• mentorship strategies

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Boston Children’s Hospital

Places: Brazil, Paris, Iowa, USP Ribeirão Preto, Marília

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