"I've always loved working with my hands," says Caitlin Hoffman, MD, a board-certified pediatric neurosurgeon who specializes in the surgical treatment of epilepsy and craniofacial disorders. As a teenager, Dr. Hoffman took an opportunity to work at the Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence, Rhode Island, where she helped veterinarians deliver medical care, including surgery, to an array of exotic animals, including elephants, sloths, and cotton-topped tamarins. It was here that she discovered her potential to use her hands to heal.
This early passion for healing, combined with a growing interest in neuroscience, led Dr. Hoffman to Weill Cornell Medicine, where she began her career as a medical student and continued as a neurosurgical resident. She credits her mentors and colleagues for helping her thrive during that time — during which she not only completed her seven-year-long residency program and a yearlong pediatric neurosurgical fellowship at Toronto SickKids, but also married and had two children (sons who are now ages 12 and 13).
"There was no road map for that," says Dr. Hoffman. “My team was incredible, and my residency was a rewarding experience.” She returned to New York after her fellowship, joining Weill Cornell Medicine as a faculty member, and she now enjoys collaborating with a talented team of subspecialists in getting to know her patients from birth through their childhood and beyond.
"Being in the process of neurosurgical treatment with a child and their family throughout development, and really improving a child's quality of life, is enriching and a privilege," she says.
Dr. Hoffman is also committed to inspiring the next generation of doctors and diversifying the field of medicine. In 2018, she co-founded PrIMES, a mentoring program that pairs current medical students with college students from groups under-represented in medicine. The mentors help guide undergraduates who are interested in careers in medicine on a path toward entry into medical school and beyond.
When medical students approach Dr. Hoffman for advice, she challenges them to forge their own path in medicine and life. "Align with institutions that have the culture that supports your goals for your career and your family," she says. "You have to decide: What do you want your own trajectory to look like?"
More about pediatric neurosurgery
See also:
From Resident to Mentor (Dr. Jared Knopman)
The Magical Meeting of the Minds (Dr. Amanda Sacks-Zimmerman)
