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Zachary Klaassen: Hi, my name is Zach Klaassen, urologic oncologist at the Georgia Cancer Center in Augusta, Georgia. I am pleased to be joined on UroToday by Dr. Regina Barragán-Carrillo, who is a medical oncologist at NCI Mexico. Regina, thanks so much for joining us today.

Regina Barragán-Carrillo: Oh no. Thank you so much for having me. And before we kick things off, I do want to extend my very sincere gratitude to you and the rest of the faculty for this amazing meeting we're just going to talk a little bit about.

Zachary Klaassen: Absolutely. And it led right into it perfectly. We were recently at the GU Oncology Early Thought Leaders Conference. This was put on by Consens and the Prostate Cancer Foundation. Had tremendous sponsorship from faculty to make this happen. And really, what it was was about 75 attendees, about 12 faculty just talking about some of the important issues with starting practice and things that you can't find on PubMed or in a textbook.

And so I'm delighted to have you join us, because I want to get into some of those things that we learned and some of your feedback on it as we get ready to ramp up, obviously, for planning the next meeting. And so my first question is, we're all in a busy schedule. As an attendee, what sort of prompted you to apply for this and really carve out a weekend in Philadelphia to attend this meeting?

Regina Barragán-Carrillo: I mean, so in all honesty, faculty people like Dr. Apolo, Dr. Plimack, Dr. Bryce, Dr. Pal, many, many others, just to name a couple, didn't just come and deliver this classic model lecture type of thing when you have an expert on a panel and then you're an attendee sitting down there with a little notebook, writing things down. This was actually a super engaging thing.

So in my particular case, as someone coming from Latin America, I can tell you that these types of spaces that are not only clinically based or treatment based are very hard to come by. I can personally say that most training programs are very focused on the clinical care type of thing. And there's very rarely a structured support for delivering what people are calling the soft skills—things such as, for example, public speaking, networking, media engagement, or even having some sort of clarity on how to land your first job or even build your own personal brand.

So when I saw that this conference was being offered, that included this mix of leadership development, communication skills, and exposure to different career paths, I felt like it was perfectly designed for someone like me in this transition between trainee and early career oncologist right now, to build me and to help me design a path for the type of oncologist I'm trying to become. So I made the time to be there because I knew it would help me grow in ways that traditional education back home just didn't address. And it wasn't just like a thing about me. I was hoping to bring back those insights and share it with my colleagues down here in my own center, and also with the trainees who deserve the same access to this type of career building tools and opportunities.

Zachary Klaassen: Yeah, great answer. I think you were very engaged in the Q&A, which is always good for somebody who's hosting an event because it makes it easier to keep things rolling. And so I appreciate that on that weekend. And I'll lead that into the question of maybe a couple of fun memories or take-homes that you had from that weekend.

Regina Barragán-Carrillo: You know what? If I had to pick a word to describe it, it was like personal. I was impressed by how one-on-one the situation felt. We were not just sitting as an audience, listening to the panel; we were having very real, very open conversations with the whole faculty. And for example, particularly, I will never forget sitting in this small group with Dr. Apolo, who is clearly a legend in the field, and hearing her talk very candidly about her journey.

And not only that, like her ups and her downs. And that reminded me even the most accomplished people in the field started somewhere. And we all face moments of doubt. And we all face difficult situations and barriers and have to find a way to go through them. So that kind of transparency was actually super refreshing to me and really, really stayed with me.

And I want to add that also having the opportunity to engage with peers from medical oncology in many cases, but also people from neurology, from radiation oncology, from all around the world—I mean, there were people from Mexico, from Colombia, from Brazil, from Argentina, Austria, from England. And it was such a supportive environment between peers that no question felt too small and no question felt too bold.

And we were actually super encouraged to speak up and share what we were struggling with and ask for your very, very honest and generous advice. So the mentors didn't just talk to us. They really listened, and they gave what I want to say was personalized feedback. So that level of access to see some leaders in the field, I think, was extremely priceless.

Because these people, such as you and Dr. Apolo and Dr. Pal, are clearly in the bigger set of meetings—you're trying to reach out to them during ASCO, and during ASCO everyone's schedule is packed. And this venue, as you mentioned, there were only 70 attendees and 12 faculty members, really allowed us to reach out and talk to them. And of course, that's always very nice.

Like the networking night—it was a very fun way to unwind and connect with other attendees and get to know faculty out of a very formal setting. So this type of relationship building, I'm pretty sure it's going to last way over the span of the weekend.

Zachary Klaassen: Yeah, no, that's exactly the goal. I mean, I think you nailed it. Everybody's going 15 directions at these big meetings. And it's fun to have just almost like a discussion rather than just lecture, lecture, lecture. I think you nailed it. I think that's exactly what we designed it to be. So that's awesome feedback.

I think, as you look forward, as somebody who's been at this inaugural meeting, why do you think it's important to hold these annually or at least every other two years, to get the next generation the similar experience?

Regina Barragán-Carrillo: Honestly, this kind of very intentional, early-career-focused space is so needed, not only in the US, but globally. There's a huge gap in medical education when it comes to professional development. Because as I mentioned before, we're so clinically oriented, but we don't know how to advocate for ourselves many times, or how to build a sustainable career, or even how to lead with confidence and lead with compassion.

So these events are actually very helpful in bridging that gap. They provide a very safe space where very early career oncologists like me can explore different pathways and ask the harder questions that maybe you wouldn't be so open to asking in different types of forums. And looking around the room through the weekend, it was clear how committed everyone in the faculty was in their mission.

You guys didn't just show up; you were really putting your best foot forward, and you encouraged us and made it clear that our success is also very important to you. So feeling like you're being heard, feeling that you're valuable, and feeling that your struggles are realistic, I think, grounds you and makes you understand that, yeah, these types of career paths need some segue. And many times, when people give you their own advice and their own experiences, I think it makes it much more valuable than just going through the classic talk or big meeting where it's kind of hard to reach out to people on a personal level.

Zachary Klaassen: Yeah, absolutely. I think as people are watching this video over the next few weeks and months, and maybe somebody out there is thinking about applying to this program next year, what would your message be to them?

Regina Barragán-Carrillo: Oh, that's clear. That's easy. It would be like, do it. Do not hesitate in applying. I mean, just go for it. Even if you're in a major academic center or if you're coming from a smaller hospital—like, for example, myself, I'm coming from an international program—this conference is designed for you. You're going to get something out of it.

And it's mentorship, it's skills training, it's career advice. And if I had to describe it in a way, it's quite an immersive experience where your voice is actually welcomed, and your growth is very much prioritized. So I would tell them to expect to walk away with a much deeper sense of priority about their own career paths, whether it's in clinical trials, whether it's in pharma, leadership, or even something else entirely.

Expect to meet faculty on a much more one-on-one, personalized level. And also expect to build some relationships with your peers who are just as motivated in this endeavor of building their career and making things better for our patients with cancer in the future. And this is a special message, clearly, to the international applicants just like me:

I cannot emphasize enough how valuable this is. So many of us, because of the places we come from, do not have these conversations. And this conference will give you a very specific set of tools and language and confidence to bring back home. So do not feel intimidated about applying, even if you're not US-based.

Zachary Klaassen: Yeah, I appreciate that. That's a great message, especially for the international folks for sure. We had a great mix, like you mentioned—literally global, I mean, probably four or five continents. It was great to get perspectives on their training and their challenges, which are similar and maybe a little unique compared to the United States as well. So again, this conversation has been energizing. The weekend was energizing. Maybe just lead out with our final word, a couple maybe take-home messages for the listeners.

Regina Barragán-Carrillo: Yeah, and actually my first take-home message is going to be something you said during the meeting: leadership starts very early, and it's going to look very different for everyone. You don't have to wait for this big promotion or for the big title to start leading. It's about how you show up for your team, how you support them, and how you advocate for yourself and your patients.

And another very big message I hope I'm delivering is that soft skills right now are not optional. They are quite essential to build your career. So it could be giving a talk at a scientific meeting, or communicating with the media, or even just managing your time in a more effective manner. These skills will make you stand out from the rest of your peers and from everyone else.

And finally, something that's very personal to me is that I want to say your background, at the end of the day, is a strength—it's not a barrier. So it doesn't matter if you come from this world-renowned big US cancer center or from a modest hospital somewhere outside the US with limited resources. This weekend really reminded me that there's a space in GU Oncology for all of us. And that diversity, in every sense, makes our field stronger by the day.

Zachary Klaassen: Yeah, beautifully said, Regina. Great job on the interview. I really enjoyed getting to meet you at the Philadelphia conference. And thanks so much for your time on UroToday.

Regina Barragán-Carrillo: No, no, no—my pleasure. And please do it a yearly thing. And I'm happy to come back next year if you're planning to repeat it.

Zachary Klaassen: That's awesome. Thanks again so much, Regina. Take care.

Regina Barragán-Carrillo: My pleasure. Bye-bye.