Her Story
About Minerva
Dr. Minerva Romero is an Assistant Professor of Surgery practicing at Weill Cornell Medicine and Brooklyn Methodist Hospital in New York, NY. Her clinical expertise centers on endocrine surgery as her primary subspecialty along with general minimally invasive procedures. She began her medical training with medical school starting in 2005 and completed her Medical Doctorate in 2009.
Dr. Romero earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Arizona State University with majors in Cell Biology and Physiology as well as French language. She subsequently obtained both a Master's in Public Health and her Medical Doctorate from the University of Arizona in 2009. She is a Diplomat of the American Board of Surgery and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.
In addition to her clinical and academic roles, Dr. Romero participates in professional societies such as the American Association of Endocrine Surgeons, the Society for Surgical Oncology, the Association of Women Surgeons, and the American College of Surgeons. She contributes to philanthropic efforts through the Latina Surgical Society, the Latino Medical Student Association, and Tour for Diversity in Medicine. Dr. Romero attributes her success to an internal drive to perform at her best each day combined with the support of family and friends. She emphasizes treating all patients with equal care, kindness, dignity, and respect regardless of their financial circumstances.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Minerva
01What do you attribute your success to?
I would say that having an internal drive and motivation to do my best every day and having the support of my family and friends.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
People always told me if you like something else that instead especially when choosing whether or not I would do surgery. But ultimately if there is anything that you'd like to do more than this profession then you should do that because it is a lot of sacrifice and a long commitment.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Finding your passion is important because if you love what you do you will bring your best self to work every day and you will be happy about what you're doing and it won't feel like work.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Challenges include getting people through surgery safely advancing the field through scientific breakthroughs while facing scrutiny with healthcare funding and physician trust. Opportunities include minimally invasive technology robotic systems for shorter recovery times and implementation of artificial intelligence to communicate efficiently track patterns and improve quality of care.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Treat all your patients the same whether they have money or don't have money. Always make sure that you give everyone the same care. Treat everyone with kindness and dignity and respect.
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