Dr. Liebert to Receive AMWA Exception Mentor Award

Dr. Cara Liebert has been selected as a recipient of the American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA) Exceptional Mentor Award for 2024-2025.

“This is a way for mentees to recognize their mentors for the amazing contributions you have made to their career and life,” said AMWA President Dr. Susan Hingle. “Your commitment and contributions, and your exceptional mentorship are precisely the attributes the recognition seeks to celebrate.”

Liebert was nominated by Tannaz Safari, who first met Liebert almost 12 years ago.

“I was a new Surgical Education Fellow at Goodman in July 2013, just starting my Surgical Education Fellowship as a PD resident between PGY-2 and PGY-3.” said Liebert. “[Safari] was part of a summer program, Stanford Health Career Opportunity Program where she attended a session at Goodman I taught for the program on surgical skills.”

Liebert recalls discussing Safari’s transition from Las Positas Community College to UC-Santa Cruz at their first mentorship meeting in the Li Ka Shing Center. Safari went on to earn her’s B.S. in Molecular Cell and Developmental Biology and MPH at the University of New England. She will graduate from medical school at the American University of Antigua this spring and is currently applying and interviewing in General Surgery for the 2025 Match.

“Dr. Liebert has impacted my career by always being there and ready to teach me. She was also a role model for me that I still aspire to me as a aspiring female surgeon,” said Safari. “She has taught medical knowledge but also role modeled the type of surgeon I would like to be one day, keeping her nurturing quality that is often associated with females as well as being able to be successful in the tough field of surgery is something I find truly difficult to be simultaneously and she does it flawlessly.”

Liebert says she and Safari keep in touch periodically throughout the year for mentorship via email, phone, Zoom, or in-person.

“You don’t have to always have good news to stay in touch, stay in touch when you need help, or stay in touch when you are coming back to your town to visit,” said Safari. “I often let Dr. Liebert know when I was visiting home, and took time to come shadow her. I learned a lot! and that allowed us to spend more time together over the years.”

The recognition will be presented at the AMWA National Meeting, which will take place in conjunction with the Women in Healthcare World Congress in Waltham, Massachusetts, on Saturday, March 29, 2025.

“Believe in yourself and don’t be afraid to say it to your potential mentors. The right mentor will also believe in that dream for you,” said Safari. “Finding a mentor like Dr. Liebert didn’t happen again for me, I only have one of her. Although I have so many mentors… she is sort of the mothership I go to because she is someone I trust to talk about things I am struggling with OR things or that I am proud of.”

Media Contact

About Stanford Surgery

The Stanford University Department of Surgery is dedicated to inventing the future of surgical care through:

• pioneering cutting-edge research, 
• developing the next generation of leaders, and 
• healing through incomparable surgical skills and compassion. 

To learn more, please visit surgery.stanford.edu