Sarah E. Monick, M.D.
Resident, Hematology/Oncology
What moment or experience in your life influenced your decision to be a clinician?
There wasn’t a single defining moment, but a series of experiences caring for adolescent and young adult patients with cancer revealed a consistent care gap. These young people were often treated in adult cancer centers without developmentally appropriate support. Witnessing missed opportunities to address their unique needs across the care continuum motivated me to become a compassionate oncologist and advocate for better, more tailored care for adolescent and young adult patients.
What motivated you to become a Kern Health Care Delivery Scholar?
I was drawn to the Kern Health Care Delivery Scholars Program because of its unique emphasis on improving healthcare delivery through innovation, collaboration and patient-centered research. As someone committed to building adolescent and young adult cancer programs that bridge gaps in supportive care, I saw the program as a place where I could gain the tools and mentorship to translate ideas into measurable impact for young people with cancer.
What is your focus and goal as a scholar within the Kern Center for the Science of Health Care Delivery?
My focus is on improving early advanced care planning for adolescent and young adults and adults who have cancer. My goal is to create sustainable, patient-informed interventions that empower young people to engage in meaningful conversations about their values and care preferences. More broadly, I hope to develop scalable models that integrate supportive care earlier in the cancer care continuum for underserved populations.
Tell us about your mentoring team.
My mentoring team includes experts across adolescent and young adult oncology, palliative care, social work and healthcare delivery science. Clinically, I'm mentored by Allison C. Rosenthal, D.O., the medical director of the adolescent and young adult program at Mayo Clinic in Arizona, with co-mentorship by Melody A. Griffith, M.S.W., L.M.S.W., an experienced adolescent and young adult oncology social worker, and Tyler K. Murphy, M.D., a palliative care physician with expertise in adolescent and young adult populations.
On the research side, Heather J. Carmack, Ph.D., is my primary research mentor. Her expertise in communication research surrounding serious illness and system improvement is instrumental in enhancing my project's design, implementation and evaluation.
How will your research improve patient care or impact public health?
My research addresses critical gaps in advanced care planning communication for adolescent and young adults with advanced solid malignancies. Currently, less than 3% of adolescent and young adults participate in advance care planning conversations. My team is codeveloping an on-demand advance care planning educational video, to be paired with structured follow-up by adolescent and young adult social workers. The goal is to normalize early, values-based conversations about care preferences. This model has the potential to enhance the quality of care and serve as a scalable framework for broader initiatives aimed at improving early advanced care planning communication within adolescent and young adult cancer populations.
Why did you choose Mayo Clinic to pursue your career?
Mayo Clinic offers a unique ecosystem where collaboration, innovation and patient-centered care are deeply embedded into every layer of the institution. I was drawn to its strong culture of mentorship and the opportunity to contribute to a national model for adolescent and young adult cancer care.
Tell us three words that describe you.
Collaborative, purpose-driven, intrapreneurial.
Outside of work, what is one thing you like to do?
Outside of work, I’m a passionate foodie. I love exploring new cultures and communities through cuisine — whether it's trying a hole-in-the-wall restaurant, attempting to recreate dishes at home or traveling to experience local flavors firsthand. Food has become a meaningful way for me to connect with people, history and places.