DR. BRADFORD SMITH: Siblings, especially siblings of the same gender, oftentimes feel pressured to do something different.

NARRATOR: In this episode, you'll hear Drs. Mark Smith and Bradford Smith ― both cardiac anesthesiologists ― discuss what it's like to work together at Mayo Clinic.

DR. BRADFORD SMITH: Mark and I grew up in south-central Nebraska. He is the oldest, six years older than me. Then I have a sister who's a year and a half younger than I am. We grew up in a very close-knit family. It was a small farming community, so you knew everybody. I think that played into who we were as people. All three of us ended up going into health care. I think some of the aspects of hard work and a lifelong pursuit of learning that our parents instilled in us resonated with Mark and me as we chose to pursue training and career endeavors at Mayo Clinic.

DR. MARK SMITH: We had a very unique situation growing up. Our father was a primary care physician in our small hometown. My mom and her side of the family were all farmers, so we actually grew up on a farm. We grew up knowing medicine, knowing the commitment and the dedication it takes, and the respect that you have for your patients. Being exposed to all the physical labor and the dedication that it requires in an agricultural community instilled in us a very good work ethic. We had exposure to both those things that have allowed us to leverage those experiences and be successful in our careers.

DR. BRADFORD SMITH: Some of my earliest memories are of dad being in medicine, or working on the farm late at night and then being called in to go to the emergency room ― and having to see patients or go on house calls on Sunday afternoons. I think that, along with what you said, instilled in us that medicine is ingrained into your life. It's part of who you are. It's not just your job from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. It's there all the time. That's what we saw growing up, and the history of Mayo Clinic was very similar to what we saw.

DR. MARK SMITH: We always had a very close relationship growing up. We came from a family where relationships with our family were very important. Our six-year age gap made our relationship change throughout time. It definitely matured as we aged. We've really become the best of friends as we've become older. One thing that always stuck out with me is how mom and dad really preached about working toward good relationships with people in your family. Friends come and go throughout the different stages of life, but family is there forever. I'm glad that we focused on building that relationship so that we have what we have today.

Brad and Mark Smith
DR. BRADFORD SMITH: I would agree. With the six-year age difference, it wasn't like we played sports together or were on the same teams together. I was quite a bit younger, so I looked up to Mark and what he was doing. But I was far enough behind that there wasn't so much comparison. By the time I started going through middle school and high school, the teachers had fortunately forgotten about Mark going through, so that made it a lot easier on me. As we started to come into understanding what we wanted to do and going into medicine, that bond has grown even stronger. We've certainly been able to help each other in our professional pursuits and advance together. You were already at Mayo when I started my training there, and I don't think that was ever a hindrance. I don't think the comparisons were ever really made because people just accepted us as individuals and helped grow us as individuals. It's been, for me, very gratifying because we've had lots of experience moving along in the three shields of Mayo Clinic, with Research being one of those where I really appreciate the mentorship. It's very nice to have someone to collaborate with, especially since we're at different sites now and not just down the hallway.

DR. MARK SMITH: Not just having you at Mayo, but having you and your family in Rochester was a very unique opportunity because — given our age gap — we never have lived in geographical proximity since I left for college when you were in sixth grade. Having you closer, having Ashlie closer, having our kids be able to grow up together and become great friends is a special thing that we'll be able to hopefully build on throughout life. Being able to interact with you and see you on a daily basis, and watch you grow and progress throughout your training, was very gratifying for me. I agree that having us both be at Mayo has allowed us to grow not only as individuals but as professionals. We share a lot of similar interests. We have a similar work ethic. We've been able to collaborate well on projects and learn from each other, and learn from the other sites, as you're in Arizona now.

DR. BRADFORD SMITH: One thing that I learned going into medicine and both of us being in medicine in the same field is that it's OK to be similar. Siblings, especially siblings of the same gender, often feel pressured to do something different, whether that's an intrinsic or external pressure that's placed on you. I felt that when I decided to go into medical school, I didn't want to be in the same field as Mark. At the end of the day, I started understanding if we have similar interests professionally, that shouldn't be something that should deter me from going into the field of anesthesiology or pursuing training at Mayo Clinic. What initially started as something that I tried to avoid turned into something that has brought more joy to my work and joy to our time outside of work with our families.

DR. MARK SMITH: I was happy when you decided to go into anesthesia. I don't think I ever pushed anesthesia on you. But knowing that we come from a very similar cloth and have very similar interests, I felt like it was something that you would enjoy. It was a real joy to have Brad up at Mayo in Rochester for the time that we had together. Being able to see him almost on a daily basis — at times being the same department, even in the same division working directly with each other on numerous occasions — was a real positive that I always take with me throughout my life now.

DR. BRADFORD SMITH: I agree. Mark, what would you say is some advice you'd have for colleagues who also have siblings at Mayo Clinic?

DR. MARK SMITH: I would encourage them to cherish the experience and use the opportunity to learn from each other, to lean on each other. As you mentioned earlier, it's important to respect the other person as an individual and not ever make things a comparison or a competition. It's important to celebrate their successes and also be there to help them through struggles. That's a real blessing of being at the same institution, that you really can be there for the other person. It's been something that I've truly cherished and enjoyed. I would encourage other people to take advantage of each day that you have that opportunity because we're never promised tomorrow.

DR. BRADFORD SMITH: This last year especially taught us to never take anything for granted and to enjoy those times. It's alright to know where you're different, but also know where you're the same, and to use that to your advantage and as a form of support. All of us have certain stressors in medicine, and we're meant to have other people be there for support. Having a sibling or a spouse at the same workplace is a very special thing. It's pretty rare. I've been very fortunate to have that with Mark, and it's brought me a lot of enjoyment to my daily work.

DR. MARK SMITH: You're my best friend and honestly the best person, aside from my wife, that I've ever met. You're unique in how you think of others, and how decisions and circumstances will affect other people. Your moral compass and just the way that you handle yourself as a professional and outside of work is really inspiring for me.

NARRATOR: Do you have a sibling or another family member that works at Mayo Clinic? Comment below with your story.