Novant Health
Please share advice you would give as a mentor to women new to the health field.
I would encourage women new to the health field to practice assertive communication to balance the needs of self as well as others. Too often, the passive approach fails and leads to more aggressive communication, often directed internally.
What is one obstacle that you hope future women in health never have to face?
I wish there were more opportunities for pay transparency for women in all health care roles. It is generally understood that women are compensated less for the same qualifications and experience.
Describe the moment or time of life you decided to have a career in medicine.
With a love for science and people, I have always felt like medicine was the path for me. Watching my mom work as a nurse showed me firsthand how powerful compassionate care can be. From there, I’ve had so many experiences that have prepared me – working as a research assistant, a peer educator for substance use, a pharmacy tech and even helping with student medical insurance. Each of these roles has taught me something new and solidified my passion for medicine.
What routines and habits help you prepare for, or recover from, a day’s challenges?
I often remind myself that it’s possible to hold conflicting feelings. I can feel grateful for the privilege of caring for patients while feeling tired from the physical, mental and emotional demands of the work. The most grounding daily routine in my family is our “share a favorite part of the day” at dinner. It can shift the energy because not every day is a win. It may be a significant accomplishment or simply my two young sons helped me prepare dinner together.
Tell us about one of your patients’ success stories.
After residency, I specialized in obesity medicine. There is a condition called lipedema that almost exclusively affects women but is relatively unknown and underdiagnosed. My patient struggled for decades and was often dismissed with traditional weight loss advice – methods that are mostly ineffective to treat the condition. She turned what had been just lines in a textbook into something I could truly understand, including the difficulty of finding qualified and multidisciplinary clinicians to provide appropriate treatment. As a fellow health care professional, she has partnered with me to educate our colleagues, helping raise awareness and validate the experiences of the many women searching for relief.
If you could change one thing about health care, what would it be?
Insurance should provide every individual with a patient care advocate to navigate a complex system that intentionally limits accessibility to proper health care.
