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Women in White Coats: Stories From the Heart
Madeleine Stokowski | July 31, 2018
| Contributor Information
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Women in White Coats: Stories From the Heart
Madeleine Stokowski | July 31, 2018 | Contributor Information
The recently published The Chronicles of Women in White Coats, edited by Amber Robins, features the stories of a variety of women as they describe their own unique journeys in medicine. Medscape spoke with the women featured in this book. Enjoy these excerpts and advice for women newly entering medicine.
Image courtesy of Surabhi Batra, MD
Women in White Coats: Stories From the Heart
Madeleine Stokowski | July 31, 2018 | Contributor Information
Surabhi Batra, MD, Pediatric hematologist-oncologist, Newark, New Jersey
No Hand to Hold
Driving home later that evening, I fumbled through the radio stations. As the band played the lyrics, "Without you I've got no hand to hold…" I felt tears streaming down my cheeks. Was it the self-made promise to keep the child pain free which I had not been able to keep, a feeling of failure or rejection, or the pain of giving that heart-wrenching diagnosis to a mother and her child, or all of the above? I do not know. But I knew one thing: I was never going to see things the same again. I wanted to say, "I'm sorry," I could not save her child, but is it appropriate? Would that help? Ethan's short life left an imprint on me. His big brown eyes often remind me of my reasons for choosing this profession, its sacredness, and why we need to keep moving forward.
Image courtesy of Alana Biggers, MD, MPH
Women in White Coats: Stories From the Heart
Madeleine Stokowski | July 31, 2018 | Contributor Information
Alana Biggers, MD, MPH, Internist, Chicago, Illinois
Impostor Syndrome
When I heard about impostor syndrome, I realized that it probably plagued most of my adult life, starting from my experience when I applied to medical school. Sometimes feelings of impostor syndrome still pop in my head. I am now an early-career physician at an academic institution. Everyone seems further along than me. But then I remember residency and know it is not how you start but how you finish. I was able to finish strong in residency despite obstacles. And now I have a supportive mentoring system in place to help in my progression. I am not an impostor. I am a great physician and a budding researcher. I belong.
Image courtesy of Charmaine R. Gregory, MD
Women in White Coats: Stories From the Heart
Madeleine Stokowski | July 31, 2018 | Contributor Information
Charmaine R. Gregory, MD, Emergency physician, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Unleash Your Greatness
Despite not having all of the elements in place for many of my life experiences both in and outside of medicine, I [learned] to step out on faith and went for it. I felt the fear and knew that I had to go for it. Life is way too short to stay in my comfort zone. Fear reminds me that taking risks and putting myself out there can yield great rewards. My wish for you is that you will feel the fear but do it anyway. You have nothing but treasure on the other side. Be strong. Be brave. Unleash your greatness.
Image courtesy of Danielle J. Johnson, MD
Women in White Coats: Stories From the Heart
Madeleine Stokowski | July 31, 2018 | Contributor Information
Danielle J. Johnson, MD, Psychiatrist, Mason, Ohio
Called to Psychiatry
I received my evaluations for my psychiatry rotation and received the highest score of honors after performing excellently on my psychiatry exam. I never considered psychiatry but reflected on why I did so well. I realized that I enjoyed my psychiatry rotation, and the patients I liked and connected with most in all of my rotations were those with a mental health issue. I was still hesitant and somewhat confused on what to choose for my career. At that time, I felt that there was less "medicine" in psychiatry, and people wouldn't consider me to be a "real" physician. Even some family members didn't understand that a psychiatrist was a physician. I felt that I had a talent for psychiatry, and it was a career that many medical students didn't want. If I enjoyed and had the ability to connect with the patients that no one else wanted to even have a conversation with, I had an obligation to do it.
Image courtesy of Danielle Lombardi, DDS
Women in White Coats: Stories From the Heart
Madeleine Stokowski | July 31, 2018 | Contributor Information
Danielle Lombardi, DDS, Pediatric dentist, New York, New York
My Path
Life does not come with a roadmap to victory, and our success is found within the twists and turns that we take, eventually directing us to the right path. I am thankful for all of the trials and triumphs that have led me to where I am today. First, seeing the medical field with my mom and then discovering dentistry at her job helped reveal my purpose in life. I don't think my journey is anywhere close to done. I genuinely love my career and going to work every day. Even on the days when there are kids who cry from the time I arrive to the time I go home, my heart is so full when I walk out the door. It is an honor and a privilege that parents trust me to treat their most precious beings, their children.
Image courtesy of Nina Lum, MD
Women in White Coats: Stories From the Heart
Madeleine Stokowski | July 31, 2018 | Contributor Information
Nina Lum, MD, Hospitalist and Family physician, London, Kentucky
Pride and Prejudice
The vice I least expected to encounter while offering the noble service of healing within the field of medicine was prejudice. In medical school, the length of the white coat symbolizes academic seniority. Long white coats are worn after the medical degree is officially obtained, while short white coats indicate a student doctor. Irrespective of the cut and color of our coats, the prevalence of the issue of prejudice among my female and minority colleagues across the country is alarming. As diversity in gender, race, and religious background continues to thrive in medicine, repetitive showcasing of local medical talent and skill from such groups would be a great way to expose our communities to the power of open-mindedness and harness the strength of variety brewing around us.
Image courtesy of Maria Perez-Johnson, DO
Women in White Coats: Stories From the Heart
Madeleine Stokowski | July 31, 2018 | Contributor Information
Maria Perez-Johnson, DO, Pediatrician, San Antonio, Texas
More Than a Doctor
I'm female, I'm Hispanic—a Mexican American. I'm a mother, a parent, a spouse, a sister, and a daughter. I'm a teacher, a physician, a doctor, a healer, a pediatrician, an emergency room doctor, and a DO (doctor of osteopathic medicine). Each of these is me, and my hope is that maybe by sharing my journey it can one day inspire someone else to reach for the same. Titles can also stifle you, suppress you, hold you back, and encase and enslave you if you let them. Each of these titles could have incapacitated me and not allowed me to become successful. Each, in its own way, could have prevented me from pursuing my dream. Yet, each title is a badge, a shield. Every single one of them defines me and makes me a better practitioner. They shape how I see the world, and often how the world sees and treats me.
Image courtesy of Alexandra Piñon, MD
Women in White Coats: Stories From the Heart
Madeleine Stokowski | July 31, 2018 | Contributor Information
Alexandra Piñon, MD, Pediatrician, Temecula, California
My Constant Companion
I was starting to learn that practicing medicine is a balance of risk and benefits, a constant decision-making process. Early in my career, each choice I made plagued me with insecurity. I hoped then that someday I would reach a point when my knowledge would overcome any uncertainty. The intervening years have taught me that that will not happen, nor do I want it to. It is an integral component to the ongoing development and improvement of any physician. There are infinite variables that must be considered before each step is taken. It never becomes routine or rote; each patient and variable presents a different facet of health and disease. I carry the uncertainty that comes from such a complex system as a constant companion. It used to be foreign and terrifying; now it is a familiar adversary clenched in the tight muscles of my shoulders.
Image courtesy of Kendra Segura, MD, MPH
Women in White Coats: Stories From the Heart
Madeleine Stokowski | July 31, 2018 | Contributor Information
Kendra Segura, MD, MPH, Obstetrician/gynecologist, Los Angeles, California
Take Back the Knife
The knife was in my hand, but I wanted to hand it back to the attending physician. He had handed it to me at the start of the surgical case because he wanted me to be in the pilot seat. That's really the only way to learn surgery: to do. This was my very first C-section where I was the primary surgeon and not just the assistant. I endured the awkwardness of inconveniencing everybody, but when the blood started seeping out of the patient in the middle of the surgery, I thought it was high time I hand the scalpel back to the attending. However, the attending would not take the knife back. And even though it took two agonizing hours, things went relatively smoothly. I had done it. My first C-section! I walked out of the OR with dry mouth and scrubs wet with sweat. It was worth it. I now knew that whenever I found myself in dark woods, all I had to do was keep walking to reach the clearing.
Image courtesy of Kena Shah, DO
Women in White Coats: Stories From the Heart
Madeleine Stokowski | July 31, 2018 | Contributor Information
Kena Shah, DO, Allergist-immunologist, South Miami, Florida
My Most Valuable Life Lessons
Believe in yourself. Don't expect approval of yourself from anyone. You cannot control anyone's behavior or perception. But yes, you can control your own mind and find a way to respond to situations.
Practice mindfulness. Anger is a sign of weakness. Your mind is powerful. Meditation and a daily dose of spiritual knowledge gives you the power to be at the receiving end of unkind behavior and still maintain your integral qualities—which are love, peace, and purity.
Forgiveness is the key to remaining happy. When you forgive people, you are not doing them a favor; you are helping yourself move on. When you let it go from your mind, that's liberation, that's freedom, that's emancipation.
Learn to face the situation. Kill them with success; bury them with a smile. Facing a situation means not to hit back, magnify, or blame. Accept the situation and then learn to resolve it with constructive criticism.
Image courtesy of Reveal Photography and Archana R. Shrestha, MD
Women in White Coats: Stories From the Heart
Madeleine Stokowski | July 31, 2018 | Contributor Information
Archana R. Shrestha, MD, Emergency physician, Chicago, Illinois
It's Who I Am
There are certain life experiences that leave you forever changed at your core. Becoming a doctor and a parent are two of them. And while it doesn't happen overnight, each one profoundly changes the way you view and approach the world. As the years have gone by, being a doctor and a parent have become the essence of who I am. I live and breathe the two. I can wake from my sleep and instinctively know how to do either one. Sometimes people ask me how I juggle it all, being a doctor and a mom while engaging in many other roles as well, but it is just who I am and who I have become over time: my training and experiences molding and shaping me into the mother, doctor, and woman I am today.
Madeleine Stokowski | July 31, 2018 | Contributor Information
Natasha K. Sriraman, MD, MPH, Pediatrician, Norfolk, Virginia
The True Art of Medicine
Throughout the preclinical years in medical school, people always tell you that the real learning begins during clinical rotations. While we learn the pathophysiology of disease, memorize enzymes and pathways, and dissect cadavers to learn the orientation between bone and muscle, the true art of medicine lies in patient interaction. Now, as an academic pediatrician, I teach both medical students and residents on a daily basis the importance of cultural beliefs as they relate to healthcare. Whether it is through lectures or direct patient care, I use what I have learned from my patients to try to educate the health team—including nurses, social workers, and therapists—how culture, religion, and language can and will affect how a patient and their family receive the medical advice given to them.
Image courtesy of Bande Virgil, MD
Women in White Coats: Stories From the Heart
Madeleine Stokowski | July 31, 2018 | Contributor Information
We had done all we could. The air literally deflated out of the room, and despite our best efforts, there was nothing more that could be done. The child was gone. How do you explain to a mother that her child is dead? In the typical sequence of life, a child is supposed to outlive the parent. That is the natural order of life. We see this cycle turned upside down in the work we do. Each time is different as each family and situation are a unique tapestry; it never gets easier. It never should. For me, that is the beauty of the human experience as a pediatrician. I celebrate with my families at the amazing victories of overcoming illness and recovering from horrible accidents or unpredictable twists and turns in their lives. I am also there to hold a hand, offer a prayer and give a hug, or stand in respectful silence with my families. The patients are the children, but the entire family is under my care.
Image courtesy of Mia S. Ben, MD
Women in White Coats: Stories From the Heart
Madeleine Stokowski | July 31, 2018 | Contributor Information
Mia S. Ben, MD, Pediatrics, Opelousas, Louisiana
Sharing a Moment
There were many blessings given to all who were involved in [this patient's] care. At that moment, all political views were out of the window. There were medical personnel and parents, not Christians or Muslims. Just grateful parents and elated staff sharing a moment. We did our job well that day, as medical providers and as human beings. What a day! Whenever I think my work as physician does not matter, God uses moments like this to strengthen my faith and help me to continue this journey as a physician.
Image courtesy of Angela Freehill Brown, MD
Women in White Coats: Stories From the Heart
Madeleine Stokowski | July 31, 2018 | Contributor Information
Angela Freehill Brown, MD, Orthopedic surgeon, Mount Vernon, Illinois
Fixing What's Broken
Surgery fed a longing in me to fix the broken things and somehow make the world right. Today, I was a surgeon. Today, I had made a difference. I had taken a real step toward my future, and I hadn't faltered. As I left the OR, hearing the real work of the surgery beginning, my steps were light and my vision clear. I could see my future. I knew that I was on my way to just where I belonged.
Image courtesy of Peaesha L. Houston, DO, MS
Women in White Coats: Stories From the Heart
Madeleine Stokowski | July 31, 2018 | Contributor Information
Peaesha L. Houston, DO, MS, Family medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
Outwit, Outplay, Outlast
All of the doubt, reservations, and loneliness I felt suddenly melted away. This was no place for fears and insecurities! I was in the big leagues. We were students from around the world, rich and poor, Ivy League and state, all pursuing the same goal to one day be a doctor. I was now playing a game of survivor, and my goal was to "outwit, outplay, outlast." I believed in myself. I persevered. I thought I could, and I did.
Image courtesy of Yulia Johnson, DO
Women in White Coats: Stories From the Heart
Madeleine Stokowski | July 31, 2018 | Contributor Information
Yulia Johnson, DO, Family medicine, Des Moines, Iowa
Love at First Sight
I just could not contain my gratitude to the medical profession in my new home in the United States. I was hooked. I was addicted to medicine here. It was a love at first sight. I knew I wanted to be a part of it. I just wasn't sure how a 20-year-old girl, now a newly divorced single mom who spoke no English, would accomplish it. I knew that I wanted to be there for people. I wanted to be a part of the culture that makes so much of a difference in people's lives.
Image courtesy of Julia Dry Knarreborg, MD
Women in White Coats: Stories From the Heart
Madeleine Stokowski | July 31, 2018 | Contributor Information
Julia Dry Knarreborg, MD, Radiologist, Edmond, Oklahoma
A Precious Gift
My son beamed from ear to ear while presenting me the necklace. It was a bright yellow foam rubber cross on a thin white string. There were symmetric rainbow colored beads on each side. I smiled and breathed a heavy sigh of relief. After 3 years of parenting while in medical school and several recent call nights away from home, this small but precious gift meant my little guy still loved me and was giving me permission to continue on our journey. Though I was never convinced we would actually finish it.
Image courtesy of Amber Robins, MD, MBA
Women in White Coats: Stories From the Heart
Madeleine Stokowski | July 31, 2018 | Contributor Information
Amber Robins, MD, MBA, Family medicine, Washington DC
Doctor and Journalist
I found that I had more confidence in what kind of doctor I wanted to become. It was no longer a mystery to me. Being on the news, I could inspire more girls who look like me to one day become a doctor. Plus, I could talk to patients all over the world by reporting on need to know information about their health. All this could be done through media. After years of searching, I was happy to say that I finally found my place in medicine as a doctor and journalist.
Women Physicians Who Changed the Course of American Medicine
In honor of National Women Physician Day, which falls on the 196th birthday of Dr Elizabeth Blackwell, Medscape brings you career highlights of some of the most inspiring women in the history of US medicine.Medscape Features Slideshows, February 2017
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Madeleine Stokowski
Freelance Writer
Vienna, Virginia
Disclosure: Madeleine Stokowski has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
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