The University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine
What is your hometown?
Canton, Illinois
When did you join the University of Iowa faculty?
July 2000
How/when did you become interested in science and medicine?
I always loved math and science. I started to become interested in medicine in high school, and participated in an Explorer Scouts program regarding health science careers.
What interested you to pursue a career in Obstetrics and Gynecology?
While an undergraduate at Vassar, I learned about the Frontier Nursing Service, and thought about a career as a nurse midwife. I had visions of driving around Appalachia in a jeep and doing home births (this was the seventies, of course.) A certified nurse midwife who worked at the college health service encouraged me to apply to medical school, and pursue a career as an obstetrician. She felt the U.S. medical community was not very welcoming to nurse midwives. I applied, and was accepted.
Is there a teacher or mentor who helped shape your career?
Dr. Dolores Buchler and Dr. Joseph Nigro. In residency and as a junior faculty at the University of Wisconsin, I had a role model in Dr. Buchler, a no-nonsense, talented clinician and surgeon who advanced to senior faculty status at a time when there were very few women at this level in academic medicine. Dr. Buchler helped develop my self-confidence as a surgeon, and demonstrated how to communicate bad news to patients and families in an honest, straightforward and supportive way. Dr. Joseph Nigro was a wonderful senior partner in my last practice location. Dr. Nigro not only provided me with tons of support during a time when I underwent enormous personal stress, he encouraged me to reassess my life goals and priorities. This led to my decision to return to academic medicine.
How or why did you choose the University of Iowa?
I had been in private practice for twelve years, the last ten in the suburban Chicago area. I interviewed for two academic positions in obstetrics and gynecology. When I interviewed at Iowa, I felt as if I had come home. The faculty was collegial, open and honest. I felt Iowa City would be a great place to live and raise my daughters.
The University of Iowa’s faculty members are united to provide exceptional patient care while advancing innovations in research and medical education. How does your work help translate new discoveries into patient centered care and education?
My main interests are in cultural competency and medical education. Patient-centered care is the ultimate expression of cultural competency. The provider treats the patient as an individual with a unique history and needs. In my role as Clinical Clerkship Director, I am eager to make refinements in the clerkship which will maximize the learning experience for the students and will help them to become competent, caring professionals.
What kinds of professional opportunities or advantages does being a faculty member at an academic medical center provide?
After twelve years of private practice, I felt I had gone a little stale. Working day in and day out with the residents and medical students is very invigorating - there is a constant pressure to stay on top of new developments in our field and provide the best care for our patients. In addition there are many educational opportunities for faculty - departmental conferences, faculty development seminars, and special programs such as the College of Medicine’s Teaching Scholars program, which I began last autumn.
Please describe your professional interests.
My main interests are in cultural competency and medical education. I also have expertise in colposcopy and lower genital tract laser surgery. I’ve always loved delivering babies, and I enjoy teaching residents obstetrics forceps technique.
How does working in a collaborative and comprehensive academic medical center benefit your work?
There are many resources available to faculty here to develop their teaching skills that might not be present at a stand-alone medical center. The first that comes to mind is the Office of Consultation and Research in Medical Education (OCRME). I also completed a course in teaching technology offered by the Center for Teaching, University of Iowa Libraries and Information Technology Services.
What are some of your outside interests?
I love to garden, and I am an avid reader. My husband and I attend many theatre and dance productions in the Iowa City area. I sing at church, and to relax, I play piano. I enjoy swimming and lately have taken up yoga. I also enjoy travel.
Do you have an insight or philosophy that guides you in your professional work?
I strive to role-model compassionate and competent care that meets the individual needs of the patient and her family.
If you could change one thing about the world (or the world of medicine), what would it be?
Affordable basic health care for all!
What is the biggest change you've experienced in your field since you were a student?
The information revolution has radically changed medical education and practice. When I was a student, our information came from textbooks and lectures. If we wanted the most current information, we went to the library and read journals. Now, any clinician or student can access nearly any major journal or other reference site day or night in any location with an Internet connection. Patients come in with sheaves of information and misinformation about their condition which they have obtained from Internet sites.
What one piece of advice would you give to today's students?
Continually seek balance in your life - keep up your hobbies and outside interests!
What do you see as "the future" of medicine?
I’m an old Trekkie. On Star Trek, “Bones” just passed a little scanner over sick crew members, made a diagnosis, and most of the problems appeared to be cured medically or by computer-assisted surgery. There will also be immunizations against many more diseases.
In what ways are you engaged with the greater Iowa public (i.e. population based research, mentoring high school students, sharing your leadership/expertise with organizations or causes, speaking engagements off campus, etc.)?
I am very involved in my parish. I currently am one of the general chairs for the capital campaign to rebuild our church, which was destroyed by a tornado two years ago. I am the course director for my department’s annual Ob/Gyn postgraduate course, which provides continuing education and practice updates for women’s health care providers in Iowa and beyond. I represent my alma mater at local college fairs and serve as the Alumni Admissions Chair for Iowa. I also have served on the Vassar Alumni Association board.