What is your hometown?
Bethesda, MD
How or when did you become interested in science and medicine?
I do not recall when I first became interested in medicine. I always liked science in school, but I specifically did not want to attend medical school because I could barely remember my own phone number when I was tired (how would I ever stay awake all night and take care of people?) and I tended to pass out when standing still for long periods of time (how would I ever make it through surgery?). After college, I worked in a behavioral neuroscience research lab in Philadelphia. I loved the experiments themselves, but I was not excited by the research questions we were asking. One day I was flipping through a book about alternative careers in the sciences at my local public library, and I came across genetic counseling. It sounded perfect for me! I would be able to blend science and medicine, yet work with people. I attended graduate school in Medical Genetics in Cincinnati and then accepted a job as a pediatric genetic counselor at the University of Iowa. I loved my job, but eventually I thought I could be more helpful to my patients if I learned more. I started considering applying to medical school after reading someone else’s profile on this website. The person being profiled was a non-traditional student. I thought, “If that person could go to medical school, I could, too.”
How or why did you choose the University of Iowa to attend medical school?
Since I was working at the University of Iowa when I decided to apply to medical school, I was already an Iowa resident. I had a house and friends, and I was very involved in community activities. I also had been out of college for ten years and I was not sure that I wanted a lot of change in my life. But, I knew I should keep my options open so I applied to several medical schools. Iowa was my favorite. What impressed me the most was that the facilities for medical students were beautiful and everyone I met was very friendly. I thought that I could be happy here.
Is there a teacher, mentor or University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine faculty member who has helped shape your education?
I cannot possibly select just one individual or even five people. I have learned so much from so many whether it has been in the classroom, in committees, in the lab, in the hospital, or in the community. Some of my most valuable teachers have been patients who have shared perceptions of their care with me.
What kinds of opportunities or advantages does being a medical student at Iowa provide? What about challenges?
The biggest challenge for me about being a medical student in Iowa is that I am far away from my family. I turn green with envy every time I hear about one of my niece’s birthday parties or other family gatherings. I would love to be able to curl up on a couch and watch a football game with my brother and dad on Sundays or go walking with my mom. One of the advantages about being a medical student at Iowa is that the patients are generally very nice people who are appreciative of the care that they receive. While practicing taking focused histories and physical exam skills, it is wonderful having kind people on whom to learn.
Please describe your professional goals and interests?
Medical genetics is still one of my passions. While I plan on doing my residency in Internal Medicine, eventually I would like to attract patients with genetic conditions into my practice. People with genetic syndromes are living longer and longer, and knowledge about the natural history of many genetic disorders is growing at a rapid rate. I would like to be involved in developing health care recommendations for adults with genetic conditions.
What are some of your outside interests?
Without a doubt, what takes up most of my free time are my animals. I have a 14-year-old cat, Phantom, and a 13-year-old cocker spaniel, Simba. Actually, Phantom is very easy to care for – it is my sweet Simba who takes up hours and hours of time. He has a multitude of health problems yet he still likes to walk 1-2 hours per day. If I were not involved in health care for humans, I would definitely run a rescue organization for homeless animals.
Do you participate in any community service/outreach projects? If so, what are they and what have your experiences been?
One of my favorite projects has been working with the Rape Victim Advocacy Program (RVAP). Since June 2005, I have spent over 1200 hours volunteering with RVAP. In addition to answering the state and local hotlines, I provide legal and medical advocacy for survivors of sexual assault and attend monthly meetings to update my knowledge and to practice skills. I find value in educating callers, offering support, exploring potential coping mechanisms and empowering women to take back control of their bodies and lives. It fulfills a desire I have to give of myself to others, and I frequently find myself employing my repertoire of counseling skills and techniques when interacting with patients in clinic or on the wards.
For the past 15 years, I have been heavily involved with service work. My most recent undertaking is volunteering two evenings per month at the Free Medical Clinic. The Free Clinic provides a great opportunity for me to practice my outpatient diagnostic skills and gain independence while providing a valuable service to the community.
Do you have an insight or philosophy that guides you in your work?
“In every community, there is work to be done. In every nation, there are wounds to heal. In every heart, there is the power to do it.” -Marianne Williamson
If you could change one thing about the world (or the world of medicine), what would it be?"
If I could magically change one thing about the world, I would empower people to make healthy decisions for themselves and families.
What one piece of advice would you give to students who are interested in applying to medical school?
In graduate school, my personal theme was “Ask for forgiveness, not permission.” While that served me well in graduate school, I feared it was not appropriate for medical school, so instead I adopted “Never give up.” That is the piece of advice that I would give to students interested in applying to medical school and I would encourage them to keep that attitude, especially during the first two years of medical school.
What do you see as "the future" of medicine?
This question has been posed to me several times and I have never come up with a good answer. Being a huge supporter of the field of genetics, I would love to say something about integrating genetics and treatment of disease. However, other people’s imaginations are much more impressive than mine, and I bet that the real “future” of medicine will be something that has never even crossed my mind.