*According to Cancer.Org, African-Americans have the highest death rate and lowest survival rates of any racial or ethnic group in the United States for most cancers. And when it comes to breast cancer, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) attributes this alarming disparity to the lack of awareness among young African-American women around their risk for breast cancer. In fact, approximately 40 percent of young women with breast cancer had no idea a young woman could get breast cancer prior to their own diagnosis.
Knowledge is power, which is why EURweb is pleased to share an inspiring interview with Dr. Kathie Ann Joseph, M.D., Breast Surgeon, Assistant Professor of Surgery at New York University Langone Medical Center; Director of the Breast Service, HHC, Southern Manhattan and Career Girls Role Model. In these videos and below, Dr. Joseph walks us through a day in the life of a breast surgeon, discusses and a strong desire to give back to the community in the public health field in an effort to end disparity of underprivileged women.
Kathie shares her road map to becoming a breast surgeon, the hard work and experiences that led to her award-winning thesis at Harvard University and why she’s passionate about the role she plays in the fight against breast cancer, and more.
What do you do and why did you choose this particular career?
I’m a breast surgeon. Sometimes I check on patients and am happy to say they have nothing wrong and I can send them home. Unfortunately, most of the patients I see are diagnosed with breast cancer. I take care of them. I operate on them. Then I work with other breast specialists to continue on with their care.
The summer between my junior and senior year of college made me start to think about focusing on breast cancer. I needed a job and ended up working at Harlem Hospital [as an intern] with this fantastic researcher who had a program where she screened elderly women for breast and cervical cancer. This was my first introduction to public health. It was an eye opening experience for me. It was heartbreaking that some of [the patients] had never had a pap smear or even a mammogram before. I could not understand why these women in their 70’s and 80’s had not been offered these tests.
Even as college student, I realized these women were a part of the medical system and could not understand why they have not been offered these test until they were funneled into this program. I asked the researcher if I could interview them—that formed the basis of senior thesis that won a prize at my graduation. I still hadn’t made the connection that I was going to go into breast surgery, but that laid the foundation [for getting into public health].
What are some of the biggest challenges you face in your career?
Medicine is not only about taking care of patients, there’s a business side. That can be challenging. The insurance side is not always fun. When the last patient walks out of the door you could still have tons of paperwork to do. It’s just part of what you do. The part that makes the work rewarding is the patients.
How do you feel your work is making an impact?
I can look at somebody who has probably just been delivered the worst news she has ever heard and I can give them some hope. I say, “This is not the news you wanted to hear, but we can take care of it.” I have been doing this long enough to see that most of my patients can return back to their normal lives and that’s what is rewarding.
What advice do you have for those who are interested in science or medicine, especially women and young girls who underindex in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields?
You have to build the basic skills. That includes math. Know the fundamentals. Obviously, you have to build your science skills. You also have to continue to be curious. Don’t be shy about that. Whatever subject you’re interested in, you can’t be reluctant to ask questions. [You can] even ask for a mentor.
What interests or skills from your childhood have helped with your career if any?
When I was a kid, I sewed a lot. I had dolls and I used to love to sew clothes for them. I would sit there and cut up fabric and thread their outfits by hand. Looking back now, I think it taught me a lot of the hand eye coordination I needed to be a surgeon. Hand eye coordination really helps with suturing and tying knots– it probably came from those dolls.
What did it mean to you to be the first African-American female to be appointed to New York Presbyterian Hospital?
I actually didn’t realize for a good year until somebody asked me during an interview. I emailed my mentor, who was the first African-American person on the faculty, and he said, “Yeah, you are.” It was surprising because this was around 2004 or 2005. It was not a big deal or issue [to me], but I noticed there were more women that were hired after me.
What are your goals for the future?
To continue to addressing disparities that exist. We have made so many strides. More women are surviving. But there still is a lot of disparity between White women and other ethnic groups. So we still have a way to go to make sure that everybody benefits from the advancements that we have made. I now have the benefit of working at an academic hospital that is also tied in with public hospitals where we work with women who are uninsured, on Medicaid or come from other countries who need care. We figure out ways to advocate for these women and offer them the same opportunities for care.
Is it important for you to give back to your community?
Giving back is extremely important to me. I don’t think I would be where I am if people did not reach out a hand to me all along the way. There were people who offered advice, gave sage wisdom, or made a phone call. I have always had people serve as mentors to me which why I got involved with mentoring with Career Girls. Now there is never a time where I say no to take a student. I always have students with me or I’m always willing to give a talk. It’s very important. If people will listen, I will always tell them what I do. If somebody has helped you, it’s your obligation to give back and do the same.
Exclusive to EUR
via: Amaris Jones
AmarisWorks, Founder & CEO
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