May 1, 2024 • 23 mins
Dr. Ngina Connors, Chair of the Atrium Health Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in the Greater Charlotte Region, joins Kristen to discuss her career as a maternal-fetal medicine specialist. The duo dives into her unwavering passion for research and how she established her career while balancing motherhood.
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
Pregnancy is supposed to be a really happy time, but
sometimes it could be pretty stressful depending on what you
have going on during pregnancy. And so when I had
the opportunity to follow someone through pregnancy and then when
they have a great outcome and they send me pictures
of babies, that's like really inspirational for me.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Welcome to the Inspired Podcast, presented by Atrium Health. This
is a podcast series for Panthers fans where we highlight
admirable women from across the Carolinas as they share stories
and lessons from their lives and careers. I'm Kristin Balboni,
team reporter for the Carolina Panthers, and today my guest
is doctor Nina Connor's chair of the Atrium Health Department
(00:47):
of Obstetrics and Gynecology in the Greater Charlotte Region and
the Spangler Family Endowed Chair. Doctor Connors, thank you so
much for taking the time to talk with us.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
It's great to be here. Thank you for having me.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Okay, and I just have to say this just just
right off the bat. In addition to holding the titles
that we just introduced you with, you also specialize in
maternal fetal medicine, you perform research and you have an
MBA from Wake Forest.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
Is that right?
Speaker 1 (01:15):
Yeah, that's right. So I graduated medical school a while ago,
I won't tell you how long, and then I went
to go to the University of Pennsylvania and then I
did residency in obgyn at Christiana Care Health System, which
is in Delaware, and that's a large, terch hairy care center.
So I had lots of ob experience and I really
(01:38):
loved ob and so I decided to specialize in maternal
field medicine, so I get to take care of hirris
pregnancies and still get to deliver babies. I did my
fellowship at wake Bars and so that's how I got
connected into North Carolina. And after fellowship, I left for
a little bit to go to Texas and practice, but
(01:58):
then I came back here because I love it here
and my family's here. And when I came back, I
decided to do an MBA, which I also did with
wait Bars.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Well, we're glad to have you back. I can say
that on behalf of the house.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
Of Oh yeah, yes, the whole state.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
Women who go to Atrium Health myself included pregnant people.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
We're all happy to have you back, doctor Connors, thank you?
What are yeah?
Speaker 2 (02:28):
I mean, you have so much going on. I just
want to know what are some of your favorite parts
of your job or your jobs? Uh, I should say yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
So I would say that first and foremost a clinician,
So obviously I went to medical school because I like
taking care of patients being a doctor, and I really
love connecting with women. I see lots of patients in
the office and just connecting with them because pregnancy is
supposed to be a really happy time, but sometimes it
could be pretty stressful depending on what you have going
(02:59):
on during pregnancy. And so when I have the opportunity
to follow someone through pregnancy and then when they have
a great outcome and they send me pictures of babies,
that that's like really inspirational for me. And I think
the other thing that I really love is seeing our
residents and our students grow and learn and take care
(03:22):
of women and go out and practice independently. And they
make us proud when they go out and start their
careers and develop their careers. So I have lots of
things that I like about work, but I think those
are the two most important.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Absolutely, And this is something I love to ask just
very highly accomplished women because I'm always trying to I'm like,
can I write some of this down?
Speaker 3 (03:45):
What does a day in your life look like?
Speaker 1 (03:47):
Like?
Speaker 3 (03:47):
What time do you wake up to start out with?
Speaker 1 (03:50):
So it depends. If I'm telling the truth, I sleep
into the last possible minute that I can in order
to make it to where I have to go and
get there on time.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
Oh me too, That makes me feel better.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
So I usually get up maybe around six or so,
and then it depends on the day. So a couple
of days a week I see patients. I typically see
patients at our Cobarra's location, so that's a little bit
of a drive for me to get there. But I
really like working in the community. When I came back
to North Carolina, I was recruited to develop the MFM
(04:26):
services in that area for Atrium, and so I have
a connection with that location just because that's where I started.
And so I still see patients there twice a week usually,
and you know, the days can be a little long.
I usually get home around six or seven, and then
my other days I spend doing administrative things, so I'm
on different committees. I do a lot of work around
(04:49):
patient quality and safety. And I'm involved in just developing
our department, making sure our faculty have the things that
they need, making sure our residents are doing the things
that they need to do in our program is supporting them.
So they're just different things that I do during the week,
and that's what makes it interesting, because each day is different,
(05:13):
and that's what I really appreciate.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
You mentioned the work that you do with residents and
everyone on staff in your department. So you were honored
as a finalist for the HRUM Health TLA for an
award for Physician Leader of the Year. So what makes
a great leader in your mind?
Speaker 1 (05:32):
I think that leaders have to be able to be
study and be able to be reassuring, even in times
of turmoil, times of change. We see a lot of
change in healthcare right now. That finalist award came during COVID,
(05:53):
and so I had just assumed the position of chair
of the department and then and COVID happened. And how
were we going to protect our learners, protect ourselves, but
yet still take care of our patients. And what did
COVID mean for pregnancy? You know, all of these things
were so new, and I think being able to lead
(06:16):
through that and to help people know that it was
going to be okay. We were taking care of each
other as well as taking care of patients. I think
that that was really important, and so I think leaders
just have to know that things are changing all the time.
We can't stop that, but help people process that and
help people understand that. You know, a lot of times
(06:38):
changes are good. Sometimes just aren't as good, but you
know they're going to happen anyway. And how did we
adapt and grow from that and continue to do excellent care.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
I gave birth to my first child at the tail
end of the COVID restrictions December twenty twenty one, and
you know, we delivered at the main hospital and you know,
my husband, I think about it and now and really
to the baby that I will be having my husband had.
You know, we're the mask and we couldn't have visitors.
But throughout the entire pregnancy, we did feel incredibly safe,
taken care of. We felt like we had the knowledge
(07:12):
that we needed, and we're very thankful to the entire
ob department for that.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
Was that one of the.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
Biggest challenges you faced as a leader that COVID time.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
I would say, if it was not the biggest, it
breaks up there because at that time there were so
many unknowns and you remember, we didn't have a vaccine available,
and we didn't know you know, it affected people in
different ways, and so some people could get really sick,
and then some people didn't get so sick. And then
(07:44):
we all had patients who were dying and families couldn't
be there. Even in ob we had some really sick
pregnant women, and so it was extremely stressful. And then
wearing you know, mask and in ninety fives and gowned
up and you know, so many things to think about,
and when you wear a mask and you're taking care
(08:06):
of patients, it creates somewhat of a barrier because you
can't see that person's face. I mean, we learned so
much from looking at people's faces, and so that was
really hard. And so and then we had residents who
graduated from medical school and their whole experience was COVID
and that's not a normal experience. So it was a
(08:29):
lot because not only did I have the stress of it,
but I felt the stress of faculty and residence and nurses,
all of our support staff at the hospital and in
the offices, So it was quite challenging. It's kind of
easy to forget, kind of like childbirth. Child birth hard,
and then you forget how hard it was, you know,
(08:51):
a few years later, so you kind of forget how
challenging and hard it was, and unless you really, you know,
stop and think about it.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
Yeah, speaking of childbirth. You're a mom, right, three kids?
Speaker 3 (09:07):
How old are they?
Speaker 1 (09:08):
I have a twenty eight year old daughter. She is
in Washington, D C. She's in law school. And then
I have a twenty three year old son who graduated
from Chapel Hill last year and he's yep, go Tar Hill.
He's in Washington, d C. As well, he's working. He
does computer science. And then I have an eighteen year
(09:30):
old who is graduating. She's also a girl, and she'll
be going to University of Texas at Austin in the
fall to study architecture. So I'll be an empty nester
with my husband in the fall.
Speaker 3 (09:46):
What was it like building your career?
Speaker 1 (09:50):
You know?
Speaker 2 (09:50):
And I know that's a question that men don't get
asked all the time, but what was it like building
your career and also being a mother?
Speaker 1 (09:57):
I have to say it was extremely hard and I
couldn't have done it without my husband, without his support,
and he was there when I couldn't be there. So
my oldest, like I said, is twenty eight. I had
her when I was in medical school, and so then
I started residency and I wasn't home very much, and
(10:17):
so you know, he was kind of like a single
parent during that time. And then our son was born
when I was a third year resident, and again that
was hard, but probably not as hard as when I
had my daughter, because I knew what to expect at
that point. Now was my second baby, but still quite challenging.
(10:38):
And then my third one I had at the end
of my fellowship and so I've spent probably the most
time with her. She got the best end of the deal.
But it really takes a village to take care of kids.
And my husband is not a physician. He is a
school administrator, and his time was you know, he didn't
(10:59):
spend nights in the Hospel, but on things like that,
and so he's just a saint to take care of
our kids when I couldn't. And it's hard when you're
a mom, because you want to be there, You feel
that burden of you know you should be there and
when you have a someone who's supportive that can be
there if you're not, then that makes it easier to
(11:19):
do your job, but certainly a challenge I think for
lots of women to be able to balance your career
and your home life because that sense of wanting to
be a mom being there that never goes away, no
matter you know what you're doing otherwise in your life.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
And how does how has being a mom affected the
way in which you connect with your patients?
Speaker 1 (11:46):
I think that it gives me insight because you know
all the time women. Every week I'll have a woman saying,
you know, I have this pain, I get this shooting
pain here, and it's that norm and I feel like
I can't get out of the bed. And I'm like,
it's all normal. I know what you're talking about. You're
(12:07):
like an old lady trying to get out of the
bed turnover.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
You should see me try to roll over at thirty
weeks pregnant.
Speaker 1 (12:13):
I get it exactly. And you know, to be able
to relate because I've had kids too. It is helpful sometimes.
And that doesn't mean that if you don't have kids,
or if you're a man, that you can't connect with patients.
But when you've had kids, you know, there's just that
bond that happens between women because you share experiences.
Speaker 2 (12:35):
I also want to ask you, as I mentioned at
the beginning, you also conduct research. Where does your passion
for that come from?
Speaker 1 (12:44):
I think?
Speaker 3 (12:45):
Can you tell me a little bit about it?
Speaker 1 (12:46):
Sorry? Yeah, So, for our faculty here, all of us
are sub specialists, with the exception of a few doctors
who are academic journalists. But other than the journalists, all
of us have done fellowships, and so during fellowship research
is part of that training, and so everyone has to
(13:07):
do a research project. You have to defend that research
in front of the board once you're finished, and then
some people choose to continue research throughout their careers. And
so we have some faculty here who are very heavy
into research, and they publish a lot, and they have
lots of inquiry. We have a lot of that going
(13:28):
on in our gnocology oncology department, which is really important
because we want to have the cutting edge treatments for
those types of cancers. As far as myself, I enjoy research.
That's not the primary focus of my career, but I
have been fortunate to participate on different projects. I have
(13:49):
one right now that I've partnered with a PhD from
U n C. And we're studying glycine metabolism in pregnant
women because we know that diet really influences fetal development,
and we're looking at genomes and testing to see if
different people respond to diet in different ways. And so
(14:10):
that is a study that is ongoing for five years,
funded by the NIH. And then we have other projects
going on in our Maternal Fetal Medicine division. We have
a vice share research for the department, and we have
two PhDs that help to support research. And so, like
I said, that hasn't been a primary focus of my career,
(14:31):
but I work a lot to support the faculty here
and then I've been fortunate enough to have a few
things that I do on my own. I think that
asking questions and wanting to understand and elevate the field
is really important.
Speaker 3 (14:45):
I also want to ask you.
Speaker 2 (14:47):
I mean, I feel like I could ask you a
thousand questions about your career because it's so impressive. What
In addition two, as we said, all they can do
in the medical field. I got to I ask you
about the NBA from Wake Forest can you tell me what.
Speaker 3 (15:04):
Drove you to want to go get an MBA.
Speaker 1 (15:07):
Sure. So, when I finished fellowship I already mentioned, we
moved to Texas and I practiced in Texas for several
years and I was in private practice. Well, the first
practice was an academic practice, but it was smaller. There
was a residency program, but certainly much smaller than what
I was used to. And then later on I was
(15:28):
in a private practice with no residents, no learners, and
it helped me to understand the business side of medicine more.
As a medical student, you don't necessarily get exposed to
the financial part. You just know you want to be
a doctor. You want to see patients. And as you
go out into your career you realize how much interaction
you have with administration and who is making decisions. And
(15:53):
you know, here at Atrium we have a dual leadership
model where there's always a physician and then there's an
administrative partner. So in my position, Jennifer Barnhardt is my partner.
She's the AVP for Faculty Women's Services. And so when
(16:13):
I came back to Atrium, and like I said, I
was coming back to build a practice, and it ended
up being pretty successful. And during that time I had
the opportunity to apply and get accepted to wait far
As for their NBA program, and so they have a
campus in downtown Charlotte, and so it was twice a
(16:34):
week going there in the evenings, taking classes, being on
a team, meeting people who there were maybe a couple
other people who were physicians, but mostly business people. And
so I did that because I wanted first to understand
things more from a financial perspective, but then also to
develop leadership skills. So there was a lot of learning
(16:57):
about organizational structure and organizational culture and how to be
a leader and leading from you know, the balcony where
you have to have a view of everything that's going on.
You can't be focused in on just one little area.
And so I learned a lot in those two years.
And so that's why I did that, because I was
(17:18):
interested in understanding medicine from the business aspect, because we
have to run it like a business so that we
stay aflat. We can't just you know, not be concerned
about the finances. So that's why I did that.
Speaker 2 (17:33):
I think those are two Medical school and getting your
NBA are typically the two things that you hear like
the most stressful of grae does. Where did the stress
of getting your MBA rank with medical school.
Speaker 1 (17:46):
I would say it wasn't as stressful I would imagine.
I would say it was stressful in a different way
because I had been out of school for some time,
and when you've been out of school for a while
and then you go back to school, that's always challenging.
And then I was working too, So in medical school,
I was going to school and that was my primary job,
and I was a lot younger, but the material and
(18:08):
the intensity of it in the hours of it were
much more demanding. The NBA was just demanding in a
different way.
Speaker 2 (18:16):
How have you learned over the course of your career?
This is another question I love to ask the women
on this podcast. How have you learned to prioritize what's
important to you? You know, like you said, your week
is different every week. You've obviously gone through a lot
of higher education and working and being a mom, So
how do you prioritize your day, your week, your month.
Speaker 1 (18:38):
That's an interesting question and I don't necessarily have a
straightforward answer. I'm always thinking about the things that I
have to do, so it's always in my mind. I
told you I see patients at Caberras, so I have
about an hour drive up there in an hour home,
so that's time. I also think about what I need
to be doing. I think I'm pretty good at figuring
(19:00):
out what's really important and what's not important, and so
the things that are not important, I let those go.
Some weeks. It might be, you know, this week, I'm
not cooking dinner on this day because I have these
other things going on. And that's okay, right, because you
can't do everything, and when you try to do everything,
(19:21):
you're not doing everything well. So I just really try
to figure out for that day or that week what
is important and then get rid of all the other things.
And the things that are important are you know, patients
coming to work committee, work meetings, and then there are
(19:41):
other things like my daughter had senior night at soccer
last Thursday, so I had to be there, so yeah,
you know, I prioritize around that. So yeah, it just
depends on the week, and sometimes I don't make you know,
the right order priority, but I really try to.
Speaker 2 (19:59):
Yeah, who does makes all the right decisions all the time?
You mentioned cooking. What are some of the things that
you enjoy when you do get a little bit of downtime.
Speaker 1 (20:09):
So cooking it depends. We went to Morocco a few
years ago, and the food in Morocco is amazing, and
so when we came back home, I got a Moroccan cookbook.
I have the pots and all the things that you need,
and so there's some really good recipes in that book.
(20:31):
I love seafood, and there's this really great seafood recipe
in that book that I enjoy making. And then there's
this other dish I make, which is a pot roast,
but it's amazing just because of the spices and everything
that goes into it. So probably those are the two
things that I like to make the most.
Speaker 3 (20:54):
I'm hungry just thinking about.
Speaker 2 (20:57):
Just like when you said pot roast, as I said,
thirty weeks pregnant, but even if I was, when you
said potros I was like, yes, I'm in Invite me
to dinner. How was Morocco? Also, this is a total aside,
but do you recommend going? It's always been on my
bucket list.
Speaker 1 (21:10):
Morocco was incredible. So we went at the end of
twenty nineteen, so and we celebrated New Year's the twenty
twenty New Year, so right before COVID and we went
to Catablanca, and so that's right on the ocean, and
so it's you know, you see the Atlantic Ocean from
a different perspective, and they have horses that are on
(21:31):
the beaches and a lot of people speak English, but
then there are a lot of people who speak French there.
It was a little bit not what I expected, just
because the you know, you're in Africa, but the people
there are more from the Arab descent in the cities.
And so we did make a trip to Marrakesh where
(21:52):
we went out and did some four wheeling and camel
back riding, and then we were able to have lunch
at one of the houses of the Berber people and
so they're like the indigenous people there and that was
really amazing because I mean, the guy he looked like,
you know, one of my relatives when when we saw him.
(22:13):
But it was a great experience, very different from anything
that I had done before, and I would definitely recommend
that people go. I'd like to go back maybe to
some other places in Morocco. But yeah, it was it
was really it was interesting and like I said, the
food was great, well, look.
Speaker 3 (22:31):
Doctor r As I said, I could talk to you
all day.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
You're just so inspiring and I am inspired just talking
to you, and I know that everybody else who's listening
to this will be. But I also know that you
are a very busy woman. So we will wrap it
up here. But I cannot thank you enough for sharing
all of these different facets of your life and your
work and taking this time for us.
Speaker 3 (22:55):
We really really appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (22:57):
Well, thank you so much for having me, and thank
you for this work that you're doing to show what
women are doing around our area. I think that's really important,
and I think you need to be interviewed, so maybe
you know, once you have your baby, somebody can interview
you so you can be highlighted as well. And I
really wish you the best with your baby. Congratulations, that's
(23:18):
so exciting. Thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 3 (23:21):
Thank you
Pregnancy is supposed to be a really happy time, but
sometimes it could be pretty stressful depending on what you
have going on during pregnancy. And so when I had
the opportunity to follow someone through pregnancy and then when
they have a great outcome and they send me pictures
of babies, that's like really inspirational for me.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Welcome to the Inspired Podcast, presented by Atrium Health. This
is a podcast series for Panthers fans where we highlight
admirable women from across the Carolinas as they share stories
and lessons from their lives and careers. I'm Kristin Balboni,
team reporter for the Carolina Panthers, and today my guest
is doctor Nina Connor's chair of the Atrium Health Department
(00:47):
of Obstetrics and Gynecology in the Greater Charlotte Region and
the Spangler Family Endowed Chair. Doctor Connors, thank you so
much for taking the time to talk with us.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
It's great to be here. Thank you for having me.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Okay, and I just have to say this just just
right off the bat. In addition to holding the titles
that we just introduced you with, you also specialize in
maternal fetal medicine, you perform research and you have an
MBA from Wake Forest.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
Is that right?
Speaker 1 (01:15):
Yeah, that's right. So I graduated medical school a while ago,
I won't tell you how long, and then I went
to go to the University of Pennsylvania and then I
did residency in obgyn at Christiana Care Health System, which
is in Delaware, and that's a large, terch hairy care center.
So I had lots of ob experience and I really
(01:38):
loved ob and so I decided to specialize in maternal
field medicine, so I get to take care of hirris
pregnancies and still get to deliver babies. I did my
fellowship at wake Bars and so that's how I got
connected into North Carolina. And after fellowship, I left for
a little bit to go to Texas and practice, but
(01:58):
then I came back here because I love it here
and my family's here. And when I came back, I
decided to do an MBA, which I also did with
wait Bars.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Well, we're glad to have you back. I can say
that on behalf of the house.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
Of Oh yeah, yes, the whole state.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
Women who go to Atrium Health myself included pregnant people.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
We're all happy to have you back, doctor Connors, thank you?
What are yeah?
Speaker 2 (02:28):
I mean, you have so much going on. I just
want to know what are some of your favorite parts
of your job or your jobs? Uh, I should say yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
So I would say that first and foremost a clinician,
So obviously I went to medical school because I like
taking care of patients being a doctor, and I really
love connecting with women. I see lots of patients in
the office and just connecting with them because pregnancy is
supposed to be a really happy time, but sometimes it
could be pretty stressful depending on what you have going
(02:59):
on during pregnancy. And so when I have the opportunity
to follow someone through pregnancy and then when they have
a great outcome and they send me pictures of babies,
that that's like really inspirational for me. And I think
the other thing that I really love is seeing our
residents and our students grow and learn and take care
(03:22):
of women and go out and practice independently. And they
make us proud when they go out and start their
careers and develop their careers. So I have lots of
things that I like about work, but I think those
are the two most important.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Absolutely, And this is something I love to ask just
very highly accomplished women because I'm always trying to I'm like,
can I write some of this down?
Speaker 3 (03:45):
What does a day in your life look like?
Speaker 1 (03:47):
Like?
Speaker 3 (03:47):
What time do you wake up to start out with?
Speaker 1 (03:50):
So it depends. If I'm telling the truth, I sleep
into the last possible minute that I can in order
to make it to where I have to go and
get there on time.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
Oh me too, That makes me feel better.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
So I usually get up maybe around six or so,
and then it depends on the day. So a couple
of days a week I see patients. I typically see
patients at our Cobarra's location, so that's a little bit
of a drive for me to get there. But I
really like working in the community. When I came back
to North Carolina, I was recruited to develop the MFM
(04:26):
services in that area for Atrium, and so I have
a connection with that location just because that's where I started.
And so I still see patients there twice a week usually,
and you know, the days can be a little long.
I usually get home around six or seven, and then
my other days I spend doing administrative things, so I'm
on different committees. I do a lot of work around
(04:49):
patient quality and safety. And I'm involved in just developing
our department, making sure our faculty have the things that
they need, making sure our residents are doing the things
that they need to do in our program is supporting them.
So they're just different things that I do during the week,
and that's what makes it interesting, because each day is different,
(05:13):
and that's what I really appreciate.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
You mentioned the work that you do with residents and
everyone on staff in your department. So you were honored
as a finalist for the HRUM Health TLA for an
award for Physician Leader of the Year. So what makes
a great leader in your mind?
Speaker 1 (05:32):
I think that leaders have to be able to be
study and be able to be reassuring, even in times
of turmoil, times of change. We see a lot of
change in healthcare right now. That finalist award came during COVID,
(05:53):
and so I had just assumed the position of chair
of the department and then and COVID happened. And how
were we going to protect our learners, protect ourselves, but
yet still take care of our patients. And what did
COVID mean for pregnancy? You know, all of these things
were so new, and I think being able to lead
(06:16):
through that and to help people know that it was
going to be okay. We were taking care of each
other as well as taking care of patients. I think
that that was really important, and so I think leaders
just have to know that things are changing all the time.
We can't stop that, but help people process that and
help people understand that. You know, a lot of times
(06:38):
changes are good. Sometimes just aren't as good, but you
know they're going to happen anyway. And how did we
adapt and grow from that and continue to do excellent care.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
I gave birth to my first child at the tail
end of the COVID restrictions December twenty twenty one, and
you know, we delivered at the main hospital and you know,
my husband, I think about it and now and really
to the baby that I will be having my husband had.
You know, we're the mask and we couldn't have visitors.
But throughout the entire pregnancy, we did feel incredibly safe,
taken care of. We felt like we had the knowledge
(07:12):
that we needed, and we're very thankful to the entire
ob department for that.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
Was that one of the.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
Biggest challenges you faced as a leader that COVID time.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
I would say, if it was not the biggest, it
breaks up there because at that time there were so
many unknowns and you remember, we didn't have a vaccine available,
and we didn't know you know, it affected people in
different ways, and so some people could get really sick,
and then some people didn't get so sick. And then
(07:44):
we all had patients who were dying and families couldn't
be there. Even in ob we had some really sick
pregnant women, and so it was extremely stressful. And then
wearing you know, mask and in ninety fives and gowned
up and you know, so many things to think about,
and when you wear a mask and you're taking care
(08:06):
of patients, it creates somewhat of a barrier because you
can't see that person's face. I mean, we learned so
much from looking at people's faces, and so that was
really hard. And so and then we had residents who
graduated from medical school and their whole experience was COVID
and that's not a normal experience. So it was a
(08:29):
lot because not only did I have the stress of it,
but I felt the stress of faculty and residence and nurses,
all of our support staff at the hospital and in
the offices, So it was quite challenging. It's kind of
easy to forget, kind of like childbirth. Child birth hard,
and then you forget how hard it was, you know,
(08:51):
a few years later, so you kind of forget how
challenging and hard it was, and unless you really, you know,
stop and think about it.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
Yeah, speaking of childbirth. You're a mom, right, three kids?
Speaker 3 (09:07):
How old are they?
Speaker 1 (09:08):
I have a twenty eight year old daughter. She is
in Washington, D C. She's in law school. And then
I have a twenty three year old son who graduated
from Chapel Hill last year and he's yep, go Tar Hill.
He's in Washington, d C. As well, he's working. He
does computer science. And then I have an eighteen year
(09:30):
old who is graduating. She's also a girl, and she'll
be going to University of Texas at Austin in the
fall to study architecture. So I'll be an empty nester
with my husband in the fall.
Speaker 3 (09:46):
What was it like building your career?
Speaker 1 (09:50):
You know?
Speaker 2 (09:50):
And I know that's a question that men don't get
asked all the time, but what was it like building
your career and also being a mother?
Speaker 1 (09:57):
I have to say it was extremely hard and I
couldn't have done it without my husband, without his support,
and he was there when I couldn't be there. So
my oldest, like I said, is twenty eight. I had
her when I was in medical school, and so then
I started residency and I wasn't home very much, and
(10:17):
so you know, he was kind of like a single
parent during that time. And then our son was born
when I was a third year resident, and again that
was hard, but probably not as hard as when I
had my daughter, because I knew what to expect at
that point. Now was my second baby, but still quite challenging.
(10:38):
And then my third one I had at the end
of my fellowship and so I've spent probably the most
time with her. She got the best end of the deal.
But it really takes a village to take care of kids.
And my husband is not a physician. He is a
school administrator, and his time was you know, he didn't
(10:59):
spend nights in the Hospel, but on things like that,
and so he's just a saint to take care of
our kids when I couldn't. And it's hard when you're
a mom, because you want to be there, You feel
that burden of you know you should be there and
when you have a someone who's supportive that can be
there if you're not, then that makes it easier to
(11:19):
do your job, but certainly a challenge I think for
lots of women to be able to balance your career
and your home life because that sense of wanting to
be a mom being there that never goes away, no
matter you know what you're doing otherwise in your life.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
And how does how has being a mom affected the
way in which you connect with your patients?
Speaker 1 (11:46):
I think that it gives me insight because you know
all the time women. Every week I'll have a woman saying,
you know, I have this pain, I get this shooting
pain here, and it's that norm and I feel like
I can't get out of the bed. And I'm like,
it's all normal. I know what you're talking about. You're
(12:07):
like an old lady trying to get out of the
bed turnover.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
You should see me try to roll over at thirty
weeks pregnant.
Speaker 1 (12:13):
I get it exactly. And you know, to be able
to relate because I've had kids too. It is helpful sometimes.
And that doesn't mean that if you don't have kids,
or if you're a man, that you can't connect with patients.
But when you've had kids, you know, there's just that
bond that happens between women because you share experiences.
Speaker 2 (12:35):
I also want to ask you, as I mentioned at
the beginning, you also conduct research. Where does your passion
for that come from?
Speaker 1 (12:44):
I think?
Speaker 3 (12:45):
Can you tell me a little bit about it?
Speaker 1 (12:46):
Sorry? Yeah, So, for our faculty here, all of us
are sub specialists, with the exception of a few doctors
who are academic journalists. But other than the journalists, all
of us have done fellowships, and so during fellowship research
is part of that training, and so everyone has to
(13:07):
do a research project. You have to defend that research
in front of the board once you're finished, and then
some people choose to continue research throughout their careers. And
so we have some faculty here who are very heavy
into research, and they publish a lot, and they have
lots of inquiry. We have a lot of that going
(13:28):
on in our gnocology oncology department, which is really important
because we want to have the cutting edge treatments for
those types of cancers. As far as myself, I enjoy research.
That's not the primary focus of my career, but I
have been fortunate to participate on different projects. I have
(13:49):
one right now that I've partnered with a PhD from
U n C. And we're studying glycine metabolism in pregnant
women because we know that diet really influences fetal development,
and we're looking at genomes and testing to see if
different people respond to diet in different ways. And so
(14:10):
that is a study that is ongoing for five years,
funded by the NIH. And then we have other projects
going on in our Maternal Fetal Medicine division. We have
a vice share research for the department, and we have
two PhDs that help to support research. And so, like
I said, that hasn't been a primary focus of my career,
(14:31):
but I work a lot to support the faculty here
and then I've been fortunate enough to have a few
things that I do on my own. I think that
asking questions and wanting to understand and elevate the field
is really important.
Speaker 3 (14:45):
I also want to ask you.
Speaker 2 (14:47):
I mean, I feel like I could ask you a
thousand questions about your career because it's so impressive. What
In addition two, as we said, all they can do
in the medical field. I got to I ask you
about the NBA from Wake Forest can you tell me what.
Speaker 3 (15:04):
Drove you to want to go get an MBA.
Speaker 1 (15:07):
Sure. So, when I finished fellowship I already mentioned, we
moved to Texas and I practiced in Texas for several
years and I was in private practice. Well, the first
practice was an academic practice, but it was smaller. There
was a residency program, but certainly much smaller than what
I was used to. And then later on I was
(15:28):
in a private practice with no residents, no learners, and
it helped me to understand the business side of medicine more.
As a medical student, you don't necessarily get exposed to
the financial part. You just know you want to be
a doctor. You want to see patients. And as you
go out into your career you realize how much interaction
you have with administration and who is making decisions. And
(15:53):
you know, here at Atrium we have a dual leadership
model where there's always a physician and then there's an
administrative partner. So in my position, Jennifer Barnhardt is my partner.
She's the AVP for Faculty Women's Services. And so when
(16:13):
I came back to Atrium, and like I said, I
was coming back to build a practice, and it ended
up being pretty successful. And during that time I had
the opportunity to apply and get accepted to wait far
As for their NBA program, and so they have a
campus in downtown Charlotte, and so it was twice a
(16:34):
week going there in the evenings, taking classes, being on
a team, meeting people who there were maybe a couple
other people who were physicians, but mostly business people. And
so I did that because I wanted first to understand
things more from a financial perspective, but then also to
develop leadership skills. So there was a lot of learning
(16:57):
about organizational structure and organizational culture and how to be
a leader and leading from you know, the balcony where
you have to have a view of everything that's going on.
You can't be focused in on just one little area.
And so I learned a lot in those two years.
And so that's why I did that, because I was
(17:18):
interested in understanding medicine from the business aspect, because we
have to run it like a business so that we
stay aflat. We can't just you know, not be concerned
about the finances. So that's why I did that.
Speaker 2 (17:33):
I think those are two Medical school and getting your
NBA are typically the two things that you hear like
the most stressful of grae does. Where did the stress
of getting your MBA rank with medical school.
Speaker 1 (17:46):
I would say it wasn't as stressful I would imagine.
I would say it was stressful in a different way
because I had been out of school for some time,
and when you've been out of school for a while
and then you go back to school, that's always challenging.
And then I was working too, So in medical school,
I was going to school and that was my primary job,
and I was a lot younger, but the material and
(18:08):
the intensity of it in the hours of it were
much more demanding. The NBA was just demanding in a
different way.
Speaker 2 (18:16):
How have you learned over the course of your career?
This is another question I love to ask the women
on this podcast. How have you learned to prioritize what's
important to you? You know, like you said, your week
is different every week. You've obviously gone through a lot
of higher education and working and being a mom, So
how do you prioritize your day, your week, your month.
Speaker 1 (18:38):
That's an interesting question and I don't necessarily have a
straightforward answer. I'm always thinking about the things that I
have to do, so it's always in my mind. I
told you I see patients at Caberras, so I have
about an hour drive up there in an hour home,
so that's time. I also think about what I need
to be doing. I think I'm pretty good at figuring
(19:00):
out what's really important and what's not important, and so
the things that are not important, I let those go.
Some weeks. It might be, you know, this week, I'm
not cooking dinner on this day because I have these
other things going on. And that's okay, right, because you
can't do everything, and when you try to do everything,
(19:21):
you're not doing everything well. So I just really try
to figure out for that day or that week what
is important and then get rid of all the other things.
And the things that are important are you know, patients
coming to work committee, work meetings, and then there are
(19:41):
other things like my daughter had senior night at soccer
last Thursday, so I had to be there, so yeah,
you know, I prioritize around that. So yeah, it just
depends on the week, and sometimes I don't make you know,
the right order priority, but I really try to.
Speaker 2 (19:59):
Yeah, who does makes all the right decisions all the time?
You mentioned cooking. What are some of the things that
you enjoy when you do get a little bit of downtime.
Speaker 1 (20:09):
So cooking it depends. We went to Morocco a few
years ago, and the food in Morocco is amazing, and
so when we came back home, I got a Moroccan cookbook.
I have the pots and all the things that you need,
and so there's some really good recipes in that book.
(20:31):
I love seafood, and there's this really great seafood recipe
in that book that I enjoy making. And then there's
this other dish I make, which is a pot roast,
but it's amazing just because of the spices and everything
that goes into it. So probably those are the two
things that I like to make the most.
Speaker 3 (20:54):
I'm hungry just thinking about.
Speaker 2 (20:57):
Just like when you said pot roast, as I said,
thirty weeks pregnant, but even if I was, when you
said potros I was like, yes, I'm in Invite me
to dinner. How was Morocco? Also, this is a total aside,
but do you recommend going? It's always been on my
bucket list.
Speaker 1 (21:10):
Morocco was incredible. So we went at the end of
twenty nineteen, so and we celebrated New Year's the twenty
twenty New Year, so right before COVID and we went
to Catablanca, and so that's right on the ocean, and
so it's you know, you see the Atlantic Ocean from
a different perspective, and they have horses that are on
(21:31):
the beaches and a lot of people speak English, but
then there are a lot of people who speak French there.
It was a little bit not what I expected, just
because the you know, you're in Africa, but the people
there are more from the Arab descent in the cities.
And so we did make a trip to Marrakesh where
(21:52):
we went out and did some four wheeling and camel
back riding, and then we were able to have lunch
at one of the houses of the Berber people and
so they're like the indigenous people there and that was
really amazing because I mean, the guy he looked like,
you know, one of my relatives when when we saw him.
(22:13):
But it was a great experience, very different from anything
that I had done before, and I would definitely recommend
that people go. I'd like to go back maybe to
some other places in Morocco. But yeah, it was it
was really it was interesting and like I said, the
food was great, well, look.
Speaker 3 (22:31):
Doctor r As I said, I could talk to you
all day.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
You're just so inspiring and I am inspired just talking
to you, and I know that everybody else who's listening
to this will be. But I also know that you
are a very busy woman. So we will wrap it
up here. But I cannot thank you enough for sharing
all of these different facets of your life and your
work and taking this time for us.
Speaker 3 (22:55):
We really really appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (22:57):
Well, thank you so much for having me, and thank
you for this work that you're doing to show what
women are doing around our area. I think that's really important,
and I think you need to be interviewed, so maybe
you know, once you have your baby, somebody can interview
you so you can be highlighted as well. And I
really wish you the best with your baby. Congratulations, that's
(23:18):
so exciting. Thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 3 (23:21):
Thank you
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