About Me
I entered medical school knowing exactly what I would do. I wanted to become a surgeon, just like my Idaho neighbor and good friend, Dr. Richard Neher. But a chance meeting changed my course and led me to pathology instead. I love the practice of pathology because I get to solve the mystery of the diagnosis for every single one of my patients.
How I Got Here
I grew up in Flagstaff, Arizona and Sandpoint, Idaho before heading east for college. I earned my bachelor’s degree in chemistry at Bryn Mawr College. My medical training is from the University of Pennsylvania, where I received a combined degree of Medical Doctorate and a Master’s in Education (MD, MEd).
My career changing chance meeting was with pathologist Dr. Leslie Litzky, who sat next to me at a Women in Medicine dinner at Penn. The interest she sparked in me led to my residency in anatomic pathology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, followed by a fellowship in Molecular Genetic Pathology.
I’ve held academic, clinical and leadership/administrative positions at the University of Pittsburgh, the Cleveland Clinic, and Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School. I moved south in 2011 to accept the Chair of Pathology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences where I served until 2020. At UAMS, I also held the roles of Chief of Staff, Medical Executive Committee Chair, and Credentials Committee Chair. In the summer of 2020, I moved to the University of Florida in Gainesville, where I became the Chair of Pathology, Immunology, and Laboratory Medicine.
Leadership In Action
Active nationally and internationally in pathology organizations, I recently finished a 6-year term as an elected member of the Board of Governors for the College of American Pathologists. I previously served as a council member for the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology and as the President of the Association for Molecular Pathology (2013).
Leading The Next Generation
As I have moved through various management roles, I have been struck by the importance of having strong leadership skills, in addition to the requisite diagnostic capabilities. In recent years, I have become certified as an Executive Leadership Coach (Associate Certified Coach) with the International Coach Federation. I am certified as a Neurolinguistic Programming Practitioner, an EQ-i and ESCI assessor for emotional intelligence and as a group coach. A lot of my coaching focuses on aspiring, emerging and current leaders in healthcare and medicine. I also have specialty expertise in both impostor syndrome and coaching physicians with professionalism concerns.
I love teaching and speaking, especially about the gender leadership gap, impostor syndrome, and leadership development. The pandemic has made almost everything virtual, but that doesn’t stop me from delivering interactive and exciting talks.
When I’m Not At Work
My interests outside of work are diverse. I am the proud mother of three kids who are all competitive swimmers. I am a certified USA swimming official, even though I am a terrible swimmer! I used to coach Crossfit, am a certified level 2 Reiki practitioner, and do a lot of activities related to mindfulness, including knitting and sewing.
Where to Find Me Publicly
I’m active on social media. You can find me on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. I’m half-hearted on SnapChat and Instagram, so the only time you’ll see me there is when one of my kids borrows my phone to like one of their own pictures.
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