Kendra(Aminata) & Hailey: What are three essential things that teens/tweens should keep in mind if they want to pursue a career in medicine?
Dr.Heller: 1) College and medical school are NOTHING like middle school or high school. 2)Many people are going to tell you that YOU cannot be a physician. That you should lower your expectations and goals. Understand that has NOTHING to do with you, and everything to do with the fears and disappointments of those who said that to you. If you know that being a physician is your goal, then go for it. 3)Listen to those who have gone before. Look for undergraduate programs that will actively encourage your success. I always recommend HBCUs for the undergraduate degree/medical degree, especially if you are coming from a white majority school system. HBCUs are going to demand the best from you, while also reinforcing your brilliance, without subjecting you to continued racism and gaslighting.
Kendra(Aminata) & Hailey: How did you determine your area of specialty while in Medical School?
Dr.Heller: I knew I wanted to be an OB/GYN at the age of three. Medical school just reaffirmed that being an OB/GYN was my calling.
Kendra(Aminata) & Hailey: What is one of your favorite things about being a doctor?
Dr. Heller: Too many things to list!!! First and foremost, I love being able to advocate for women. Hard stop. As a woman, and woman physician, I am in a space where I can personally make sure my patients are HEARD. Our pain, our fears, etc are STILL being ignored. My position as a Black female physician in a space with so few of us, opens the door to opportunities where my voice is valued, especially in this post-George Floyd atmosphere.
Kendra(Aminata) & Hailey: How does it feel to be an underrepresented minority in the medical field, and what challenges did you have to overcome along the way?
Dr.Heller: It is exhausting. There are too many challenges to list, from being gaslit and discouraged by teachers as early as first grade, to being told I am the wrong color to be in a specific residency program, to the day-to-day challenges of being an unapologetic Black body in a space not created for me. What is important is that many of us in these spaces have overcome similar obstacles, while being made to feel that we are alone. We are not, and now we have a method to share, not only our stories of woe, but strategies of how to overcome and thrive. Social media was not made for Black or Brown people, but we are using it to connect with each other, and lift each other up. We are engaging with each other and learning how to become the gatekeepers, opening up opportunities for those coming up behind us.
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