Monthly Archives: March 2015

International Women’s Day: A tribute to my friends and colleagues

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March 8, 2015 is International Women’s Day.  The theme is “Make It Happen.” The women I have had the pleasure to know have always made it happen.  I want to highlight my many female physician colleagues.  They are from every medical specialty.  We all went to very different medical schools but our paths were similar.  They are in leadership positions or just stepping down and entering into a new career phase.  They are finally enjoying grandchildren, caring for aged parents or just taking the time to enjoy life. It is hard to believe I have known them all for over 25 years.  Over this year, I will profile some of these remarkable female physicians,

They have been role models for a generation of women.  Dr. M, a pediatrician, who I have known since I was a resident, is now caring for the children and even grandchildren  of many of her patients in a practice that is still  in her home.  Her place in the community has allowed her to be a physician, mother, friend, and teacher.

Dr. P, I met when I was rotating at the now closed children’s hospital. It was an inner city hospital that was on the forefront in the care of children life-threatening illnesses and the pediatric AIDS epidemic.  She is an Adolescent Medicine Specialist and book author.  The Adolescent Clinic provided primary care for teens specializing in AIDS care. She was a successful grant writer and many times was juggling multiple budgets successfully and writing research papers to keep the funding stream coming.

Dr. D was the first person to make sure I was welcomed when I joined my residency. She also stood up for me. She is the smartest person I know.  She went back to medical school at age 40. Her father was the first African-American physician allowed on staff at the hospital where we were training.  He was so proud the day she joined his practice.  It was a solo –practice in the home she grew up in.  She still has a practice there.  I have such pride in her resiliency.

Another colleague, Dr. C, from our residency just sold her practice to a large group.  Her practice was the first practice owned by an African-American female acquired by this large group.  Her goal was to have a successful practice and she wanted to integrate other like practices but many doctors did not share her vision.  She has a holistic approach to patient care. She did not give up but held onto her goal when she was working long hours.  Now her practice is expanding and not dying from the inability to recruit new physicians.  She is planning to get an MBA and continue to be a force of change.

The first few days of medical school would have been overwhelming but I was fortunate enough to meet Dr. V.  She has been my friend for over 30 years.  She is a dynamic person and an excellent physician.  She has a holistic approach to care and is fearless. She is now in transition by still fearless.  I am in awe of her courage to take a new direction in medical care.

So many of the women physicians I know are caring physicians, mothers, and wives; make significant contributions to the medical field and their communities.  We run and walk miles for all causes from breast cancer to heart disease.  We lecture in the community at schools and churches and spend hours volunteering for our professional and social organizations.

One of my male colleagues once said “the best thing that happened to medicine was when we made it easier for women to join the profession.”  Woman all over the world are making a difference and many at the risk of their lives.  I am inspired by each one of them and  honor their courage, persistence and dedication.

Caring for Patients: African American Women and our Hair

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There was a firestorm over remarks made when a young star Zendaya showed up with thick braids on the red carpet.  She was beautiful but a fashion critic made a thoughtless comment about her Locs.   Lupita Nyong’o and Viola Davis wore natural styles and the Selma director Ava DuVarney wore Locs.

Over the years, I made my own transition from the hot-combed hair of my teen years to the permed hair of my 20’s to 30’s to the transition to my natural hair in 1994. The freedom to start thinking about exercise and worry less about my hair allowed me to run and sweat.

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I have treated my share of what I call “hair catastrophes.” They were due to the common things we black women do to our hair every day.  Burns caused by dropped hot combs and slipped curling irons were serious.  They healed but left scars.  Chemical burns from lye-based and non-lye permanent kits were the most distressing.  The temporary hair loss was heart-breaking for the patient.  Even Oprah Winfrey was a victim.  In the debut of the  first show she is sporting an Afro.  I remember that show. She has talked openly about what happened.

Hair braiding caused hair loss in young girls.  This was caused by pulling the braids too tightly to make a neat row but pulled on the root of the hair so the hairline receded.  This is called Traction  Alopecia. Some women also got severe scalp reaction to the hair used in extension for braids.  It affects the scalp and the face.  I experienced this condition with my braids.  Since that experience, I refuse to add any natural or synthetic hair that isn’t mine to my head.

Hair weaving also has its problems.  If not done correctly, a woman’s own hair can be damaged. Usually corn rowing and adding the hair is the best method.  It has to be cared for by a professional to prevent fungal or bacterial infections of the scalp.

Women also lose hair due to autoimmune diseases.  Patchy hair loss on the scalp or total hair loss from the scalp and body is distressing.  One patient thought she was allergic to her weave but with the help of the dermatologist, we diagnosed Alopecia Universalis.  Alopecia Totalis is hair loss from the scalp alone. This was not the case for her when we noted loss of eyebrows, pubic hair, axillary and hair from the arms and legs.

After menopause, many African-American women develop Alopecia Areata.  This is the same hair loss pattern men develop.  You either wear a wig or just go natural.  The women in my family who have this condition wear wigs.

The debate this week was much-needed.  Everyone weighed in from Solange to Michaela Angela Davis.  The point is that from now on you will see more natural hair because more women of color are breaking barriers and feel free to display non-permed, non-weaved, and non-wigged hair. You will see short afros , natural curls and locs, This is an important change because we are redefining how we talk about beauty especially on the “Red Carpet.” Now, it has to translate into movies and TV. Thanks to Viola Davis in How to Get Away with Murder and  Tracee Ellis Ross in Blackish we are seeing a breakthrough. Lupita Nyong’o in those Lancôme ads is ground-breaking for all women of color all around the world..  As a physician, it is important because of the medical implications.