Success in work-life balance is a process, not a straightforward path. Don’t be hard on yourself about the inevitable trade-offs that you’ll have to make juggling work and family. On the flip side, we are also able to understand and support each other in unique ways. I’m married to another surgeon, so balancing both of our schedules can be extremely difficult. There’s never a right time or a right way to have a family. Q: What advice do you have for women who want to excel both in their career and have a family? I find that patients appreciate the level of openness and honesty in our conversations because I am a woman. Breast cancer can affect your body image, your sexual health and your quality of life. Especially among my breast cancer patients, many patients feel more comfortable seeing a female provider. I think my experience as a woman, a daughter, a wife, and a mother helps me relate to my patients in a unique and special way. Q: How does being a woman in a male-dominated field impact your relationships with your patients? Having the opportunity to be in both roles part-time is very special and rewarding-each role enriches the other and the combination allows me some flexibility to juggle my role as a wife and mother. I also conduct health disparities research at RAND Corporation. I’ve found a significant sense of purpose with Adventist Health White Memorial.
Now as a physician, I have the opportunity to be in the community and improve access to care for women who have breast cancer and need reconstruction. During this time, I got married, had my two wonderful children, and became passionate about research regarding health disparities. My pathway was particularly unique because I took a leave from clinical training in the middle of residency to pursue a PhD in Health Policy and Management. Q: What was your journey to becoming a surgeon like?īecoming a plastic surgeon is a very long training pathway. Squitieri to learn more about her practice, her journey to becoming a physician, and what it’s like being a woman in a traditionally male-dominated field of medicine. She holds a doctorate in Health Policy and Management and also conducts research at RAND Corporation to improve access to care among underserved patients.
Squitieri is at the frontlines of providing high-quality plastic and reconstructive surgery services. Nearly 90% of all plastic surgery patients are female-yet only 14% of physicians in the American Society of Plastic Surgery are women. We interviewed Lee Squitieri, MD, plastic surgeon with Adventist Health White Memorial, to show just one example of the incredible work women are doing in healthcare. Lee Squitieri Mind, Show on Corporate HomeĬelebrated globally for the first time on March 8, 1975, International Women’s Day invites us to recognize the achievements of women.
Celebrating International Women’s Day with Dr.