I think that it was when I worked at a battered women's shelter back in college that I realized how passionate I was about women's health and empowerment. I am certain that it contributed to the reason why I became an Obstetrician Gynaecologist.
I love my profession because I can be relevant and helpful to a person at almost every stage of their lives. I can fix problems not only with my knowledge but with my words and with my hands.
My profession has also afforded me a front row seat to the horrors caused by patriarchy, misogyny, lack of health literacy and systemic racism. I have been able to see how the success of individuals, societies and whole communities are handicapped when the women are oppressed.
It has been an honor and a pleasure to provide education to women and girls in my clinic, in the hospital, at group homes, school camps, or simply as a friend or relative. One of the favorite parts of my day are those moments where I see the look of relief come over a person's face when they realize that they were worried about something they didn't need to be, or the emotion that comes over them when their concerns are finally being validated after months or years of essentially being told to suck it up. I want my patients to accept that their discomforts are worth being addressed and they have a right to a healthy and fulfilling life, being comfortable in their bodies. I want women to see their body as not only valuable in regards to what it can do for other people.
I want my patients educated because they can't identify what is abnormal if they don't understand what is normal, and normal is a spectrum, with every body beautiful and unique.
It's been fun and rewarding getting to help people in the public as well as private sector here in New Zealand. I enjoy the challenge of navigating between multiple cultures and belief systems and championing good medical care while adjusting for those different preconceptions. I have also been able to work toward advancing the protection of reproductive justice here in NZ by joining the leadership team of an organization here.
One of my professional mission statements is that as an obstetrician gynaecologist, I am to empower women by educating them about their bodies as well as advocate for the improvement of women's health. I seek to educate and inspire in all of my patient interactions. When I started private practice and chose to incorporate a business, it was an obvious choice what I was going to call it.
Although I took a much-needed break from social media, I decided to come back in a different capacity. I started a business instagram page that I will use to continue fulfilling my mission. I don't plan on interacting with certain platforms the way I used to, but I recognize that they can be used for good and I've decided to embrace that.
While I would love for it to result in more patients coming to see me in person, I hope that women and girls, those with the capacity for pregnancy, intersex individuals, anyone with body parts that fall under my expertise, will be able to benefit from the information I plan to share, regardless of where they are in the world. After leaving the US, I felt liberated to truly act as a global citizen and that is very important to me.
I welcome anyone who would benefit from having easy access to reliable, evidenced based information for yourself or your children to check out my page. Remember too, that not only women should be well versed in women's reproductive and sexual health. Boys and men need this information as well. It keeps them safer too.
