What was your first job ? My first paid job ( aside from babysitting ) was as a waitress in an all-night diner . I learned how to work the night shift and provide customer service . This ended up preparing me for a career in midwifery and obstetrics and gynecology .

What did you want to be when you grew up ? I wanted to be an architect or a statistician , and I never thought I would have a career in medicine because , ironically , I didn ’ t think I ’ d be able to handle the blood .

Was there a specific moment when you knew you wanted to pursue medicine ? It wasn ’ t until college , when I had the epiphany that I wanted to deliver babies .

I knew I wanted to work with my hands , but I grew up in an era when women were excluded from these types of careers . In high school , for instance , I wanted to learn carpentry , so I signed up for woodshop ; the school put me in home economics instead .

Both of my parents were teachers , so they thought I should become a teacher . I was good at math , so becoming a math teacher seemed like the natural path . But after a few weeks in college , I found that I couldn ’ t figure out how I was going to help people by being a math teacher . I asked that question of my adviser , and he didn ’ t have any ideas either .

I reflected on what type of career was available to me where I could do two things I knew I enjoyed : work with my hands and take care of people . I concluded that I could deliver babies . But even when I talked to my family about possibly going into medicine , they said , “ That ’ s no career for a woman .”

Then , a public health nurse I

met urged me to talk to the head of the nursing program at Johns Hopkins University , Helen McNerney , RN , MSN . She outlined how I could have a career in nursing and train to be a nurse-midwife , and I credit her with starting me on my path .

What eventually brought you to hematology ? It ’ s a screwy journey : My first job out of college was as a public health nurse . Then I went to graduate school , trained as a nurse-midwife , and completed my master ’ s in public health at Johns Hopkins University . After that , I practiced nurse-midwifery for 12 years before I went to medical school .

I decided to start medical school because I had patients whose medical needs I couldn ’ t manage as a nurse-midwife , including some who had massive hemorrhages and one who died of a coagulation disorder .

I trained as an obstetriciangynecologist at the University of North Carolina , a center of excellence in hemostasis . I was inspired by Gilbert White , MD , and the late Harold Roberts , MD , who showed me that treatment of coagulation defects was not only possible , but potentially lifesaving .

When I went to Duke University for my fellowship in maternal-fetal medicine , my plan was to research diabetes during pregnancy . After a disappointing experience with my first mentor , I talked with my fellowship director about switching specialties . I told him I was interested in coagulation and was connected with Russell Ware , MD , PhD , in the Division of Pediatric Hematology . Dr . Ware was my mentor through my fellowship and took me to my first ASH annual meeting . Like Ms . McNerney , Dr . Ware is another person to whom I owe my career .

What happened in that first mentorship experience that prompted you to switch your research focus ? At my first meeting with this prospective mentor , he asked me about my ideas . When I told him , he said they were ridiculous . Here I was , a brand-new fellow , absolutely humiliated . I knew I couldn ’ t work with him . He set a good example of what not to do as a mentor .

I had the complete opposite experience when I met with Dr . Ware . He asked pointed questions and clearly had high expectations of his mentees ; he was prepared to be a mentor .

After all that training , my first job was as a member of the maternal-fetal medicine faculty at Duke , where I have enjoyed the support of the Division Director of Maternal-Fetal Medicine , Robert Phillips Heine , MD , and the Division Director of Hematology , Thomas Ortel , MD .

What is the most meaningful advice you received as a trainee ? I was told , “ Your job in academic medicine is to write .” In other words , for the benefit of patients and colleagues , I need to transmit ideas through grants , papers , books , letters , or whatever – just to disseminate the information as widely as possible .

As someone who thought her job was to work with her hands and care for patients , hearing that didn ’ t immediately resonate with me . Eventually , I took it to heart and it changed my career . I became much more productive academically .

Looking back at your career , what has been your biggest accomplishment ? I am proud to be one of the co-founders , along with Barbara Konkle , MD , and

Dr . James , at left , with a William Tecumseh Sherman re-enactor at Bennett Place in Durham , NC , where she served as a docent and tour guide .

Roshni Kulkarni , MD , of the Foundation for Women & Girls with Blood Disorders . Since 2010 , the Foundation has been an opportunity for us to educate health-care providers about this unique patient population and their needs at every stage of life . We have focused primarily on raising awareness about hematologic issues among obstetrician-gynecologists and about reproductive issues among hematologists .

We were compelled to start the Foundation after noticing the knowledge gaps in the care of women and girls with blood disorders . There are so many patients whose medical needs overlap