Pulling Back the Curtain: Allison Rosenthal, DO
and research on behalf of adolescents and
young adults with cancer.
Its founder, Andrew McMahon, was
diagnosed with leukemia shortly before
me, and we met as young adult patients.
Often, cancer is thought of as something
that happens to older people, but it’s a
completely different experience for a
24-year-old. There isn’t much recogni-
tion of the unique challenges faced by
younger people with cancer. I am pas-
sionate about the foundation’s programs
and I think this important segment of the
population deserves time and attention,
so I’m happy to devote some of my off
hours to that project.
My family and I also are involved
with a dog rescue organization in Texas,
so I have a couple of English bulldog
rescues, Pretty Boy Floyd and Ruby Mae,
who might as well be my children. They
are quirky and require a lot of atten-
tion, but they bring so much joy to my
life. They brighten my day and make me
laugh.
I’m also close to my two younger
sisters. We don’t live near each other
anymore, but I try to spend as much time
with them as I can. Honestly, my biggest pet peeve
is laziness. That might not be the
right word for it, but the people I
work with know that I expect ex-
cellence. If you say you’re going to
do something, do it and do it well.
Don’t do it just to cross it off your
list, creating work for other people.
I demand excellence from myself,
and I think others should be held
to the same standard.
On the subject of “pets,” what is
your biggest pet peeve? What person from history would
you like to have dinner with, and
What’s one thing people
would be surprised to learn
about you?
There are some embarrassing
remnants from my former life
as a gymnast that people might
be shocked to come across. For
example, there is a life-size repre-
sentation of me in a leotard on the
side of a cement truck in Utah.
A local company decided to sup-
port the athletic programs at Utah
State University, so, as part of our
media program, my likeness and that of
one of our football players (who wound
up playing for 7 years in the NFL) ended
up on the side of a cement truck.
Dr. Rosenthal’s bulldog rescues, Pretty Boy Floyd (left) and Ruby Mae (right).
what would you ask?
Some people might answer Mother
Teresa or another inspiring historical
figure. Honestly, the first person that
came to my mind was Chris Farley. He’s
one of my favorite comedians of all time.
I’ve watched his movies several times
and, given the seriousness and stresses
that make up a big part of my day, I think
he would be a great dinner companion.
I expect that I would be laughing until I
cried, and there’s no better feeling than
laughing so hard that your face hurts.
That doesn’t happen often enough. ●
Explore Simulated CML Cases
and Manage Treatment Options
NEW high-quality online learning opportunity
Access FREE CML Interactive Patient Cases: An Immersive Simulated Learning FACULTY
Experience to improve your understanding of CML management and overall care of Jessica Altman, MD
Northwestern University, Chicago, IL
patients. These two case studies allow health care professionals like you to simulate
a medical case history and measure the outcomes of any decisions including risk,
Jorge Cortes, MD
M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
discomfort, clinical benefit, and overall patient satisfaction. Elizabeth Hexner, MD, MS
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Learn more and participate at programs.ashacademy.org/CML Kendra Sweet, MD
Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL
ASH thanks Pfizer for their support of this program.
The American Society of Hematology (ASH) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to
provide continuing medical education (CME) for physicians.
ASH designates this internet activity for a maximum of 5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™.
Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the participant to earn up to 5
MOC points in the American Board of Internal Medicine’s (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. Participants will earn MOC points
equivalent to the amount of CME credits claimed for the activity. It is the CME activity provider’s responsibility to submit participant completion
information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABIM MOC credit.