Pulling Back the Curtain
Joseph R. Mikhael, MD, MEd
We can learn much more from the innovators and mentors in hematology and
oncology than clinical expertise. In Pulling Back the Curtain, we speak with
hematology/oncology professionals about how they approach their leadership
positions and what advice they would give those just getting started in the field.
In this issue, we spoke with Joseph R. Mikhael, MD, MEd, of the Mayo Clinic in
Scottsdale, Arizona, about his career in hematology, the value of mentoring, and
the importance of maintaining a life outside of medicine.
Dr. Mikhael is associate dean at Mayo School of Graduate Medical Education,
deputy director of education at Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, and associate professor
at Mayo College of Medicine in Scottsdale.
environment like that – whether
on Wall Street or talking someone
down off the ledge.
Dr. Mikhael with his wife, Heather, and
two daughters, Katie (7) and Alyssa (9).
What was your first job?
My first job was as a camp
counselor, and this actually turned
out to be a great job because it
was where I met my wife. We
were directors of the camp – she
directed the girls’ program, I
directed the boys’ program – and
ultimately became friends. So, I
guess I’m a little partial to that
first job.
When did you decide
to pursue medicine as a
career? How did you find
yourself interested in
hematology?
I come from a family of doctors:
my mother, father, and older
brother were all physicians. I
used to joke that I was going
to become a lawyer instead
so that I could protect them.
Eventually I came around to
medicine when I experienced
it for myself. I saw both the
clinical side and the “thinking”
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ASH Clinical News
side: taking care of patients and
being able to answer interesting
scientific questions.
Did you ever see yourself
in a career other than
medicine?
The practical answer is that, had
I not gone to medical school,
I would probably be involved
in economics of some sort. In
college, I took many economics
courses and did well in them.
When one of my professors asked
me to his office to discuss my
future in economics, I felt bad
informing him that I was going to
medical school.
At the back of my mind, though,
I have always thought it would
be fun to be a crisis negotiator. I
like challenging situations; I love
communicating effectively with
people; I love trying to be calm in
very challenging circumstances. If I
weren’t in hematology, I’d probably
be in some kind of challenging
In a typical day, what is
your “rose” and what is your
“thorn?”
The “rosiest” part of my day is
perhaps when I’m leaving for
work, backing my car out of the
garage, and I see my two beautiful
daughters, ages seven and nine,
doing what we call the “Goodbye,
Daddy” dance. Sometimes it’s
a simple goodbye wave, and
sometimes it’s just a funny dance.
My 7-year-old, Katie, in particular,
makes sure that she’s up when I’m
leaving. That’s how I start my day,
and that’s a fantastic, beautifully
colored rose.
Sadly, there are probably many
“thorns,” from the emails that I
don’t get to answer that day, to
the bad news I might have to give
patients. In my world, multiple
myeloma, there have been great
strides in patient care, but it is
still difficult to break bad news to
patients. Personally, my approach
is to get very close to my patients
– I want to know their names,
the names of their pets, their
hobbies, and what makes them
tick. I always say, “I don’t treat
myeloma; I treat people.” Having
to talk with patients about
relapse, palliative care, or hospice
care is definitely a thorn. In one
respect, getting to be that close
to people is a privilege of my
profession, but it is tragic when
we lose them.
What strategies do you use
to maintain a healthy work/
life balance?
I travel extensively – this year, I’ll fly
200,000 miles – so I have developed
ways to maximize my time at home.
First off, I am an obsessive planner,
and I will not accept any invitation
to travel or to speak until I review
it with my wife. We are very careful
with our calendars.
I am also very regimented in my
schedule. For example, I go to the
gym before work every morning.
This helps clear my head, and,
when I’m more physically active,
I feel like I can contribute more
in the day. Thirdly, I do absolutely
everything in my power to be
home for dinner. I live about 10 –
15 minutes away from my office,
and one of the blessings of that
short commute is that I can leave
my office at 6:15 p.m. and still be
home for dinner at 6:30 p.m. That
is my objective every night, and I
think that consistency is helpful
for my children.
As much as we love our jobs,
we have to remember that there is
much more to life than work. My
life outside of medicine is what
defines me as a person. Having
that sort of attitude helps me keep
the work/life balance in check.
What is the best advice you
have ever received?
When I was in Canada, I helped run
a wellness program for trainees, and
the psychiatrist in that program,
who treated physicians and medical
students exclusively, had a great
piece of advice: “There is only one
place in the world where you are
indispensable, and that’s at home.
Someone else can write your paper;
someone else can see your patients;
someone else can give your talk. No
one else can be to your family what
you are.” I really try to live that out.
Who were some role models
in your life and throughout
your career?
My parents taught me one of the
greatest lessons in life: generosity.
My parents gave and gave and gave
– even if they didn’t have much.
They were wonderful Christian
December 2014