UP FRONT
Pulling Back the Curtain
Stephanie Lee, MD, MPH
We can learn so much more from 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.
Stephanie Lee, MD, MPH, from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in
Seattle, Washington, spoke with ASH Clinical News about making time for what’s
important, being open to advice from unexpected places, and her surprising path
to higher education.
your goal. My mother told me,
“You should always be kind.” If
you can help, help. Try not to be
selfish about your time or your
resources.
These are core values that I try
to bring to my work and my life.
Whatever I’m doing – giving a
talk or writing a grant or helping
someone with their clinical
trial – I try to do my best. But,
as my mother impressed on me,
I also try to realize that what is
important in life is often what you
can do for other people.
Dr. Lee, her husband, Paul, and their
two sons, Alex (15) and Max (9).
What was your first job?
I was a babysitter when I was
younger, like everybody probably
was. In elementary school,
though, I picked blueberries for a
summer – that was very good for
character building.
Later, I worked in a law library
and as a phlebotomist when I took
a year off between undergraduate
and medical school. Phlebotomy
showed me an interesting crosssection of medicine; we would
go to the hospital and deal
with patients in all different
circumstances – from babies to
surgical patients to outpatients
and intensive care unit patients.
These experiences solidified my
interest in medicine.
ASHClinicalNews.org
Is there any career you
could see yourself in other
than hematology?
During one of my medical
school interviews, someone
actually asked me what I would
do if I didn’t get into medical
school, and I hadn’t even
thought of that as a possibility.
I was so certain that medicine
was for me. It may have sounded
arrogant, but I was actually
quite flustered when he asked
me that question – I hadn’t ever
considered that I wouldn’t be able
to do what I really wanted to do.
I have many interests, so
if someone told me I couldn’t
be a physician, there are many
fields I could see myself in – not
necessarily science, either. I
actually have a better idea of the
careers I definitely wouldn’t want
to be in: politics or entertainment.
I would not be good at those.
Thinking back on your
career, is there any piece of
advice you received that has
stuck with you?
I’ve received so much insightful
advice from so many different
people, but early on, my parents
gave me the two most helpful
pieces of advice. My father’s motto
was, “Always compare yourself
with the best.” He meant you
should always strive to be the best
that you can be. You won’t always
make it there, but that should be
Is there any advice you
would pass on to those
just getting started in their
careers?
The most important thing is to
understand yourself and what
you are passionate about – each
step of the way. Having a longterm goal is important, but you
should also be thinking about
how you will get there. The career
pathway is very long, so you need
to make sure that you actually
enjoy what you are doing now.
It’s important to be able to delay
gratification and slog through
when you have to, but if you
find yourself doing too many
things that are not meaningful to
you, then maybe you should be
looking elsewhere.
When you’re in the position
of interviewing someone for
a position, what questions
will you ask to get better
insight into the candidate?
I like to ask people about their
goals, but also about how they
would handle potential barriers
they might confront when
trying to achieve those goals.
If someone has a solid idea of
where they want to end up, I
want to know what obstacles they
foresee – either in themselves or
in their environment. This helps
me figure out if candidates have
insight into their own strengths
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