Legends and Legacies
As a person who has lost a loved one to cancer, I am always interested to find out more about the advances being made to fight this horrible disease. Sometimes I forget that there are so many people behind these advances and discoveries, working tirelessly to help save lives.
The M.D. Anderson Cancer Center recently released a book called Legends and Legacies. The book includes the personal journeys of female physicians and scientists at the cancer center. Each chapter covers a different woman, how she came to work in that field and why she feels it is important.
One chapter is about Janet M. Bruner, MD, professor and chair of pathology. She shared how she got into the field:
"Everyone knows what a surgeon does and what a pediatrician does. But how many people--even medical students--really know what a pathologist does? I needed to find out, so I spent a year during medical school doing a pathology student fellowship. I had the wonderful opportunity of working alongside pathology residents, finding out what a pathologist's life is like and what they really do every day. I never looked back! Pathology has been my calling ever since. In addition to providing puzzles to solve, pathology is also a basic medical science with plenty of opportunities for scientific research."
Dr. Bruner's story and those of the other women at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center are interesting and inspiring, and they should be celebrated for what they do to help fight cancer.