Mare (rhymes with bear!) | Gynecologist | Passionate about women’s health and empowering women to understand their bodies | Lover of travel, food, scuba diving, rock climbing and comfy netflix-binge sessions on the couch (it’s all about balance, right?) | New York, NY
Instagram: @sweatandscalpels
1) THE BEST THING THAT HAPPENED TO YOU IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS?
Graduating residency. Residency was an essential learning experience both in the operating room and in the clinic but it has been wonderful to be able to practice medicine without also having to appease someone else’s expectations.
.
.
2) THE WORST THING THAT HAPPENED TO YOU IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS?
Graduating residency lol. It’s no secret that residency is tough but one of the great benefits is that you always have someone around with more experience. Attending life affords a lot of freedom but it also means you no longer have that level of support to fall back on at all times.
.
.
3) YOUR BIGGEST WISH FOR THE NEAR FUTURE?
I’m honestly just hoping I can get my hospital credentialing done soon so I can go back to operating! That entire process has been crazy.
.
.
4) YOUR BIGGEST WORRY FOR THE NEAR FUTURE?
As a women’s health provider, my biggest concern is the very real risk of losing some of the reproductive health gains that have been made in the last century. I encourage everyone to get out and VOTE!!!
.
.
5) A CONTEMPORARY WOMAN YOU CURRENTLY ADMIRE?
Tracee Ellis Ross. I didn’t know how much I love her until I started following her on social media after I watched Blackish, but I admire her confidence and her willingness to live her best life. And also #hairgoals lol.
.
.
6) A ONE-SENTENCE MESSAGE TO OTHER WOMEN?
You do not owe anything to anyone but yourself so make sure to prioritize *you*.
A few more questions about the current situation (covid-19, lockdown, black lives matter protests, politics, finances, mental health, health, and so much more):
7) THE WORLD HAS BEEN CHANGING DRAMATICALLY IN RECENT MONTHS, HOW ARE YOU COPING?
I’ve overall been doing ok. There are obviously some bad days that are mentally tough to get through but I can thank my family and friends and honestly the black community on various media platforms for keeping me sane, giving me hope and letting me know I’m not alone in this.
.
.
8) WHICH CHANGE HAS AFFECTED YOU THE MOST / HAD THE BIGGEST IMPACT ON YOU PERSONALLY?
COVID didn’t really change work for me since I just kept working but the increased intensity of BLM after the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and others has definitely impacted me significantly. And now with Breonna Taylor’s murderers not being held accountable for their crime, it’s hard to see how we can overcome this huge systemic problem. But again, the support system I have continues to provide me with humor and hope even through times like this.
.
.
9) WHAT ARE YOU CONCERNED ABOUT THE MOST?
I’m most concerned about the upcoming election. I don’t want the apathy that led to the 2016 election results to happen again when so much is on the line now. Voting is a privilege that we need to take the utmost advantage of.