UAB Women in Medicine: Elizabeth Kvale, M.D.

Elizabeth Kvale, MD, grew up in Minnesota. She attended MacMurray College in Jacksonville, Illinois to study biology and philosophy. She attended graduate school in philosophy at the University of Illinois, and then shifted to the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine. She completed a residency in Family and Community Medicine at the University of Missouri, where she served as Chief Resident. After completing a service obligation in primary care in Dixon, Il, Dr. Kvale returned to academia to complete a 2-year research fellowship in palliative medicine at UAB.

Why did you decide to become a doctor?

I might not have had much of a choice! My mom is a nurse and my dad was a doctor. All of my family is either preachers or nurses. 


Why did you choose to establish yourself at UAB?
I did my fellowship here, and at first I had no intention of staying. But it’s a terrific environment for what I was focused on. I made a great choice. I’m inspired by my patients every day. They are so brave, beautiful and graceful. I feel fortunate to be a part of what they’re doing.


So you had a pretty positive experience going through medical school. Did you experience any struggles going through as a woman?
I would be lying if I said it was anything but awesome. We all know how lucky we are. I was never aware of any differences between me and my peers. I’m in a discipline were communication is very important. I think being a woman and having natural empathy is almost an advantage, in my case.

What kind of research are you doing right now?
Health services research. I’m particularly focused on how to deliver cancer care and palliative care to patients. There just aren’t enough palliative care specialists and I’m trying to figure out how to give patients the care they need.


I hear you participated in the first Cycliad last May! Why did you decide to do that?
True story. I decided to ride because I really think our navigators are helping people and that ultimately this fundraising effort has the potential to ensure that more cancer patients receive this support. Every event needs people to commit in the first year, and most often those are going to be people who really believe in the cause. My favorite part was getting to know the other 4 individuals who were willing to jump in and ride 1300 miles for this cause, and meeting people along the way that our program has touched and helped.


What kind of advice do you have for women interested in the medical field?
Stay tuned to your empathy and use it to your advantage. In science, it can be easily squashed, but try to stay tuned to it.

UAB Women in Medicine: Kimberly Whelan, M.D.

Q&A With Kimberly Whelan, M.D.  

Dr. Whelan is Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and is currently the Medical Director of the TLC clinic and Childhood Cancer's Survivor Program. 

What inspired you to become a doctor?  

Becoming a doctor has always been what I wanted to do. My mom would tell stories about when people would ask what I wanted to be when I grew up I didn’t say doctor. I said pediatric oncologist. I guess I just always loved science and always had a great relationship with all my doctors.  

Where did you attend school? 

I went to school all over the place. I got my medical degree from the University of South Carolina, did my pediatric residency at Vanderbilt University and my fellowship in pediatric hematology and oncology here at UAB. I stayed here because I love Birmingham and the group of people I work with. I’m thankful I put down my roots here.  

 

Did you face any challenges as a woman earning a medical degree?  

I can remember as a resident walking into a room with a male student and the patients would assume the man was the doctor. Some patients are still like that, but I think we’ve come a long way since those times. Eighty percent of pediatric residents here at Children’s are female. Females are supported in this department.  

What is your research focus? 

I do research in childhood cancer survivorship. UAB is a part of the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (CCSS), and we are a leader in this because of what we’ve learned about later effects of survivorship. We also use our own survivorship population to look at all sorts of things, like fertility studies and effects of exercise in survivors. So I am a part of bigger a smaller studies.  

What’s something important you think women should know if they’re pursuing a degree in medicine? 

I think the first thing is to work hard and not get discouraged. You also need a really good mentor and support system at home to help you along the way. It’s a really exciting time for women in medicine. The women before us have opened so many doors, and now we can be involved in anything - from research to leadership and everything in between. 

 

Celebrating Cancer Survivorship

This weekend people all over the country gathered to celebrate life for National Cancer Survivorship Day. The UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center hosted "Celebrating Life" at Regions Park on Friday to recognize thousands of cancer survivors and cheer on the Birmingham Barons. Many reflected on the hardships and treatments they overcame to get to the place they are today, and gave thanks for life. The event also featured educational opportunities, children's activities and giveaways.

While it is wonderful to celebrate on a specific day, let's not forget that survivorship is an ongoing issue. At the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center, our doctors and researchers are working around the clock to give more patients a reason to celebrate next year's National Cancer Survivorship Day.
From bench to bedside, our center is at the forefront of improving cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, and researchers here have pioneered advances in chemotherapy, surgery, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, and nutrition.

To see the progress we have made in our fight to win the battle against cancer, you can read survivors' stories on our website and celebrate their lives with us.

-Ed Partridge, M.D.