Merry Jennifer Markham, Senior Member at Moffitt Cancer Center, Professor at University of South Florida, shared on LinkedIn:
“Yesterday, the Moffitt Cancer Center gynecologic oncology faculty came together for our faculty retreat. I’m grateful to Robert M Wenham, for the idea and for creating the time and space for us to meet as a full group.
One of my favorite moments came within the first half hour. Each of us shared our why: why we do this work, caring for women with gynecologic cancers.
It was moving to hear my colleagues’ reasons for choosing this path. The stories were different, but the same threads ran through all of them. We feel called to this work. We find it challenging and rewarding. And we love caring for our patients and helping them navigate everything that follows a diagnosis.
We are optimistic about where the science is headed. We also know its limits, and we are all committed to the hard work of finding better treatments and, one day, cures.
My why is advocacy. When I began caring for women with gynecologic cancers, I quickly saw how many disparities they face, in research funding, in awareness, and in the care itself. I knew I wanted to fight for them in whatever way I could.
Sometimes that looks like simply being present. This past week, I met a woman newly diagnosed with advanced cancer. She had seen a number of physicians through her workup, diagnosis, and the start of treatment. I spent the first part of our visit just listening as she shared her experience, her symptoms, and her fears. Then I explained her disease, answered her questions until she had no more, and shared resources she could turn to. She told me she felt heard for the first time.
That is what I treasure most about this work.
The words on the screen behind us say it simply: to contribute to the prevention and cure of cancer. Yesterday was a good reminder of the people behind that mission, and how fortunate I am to work alongside them.
Thank you to Amy Holway, MHA, and our wonderful admin team for coordinating every detail.”
You can also read: Don S. Dizon: Thrilled to Be a Part of the Boston Consensus Conference in Gynecologic Oncology