BlackWomenWork

Hi, Garnette! I’m excited to speak with you. What do you do?

I am a Certified Clinical Research Coordinator, which means I conduct clinical trials with Principal Investigators (whom can be physicians or PhDs) by following Good Clinical Practices to ensure the utmost patient safety and ethics.

Can you share more on your day-to-day?

I work with physicians who are interested in conducting clinical trials at our site, and so my main role is to help identify potential trial participants, enroll patients into said trials, and conduct study visits. I am also responsible for dispensing study medication(s) (as long as it doesn’t require a medical professional), documenting medication compliance, keeping track of a patient’s concomitant medications, documenting any adverse and/or serious adverse events, and scheduling study visits and all required testing.

The work is very detail-oriented and patient safety is of the utmost importance. These are people who are volunteering for a study where they don’t know what the effect will be on themselves, so constant monitoring of the patient’s well-being throughout and even after their participation in a clinical trial is paramount.

What attracted you to what you’re in?

My first research position was right out of college. A lot of my classmates were doing lab work, however for me, I know that I’m a people person and I like to develop interpersonal relationships. I started to think about what aspect of medicine would let me do this, and I landed on clinical research. One of my mom’s colleagues knew a black physician in Queens whose practice participated in clinical trials, and I called to introduce myself, and asked whether I could come in and meet with him. He agreed, and so I met him and the staff, and soon after was hired.

I was very wet behind the ears. I had no research experience. He was a nephrologist (a physician specializing in kidney diseases) and there was a dialysis center on the lower level of his practice. I appreciated that the patients reflected the community in Queens where the practice was located -- predominantly black and other minorities. I also enjoyed the patient interactions, and how clinical research allows you to observe results and see improvement.

I started to consider what it might mean for me to be part of the wellness process, but on a larger scale. That’s how I became interested in public health. I applied for my master’s degree and attended school at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. It was an incredible program. I was exposed to so many aspects of health care, and learned about health education, epidemiology, pediatric medicine, environmental health -- all of these incredible branches of this overarching umbrella of public health. It really opened my eyes. Some time after graduating, I landed in the role I’m in now at a hospital on the Upper East Side, working in a clinical trials office. Hospitals are such well-oiled machines. Where I work, the doctors have been very encouraging and are willing to teach, which has expanded my arsenal of research.

It sounds as though you’re very integrated into medicine. Have you ever had any moments of doubt?

It’s been a learning experience. I always wanted to be a physician, and I sought my work experience with the idea of preparing myself for being a physician. I’m currently still interested in that path but because I have been exposed to so many aspects of public health and medicine, I do think about other trajectories. I was interested in looking into a PhD program in Epidemiology, which is the study of diseases and their characteristics. Within epidemiology, there are branches such as infectious diseases, and overall I enjoyed the area so much that in grad school I was a TA for the first year course. Currently, I am looking into internships with WHO (World Health Organization) and the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention). So I’m still seeking where I want to land more permanently.

Do you have anyone that has been especially inspiring as you’ve progressed in your career. Perhaps a guide, or mentor?

One of the doctors I worked with at my first research position. She’s also a kidney specialist, and has written multiple recommendations for me and supported me throughout my journey. There was Dr. Bass from undergrad at Spelman. In my senior year, she told me, “There are many different branches to medicine. I know you’re passionate about becoming a physician, but let’s also look at other things.” She showed me that there are so many other ways you can heal, and be a healer. I love Dr. Bass.

Dr. Factor was my epidemiology professor from my public health master’s program. She has always believed in me, and expressed an interest in my pursuit of a PhD. She asked others to figure out who I could connect with, and how to get opportunities or conversations going. She always supported my interests.

Dr. Mae Jemison was a childhood hero of mine. She’s the first black woman in space, and she was also a physician.

And I have my friends in medicine and health. It’s inspiring to watch their journeys. I’m inspired by seeing what they do, their passions, and how they’re figuring out their own trajectories. There are a lot of people who inspire me to continue to walk in my purpose.

What advice would you give a young black woman seeking to get into medicine?

I will start with this: if this is your passion, let it fuel you. There will be many instances where doubt in yourself and your capabilities will arise either externally or internally. You will change your mind many different times. You will be unsure that this is the path you want to take. But if you remember and center yourself around that passion, that’s what will help you when things just feel tough and like they’re not going in the right direction.

Make sure you find mentors, and not just academically. That’s important. Find someone who can help you select your courses, but professional exposure is so important. And, be open. Allow yourself to dip your toe into different aspects of medicine.

Finally, I would share that it’s OK to be whatever specific kind of healer you’re going to be. When people think of a doctor, they think of a white coat and stethoscope. There are many other ways of being a healer. You can be a medical journalist, a medical illustrator, you can design an app. Just keep an open mind so that when you’re feeling the stress and pressure from society forcing you into certain molds, you can relax a bit knowing there are so many options for you. I say that from experience. This is where I am now. I’m shaping the way I want to be and refining my own views, using all the medical and health knowledge I have to find my place. It’s very comforting to me, where I am now. I always tell people, “My purpose is healing.”

When you think of your future, what excites you?

I’m excited about the different ways that I will be able to work with people in healing. Helping people of color-- more specifically black people-- through medicine and health is important to me. We have a checkered, unsavory history with medical spaces. One of my goals is that by being a black woman within medicine, that I can serve as a representative, and serve as a comfortable conduit. Whether I’m a pediatrician, or work at the CDC, I will always seek to foster a sense of comfort and support for our people when it comes to medicine and health. I want to be a part of breaking down the stigma we have with these spaces because of the fact that historically medicine hasn’t treated us well. I’m eager to make a mark and shift those narratives and sentiments.

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