Women Physician Feature: Sirisha Jain
When I first started my Women Physician Project, I was initially going to only make one large article. However, after seeing how moving the responses were, I knew I had to share some individual stories.
Dr. Sirisha Jain was one of the wonderful women willing to let me share her story, thank you, Dr. Jain!
Why did you decide to become a physician?
Dr. Jain says she was influenced by her father and by her love for molecular biology, especially oncogenes.
“My interest in working with patients came from volunteering in high school and college, and appreciating the connection that physicians could make with patients and their families.”
Who inspired you the most on your journey to becoming a doctor?
Dr. Jain shared many notable people who influenced her decision, but she specifically noted her father.
“He was a cardiologist in a small town in Illinois. I loved to hear about how he helped patients growing up and how he touched their lives just from his compassionate and thoughtful care.”
What advice do you have for young women wanting to pursue medicine?
While mentioning taking advantage of shadowing opportunities, volunteer work, and science classes, Dr. Jain also states some more unique advice.
“Also, try to get some work experience outside the field of medicine to expand your experience and abilities in working with people, and communication.”
Has Covid-19 impacted your work? If so, how?
Dr. Jain stressed that since she is working with immunocompromised patients, it raised anxiety levels. At the time of the interview, Dr. Jain was hoping for a vaccine as soon as possible so her elder patients would be able to reconnect with family - a huge support system when dealing with cancer.
Why do you believe it is important for women to participate in medicine?
Dr. Jain brought the question into a broader perspective that made me think even deeper into the role of representation in society and the power it holds.
“Taking care of people’s health requires differing perspectives, whether they be cultural, ethnic, or gender based. If we have doctors from all these groups, we can represent and empathize witht he people we are taking care of.”
Thank you Dr. Jain for participating in my project and giving both me and other young women insight into the medical profession.
From Dr. Jain’s responses, not only was I able to think deeper into pursuing a medical career, but I also received some valuable answers about the representation of women in medicine. As women become represented more in all careers, it is interesting to study the power that representation can hold in our society and how important it can be to younger generations.