Women in Medicine Interview: Pam Sullivan, MD – Chief Clinical Officer (NY)

When Pam Sullivan, MD is asked why she chose to become a physician, she simply states, “I didn’t. I became as a Physical Therapist (PT) because I didn’t think I was smart enough to be a medical doctor. 我没有信心.”

在做理疗师的时候. Sullivan worked closely with medical residents and her sister was in medical school. Through her interactions with the residents and encouragement from her sister, she decided to change her career course and pursue medicine.

Dr. Sullivan considers what she would tell a young woman struggling with doubts of pursuing a career as a doctor. She says, “You would not be given the opportunity if someone did not believe in you. You are the only person who can control your life and your decisions.  总有一天疑虑会过去. Use that doubt to build internal strength to continue down the path of your dreams.”

职业生涯之旅

Dr. Sullivan is trained and boarded in Internal Medicine; however, she spent most of her career in Emergency Medicine and later urgent care for more than 25 years. Looking for new career opportunities, she discovered Landmark. “我立刻与它的使命和价值观产生了联系. 我听说地标医院的首席医疗官, 迈克尔·勒, MD, speak about the future of Landmark and I wanted to be a part of it.”

Dr. Sullivan joined Landmark as Medical Director of Implementation in 2017. She then moved into the role of Chief Clinical Officer for the central region before stepping into her current position as Chief Clinical Officer for the Education and Lifecycle Operations team. 在她目前的职位上, 她监督临床学习和实施, 领导新市场的入职和流程.

家庭医疗护理的力量

“When I joined Landmark, a colleague who also had an emergency medicine background told me. ‘Once you join Landmark, you’ll never go back to the emergency room.’ I laughed because I have always loved emergency medicine, but it turned out he was right. Landmark’s in-home medical care model doesn’t just impact the patient. It positively influences the quality of life for the patient and their families,” Dr. 沙利文说.

Reflecting on her time at Landmark, an impactful experience comes to mind. “One of our Regional Medical Directors and I had an urgent visit with a patient who he previously recommended receive hospice care. We spent hours with his wife discussing his care and their options as he had profound dementia . The next day, we found out that he passed away during the night. I was startled and upset that he passed so quickly and wondered what I may have missed . I called his wife and was surprised that she thanked me immensely for the time we spent with her and her husband, 以及它给她带来的安慰,” Dr. 苏利文解释说.

克服冒名顶替综合症

While enrolled in a Physician Executive Master of Business Administration (PEMBA) in 2015, Dr. Sullivan and her colleagues realized that many of her classmates had felt the impact of imposter syndrome. 根据 《现在哪个平台可以买球》, imposter syndrome is defined as a collection of feelings of inadequacy that persist despite evident success. 虽然博士. Sullivan and her classmates were medical doctors pursuing an additional advanced degree, many suffered with self-doubt and feelings of being a fraud.

Landmark医院的支持性文化让他有了机会. 沙利文成长为一个领导者. She says, “When I joined Landmark, my team immediately had my back and supported me. I gained confidence as a leader when I was President of the Urgent Care Association. Landmark solidified my journey as a leader that I now believe in my abilities and the right to be in my present role.”

家庭第一

在追求她的事业的同时. 沙利文有两个女儿. 她回忆说, “当我的女儿们还是婴儿的时候, I remember pumping while documenting patient charts and grabbing a meal in the middle of a 12-hour shift. 这并不容易，但我成功了.” She worked night shift for 15 years so she could be home for her children in the mornings before school and attend after-school activities.

She credits her husband’s support for making it possible to have both a thriving career and family. “我丈夫是一名建筑工人，也是一名全职爸爸. 在那些日子, it was not easy for men to accept the identity change that comes with staying home so your wife can grow her career, 但他110%地支持我. 没有他，我不可能做到. 沙利文说.

直到今天，奥巴马博士仍在努力. Sullivan has only missed two of her daughters’ gymnastics meets. 其中一次，她正在参加她的PEMBA课程. “The day of my graduation, my daughters told me how proud of me they were. 他们发来的短信至今仍让我泪流满面. 这一切都是值得的，”她说.