Women In Medicine Month: Dr. Tammy Bannister

FEATURE

September is Women in Medicine Month. We pleased to share the stories of some of our female physicians.

Tammy L. Bannister, MD ('94)
Associate Professor of Family & Community Health
Director, Family Medicine Residency Program

What made you want to go into medicine?
I always loved science and admired that physicians applied that knowledge to help people heal. So the combination of science and helping others appealed to me."

How has medicine changed for women since you started? 
Women are more empowered to voice their opinion and be heard - able to carve out our own lives in medicine without feeling less valuable to the system. This is possible as more women physicians are in academics and administrative positions.

Were there any women in your life that you looked up to and helped shape who you are today? 
Of course we all have people in our lives who encouraged and nurtured us -although I knew no women physicians initially, other strong women like my mother and teachers were instrumental in my life.

What advice do you have for women just starting out?
Know what kind of physician and more importantly what kind of person you want to be and make sure your decisions are inline with those goals. It is true that you will reap what you sow.