CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Women have made major breakthroughs in the medical field. But there is one specialty that is still lagging behind.
What You Need To Know
According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, women make up more than half of all medical school enrollees
Only a fraction of these female doctors go into surgery
Dr. Rebecca Kelso is a vascular surgeon. AAMC reports 14.6% of vascular surgeons are women.
Novant Health vascular surgeon Dr. Rebecca Kelso loves learning about the structures of the human body and how it functions. She is fascinated by the intricate details and how each organ system works. When she first took anatomy in college she was hooked. She knew medical school was the path for her. At first she wanted to be a pediatrician.
“I grew up loving children, babysitting and spending a lot of time with kids,” Kelso said.
If she pursued that path she would be in the majority. According to AAMC, about 53% of pediatricians are female. But someone at UNC-Chapel Hill told her something that would change her focus.
“I operated with a man one day by the name of Dr. Anthony Meyers,” Kelso said. “He leaned over and asked if I had ever thought about going into surgery. I said, ‘No I have not.’ He said, ‘I think you should. I think you might be good at it.'”
She went on to do her residency in general surgery at the University of Southern California. It was one of the places where she experienced sexism.
“I was told I didn’t have the temperament or personality of a surgeon,” Kelso says. “That was something I had to work through and learn how to be comfortable with myself.”
She persevered and completed her fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. She was proud to be one of the few women to graduate in the fellowship. But at home some of her peers still didn’t understand.
“There was one time I remember one of my really good friends asked when I was going to become a mom and come back to North Carolina,” Kelso said.
Kelso moved back to North Carolina in 2018 to work as an vascular surgeon at Novant Health. She was happy to prove motherhood and being a surgeon are possible.
“If a young girl today wanted to go into it, I would encourage them 100%,” Kelso said. “I would encourage them to find mentors and opportunities to encourage them to be a great person.”
Kelso was born at the very same hospital she now works in, which is Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center in Charlotte. She says it means a lot to come back to her roots and help others.