Dr. Danielle Jones, better known as Mama Doctor Jones online, shares how she realized her calling as an OB/GYN and what advice she has for others to create a fulfilling career in healthcare.
What inspired you to pursue a career in medicine, specifically in obstetrics and gynecology?
Going into medical school, I always used to say I’d be open-minded when choosing my field, except for gynecology…because why would anyone want to do that?! I knew I wanted a family, and I think I had decided I didn’t have the skill sets to balance being a good surgeon and a good mother, and all anyone had ever told me was that OB/GYNs could never find work-life balance.
I didn’t actually choose this field, it truly chose me. I tried so hard in my third year to love something else, and I just could not let go of how much I enjoyed my OB/GYN rotation. In hindsight, I see what I refused to see then — I absolutely loved reproductive physiology, was enamored with the reproductive system portion of our human anatomy class, and actually enjoyed embryology while almost everyone in our class hated it. It became apparent during my OB/GYN rotation in my third year that this field really fit me well.
I have ADHD, and I watched as the doctors would go from a routine clinic visit to preventing cervical cancer with an in-office LEEP procedure to getting called to run to the hospital and deliver a baby, with the next day being a full day doing surgery in the operating room. I could be specialized and focused but have a broad daily agenda that never allowed me to get bored. I chose this field because, despite my best efforts, I actually could not bring myself to enjoy anything else after experiencing what it was like to take care of women & assigned-female-at-birth (AFAB) people in the way that I am now privileged enough to do every day.
What advice would you give to students or young professionals considering a career in healthcare?
I tell our medical students to choose the field they find utterly fascinating, something they can be passionate about in a never-ending fashion for the next 40+ years. In medical school, I had an online presence (which was very weird for people in medicine in the 2010-2013 dinosaur age), but I wasn’t doing social media in the way I am now. Then, and especially now, I think it comes through clearly in my online footprint and YouTube videos that I am utterly fascinated by this field and truly excited at the opportunity to learn and teach anything about pregnancy, periods, and all things OB/GYN. Being genuinely fascinated by your career allows you to easily continue learning for the rest of your life and to be an effective teacher, both of which are necessities in medicine. While all of us may not end up teaching students or having a massive online audience relying on us for health information, we all teach our patients, and doing that effectively is arguably one of the most important aspects of your job as a doctor. Luckily for me, my never-ending nerdy passion for being an OB/GYN translates beautifully into what I do online as a science communicator and health educator.
How do you think digital platforms can be used to inspire the next generation of healthcare professionals?
I’ve always thought the most important part of doing social media as a physician, at least for me, was what I’ve taken away in regards to learning about the patient experience. I’ve talked endlessly about how social media allowed me to find my voice, but it first taught me how to listen to theirs. I have spent countless hours reading and listening to firsthand accounts of how healthcare professionals affected patients, in both negative and positive ways, during some of their hardest days.
What I hope they take away from my social media presence is: (1) We cannot always make things better for our patients, but it is our absolute responsibility to never be the one who makes someone’s worst day worse, and (2) Your passion for the field you choose is what will determine if you can be happy working like we work and balancing whatever else is important in your life. So, choose the field you love and let the rest fall into place.
What is the most rewarding part of your career?
This might sound odd, but caring for patients experiencing catastrophic loss or recurrent pregnancy loss is truly where I find myself feeling the most fulfilled. While this is often the place we have the least amount of medicine or answers to actually make a difference, being allowed to walk alongside a patient through tragedy, grief, and hopefully the process of eventually finding peace is such an incredible honor to me.
I think this goes back to my deep hope that we learn how to avoid making our patients’ worst days worse, because I’ve seen some truly horrific care bestowed upon people experiencing utterly heartstopping loss, and every time someone allows me into their grief space to care for them in the way I can, I feel genuinely honored to be there.
Of course, that’s also the most difficult part of my job. Obstetrics is such a fun and happy field a lot of the time, but when it’s sad, it is truly just so unspeakably sad.
Can you share a memorable moment or patient interaction that reaffirmed your choice to work in healthcare?
I could share a hundred stories that reaffirm this, but honestly, every genuine “thank you” reminds me this is right where I’m meant to be. It’s not that our patients need to thank us, it’s more that when they do, I am reminded that we do make a difference, and it makes this job feel a little more sustainable.
Emails telling me I helped them feel empowered to make an appointment and get a pap smear because of something I said on YouTube, running into recurrent loss patients at the supermarket and seeing them smiling with their babies, successfully preventing cancer and having a patient return for their follow-up to get the news that they’re in the clear…there are so many big and little moments that remind me why this field chose me and make all the sleepless nights worth it.
How do you keep yourself motivated and passionate about your work, especially during tough times?
Taylor Swift, caffeine, and a bit of brute force? In all seriousness, most of the time it is just bringing things back to that nerdy passion for what I do as an OB/GYN. I find that engaging with the students and residents, doing a teaching session, and just sitting and chatting with them about a topic they’re interested in can really help me move back into a healthier mindset. My colleagues where I currently work are bar-none and a debrief with them over a coffee can really help on the hard days as well. From a patient standpoint, I keep every thank you note and email people send me, and going back through those on the hard days can be really perspective-shifting.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received, and who gave it to you?
Oh, I have a few of these.
“Choose your battles,” by my wonderful mother.
“You don’t have to light yourself on fire to keep others warm,” as told to me by an attending in residency.
Finally, the Glass Ball Theory by author Nora Roberts. If you look at your life as though you are juggling balls, consider that some of them are glass and others are plastic, and decide which category each thing you juggle falls into. When you are overwhelmed, you are allowed to drop the plastic balls — they won’t break, and you can pick them back up later. For me, the glass balls are my children, my family and close friendships, my own mental health, and my career. Plastic balls would be things like social media, and obligations that can be paused.
