Natalie Yapo
Interview Posted By: Ashley Smith
1. Can you tell us a little about your background? i.e. Where you grew up, what education do you have, a summary of your resume, did you always want to do what you are doing now, when did you start to become interested in STEM, what internships/ volunteering
Interestingly I first knew I wanted to be become a pediatrician at 6 years of age. My pediatrician had a huge influence in my life and for that I am forever grateful to him. At around 4-5 years of age I had severe speech delay and my parents were perplexed on why that was the case. It was after seeing my pediatrician, Dr. Levy that he noticed I had fluid behind my eardrum which was likely the cause for my speech delay. If you cant hear, you cant speak. After recommending ear tubes, which is a common procedure in the pediatric population, my entire life turned around. I now was able to hear effectively and therefore my speech improved dramatically. I was so grateful that a doctor was able to provide a life altering procedure. Without him I would not be where I am today.
It is because of this that I chose to become a pediatrician so that I can have a positive impact on children's health.
I grew up outside of Chicago and attended Butler University in Indianapolis, IN in which I received a B.S in Biological Sciences and minor in French. I was also part of the honors program which required research and maintaining a certain GPA. My research was on salamanders and their pheromones that they release. I have to admit I was not really interested in this research as it didnt involve my true passion, medicine. During college I volunteered as a child life volunteer at Riley Children's Hospital and basically did various fun projects with the kids that were admitted. I also spent a summer at the Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine summer enrichment program in which I was able to volunteer at underserved medical clinics, learned various medically related subjects such as anatomy and physiology and more importantly learned about the medical care disparities that often occur in poor underserved communities. . It was a very enriching experience!
I would recommend that anyone who is interested in medicine or other fields, be involved in an internship or an experience that lets you see what life is like in that field. College is fun and enjoy all of the social activities it has to offer as well but keep in mind that your school work comes first. You need to keep a healthy balance!
2. What exactly IS your job? What do you do on a day to day basis?
I am a pediatric emergency medicine physician. I work in emergency departments that only see kids. I love my job because you see a wide range of diseases and issues. You may go to one room and see a child with a cold and then go to another room with a child that has a broken bone. I also get to do a lot of procedures such as placing stitches, putting on temporary casts, removing a rock stuck in a child's ear. The emergency department is an exciting place because it is always busy and it is never boring. It is challenging because the kids that I see are sick, some sicker than others, and needs a doctor who performs well under pressure.
3. How does STEM relate to your job?How do you use the information you learned from your degree in your job?
STEM relates to medicine in several ways. As a doctor I use science a lot to help kids with their sickness. I learned a lot about how the heart, lungs and various other organs work as well as I learned how the medicines we use have certain effects on the organs. Without that knowledge I would not be able to provide care for children. We also use a lot of technology that are made by engineers such as X-rays, CT scan, MRI's which are machines that lets us see whats going on inside of child's body.
4. Have you faced any discrimination/ challenges being a woman in a stem field? If so, how did you deal with it? Do you have any advice for up and coming women in STEM?
At times I am seen by parents or patients as the nurse rather than the doctor. It can be challenging to be seen at an authority figure in the hospital. I never get upset if this situation occurs but rather I always maintain a professional attitude. I quickly correct anyone who makes this assumption and I try to project a very confident demeanor which gets me very far.
The key advice I would give is that women in a STEM field which may have predominately men should always have that confidence no matter what. You should also expect RESPECT from your co-workers, mentors, customers, patients. Confidence and demanding respect are key.
5. What is the best and worst part of your job? What do you look forward to in your job on a day to day basis? What do you wish you could change?
The best part of my job is that I am not stuck in an office space all day and I get to interact with people. I also love the fact that I help save lives, help kids feel better, help kids pain go away. It is a very rewarding career. The challenges are in the fact that once I am in the emergency room for a shift I may not have time to drink water or eat because of how many sick kids you have to see quickly. Also I work a shift schedule so that means I may work in the morning or overnight and the schedule is constantly changing.
I wish that doctors would take better care of themselves at work. We need to schedule breaks for ourselves during our shifts to eat, drink and take a short mental break in order to recharge. The nurses do a great job at this, doctors need to catch up .
6. How do you balance your work and personal life? Any secrets or advice you’d like to share?
When I come home especially after a long shift I make sure to leave work at work meaning I try to relax as much as possible. I alway schedule free days at least 1-2 times per week so that I can do enjoyable activities such as dancing, eating at nice restaurants, exercising, reading, or visiting a new city or country.
My advice that in order for you to be happy you have to devote some time to self care and relaxation. Life is not about work, it is about happiness, friends, family, health and anything else that is important to you.
7. What do you define success as?
Success is when you feel good about the daily work you do, help others, and are able to live comfortably and happy with your family
8. What is one personality trait that you think is universally important for a successful career?
Perseverance, you will have many failures but it is how you learn from those failures that allows you to grow and succeed.
9. Who was a mentor to you throughout your career? (can be more than one!) What did they teach you? How did they impact your life?
My pediatrician and my mother. My mother particularly taught me how to believe in myself especially after I experienced a failure. She always knew I would become a doctor even when I doubted myself.
Interestingly I first knew I wanted to be become a pediatrician at 6 years of age. My pediatrician had a huge influence in my life and for that I am forever grateful to him. At around 4-5 years of age I had severe speech delay and my parents were perplexed on why that was the case. It was after seeing my pediatrician, Dr. Levy that he noticed I had fluid behind my eardrum which was likely the cause for my speech delay. If you cant hear, you cant speak. After recommending ear tubes, which is a common procedure in the pediatric population, my entire life turned around. I now was able to hear effectively and therefore my speech improved dramatically. I was so grateful that a doctor was able to provide a life altering procedure. Without him I would not be where I am today.
It is because of this that I chose to become a pediatrician so that I can have a positive impact on children's health.
I grew up outside of Chicago and attended Butler University in Indianapolis, IN in which I received a B.S in Biological Sciences and minor in French. I was also part of the honors program which required research and maintaining a certain GPA. My research was on salamanders and their pheromones that they release. I have to admit I was not really interested in this research as it didnt involve my true passion, medicine. During college I volunteered as a child life volunteer at Riley Children's Hospital and basically did various fun projects with the kids that were admitted. I also spent a summer at the Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine summer enrichment program in which I was able to volunteer at underserved medical clinics, learned various medically related subjects such as anatomy and physiology and more importantly learned about the medical care disparities that often occur in poor underserved communities. . It was a very enriching experience!
I would recommend that anyone who is interested in medicine or other fields, be involved in an internship or an experience that lets you see what life is like in that field. College is fun and enjoy all of the social activities it has to offer as well but keep in mind that your school work comes first. You need to keep a healthy balance!
2. What exactly IS your job? What do you do on a day to day basis?
I am a pediatric emergency medicine physician. I work in emergency departments that only see kids. I love my job because you see a wide range of diseases and issues. You may go to one room and see a child with a cold and then go to another room with a child that has a broken bone. I also get to do a lot of procedures such as placing stitches, putting on temporary casts, removing a rock stuck in a child's ear. The emergency department is an exciting place because it is always busy and it is never boring. It is challenging because the kids that I see are sick, some sicker than others, and needs a doctor who performs well under pressure.
3. How does STEM relate to your job?How do you use the information you learned from your degree in your job?
STEM relates to medicine in several ways. As a doctor I use science a lot to help kids with their sickness. I learned a lot about how the heart, lungs and various other organs work as well as I learned how the medicines we use have certain effects on the organs. Without that knowledge I would not be able to provide care for children. We also use a lot of technology that are made by engineers such as X-rays, CT scan, MRI's which are machines that lets us see whats going on inside of child's body.
4. Have you faced any discrimination/ challenges being a woman in a stem field? If so, how did you deal with it? Do you have any advice for up and coming women in STEM?
At times I am seen by parents or patients as the nurse rather than the doctor. It can be challenging to be seen at an authority figure in the hospital. I never get upset if this situation occurs but rather I always maintain a professional attitude. I quickly correct anyone who makes this assumption and I try to project a very confident demeanor which gets me very far.
The key advice I would give is that women in a STEM field which may have predominately men should always have that confidence no matter what. You should also expect RESPECT from your co-workers, mentors, customers, patients. Confidence and demanding respect are key.
5. What is the best and worst part of your job? What do you look forward to in your job on a day to day basis? What do you wish you could change?
The best part of my job is that I am not stuck in an office space all day and I get to interact with people. I also love the fact that I help save lives, help kids feel better, help kids pain go away. It is a very rewarding career. The challenges are in the fact that once I am in the emergency room for a shift I may not have time to drink water or eat because of how many sick kids you have to see quickly. Also I work a shift schedule so that means I may work in the morning or overnight and the schedule is constantly changing.
I wish that doctors would take better care of themselves at work. We need to schedule breaks for ourselves during our shifts to eat, drink and take a short mental break in order to recharge. The nurses do a great job at this, doctors need to catch up .
6. How do you balance your work and personal life? Any secrets or advice you’d like to share?
When I come home especially after a long shift I make sure to leave work at work meaning I try to relax as much as possible. I alway schedule free days at least 1-2 times per week so that I can do enjoyable activities such as dancing, eating at nice restaurants, exercising, reading, or visiting a new city or country.
My advice that in order for you to be happy you have to devote some time to self care and relaxation. Life is not about work, it is about happiness, friends, family, health and anything else that is important to you.
7. What do you define success as?
Success is when you feel good about the daily work you do, help others, and are able to live comfortably and happy with your family
8. What is one personality trait that you think is universally important for a successful career?
Perseverance, you will have many failures but it is how you learn from those failures that allows you to grow and succeed.
9. Who was a mentor to you throughout your career? (can be more than one!) What did they teach you? How did they impact your life?
My pediatrician and my mother. My mother particularly taught me how to believe in myself especially after I experienced a failure. She always knew I would become a doctor even when I doubted myself.