SPOTLIGHT
In this edition , Uma Borate , MD , speaks about growing up in a household with extended family , including her “ living legend ” grandmother , and trying to re-create that experience for her own daughters . Dr . Borate is clinical associate professor at The Ohio State University James Cancer Hospital Solove Research Institute in Columbus , Ohio .
Uma Borate , MD
● Where did you grow up and what was your childhood like ? I grew up in a city called Pune in southwest India . I had a wonderful childhood in a home full of extended family . I lived with my parents
Uma Borate , MD and brother , as well as my uncle and grandparents . My uncles , aunts , and cousins were frequent visitors . My parents were two busy working physicians – my mother is an internist , and my father is an orthopaedic surgeon – so I was raised by this extended family , especially my grandparents . I also was fortunate to go to a wonderful school and met lifelong friends there , many of whom I am still in touch with . Having so many friends and family around helped me develop a sense of self and identity early on .
Growing up in a multigenerational household provided such a variety of perspectives and experiences to learn from , but , looking back , I didn ’ t fully appreciate how unique that was . It has probably helped me relate more to my patients because they have a wide range of ages and life experiences as well .
Did your parents inspire you to go into medicine ? I feel like medicine is the family business . My grandmother was a physician – one of the few female physicians at that time in India . Her life story is extraordinary , and I did not realize that I was growing up with a living legend .
My grandmother was one of 11 children and , as with most women of that era , her destiny was to get married , raise her children , and be a good homemaker . But her mother – my great-grandmother – recognized her daughter ’ s extraordinary intelligence and thwarted my great-grandfather ’ s attempt to marry her off . Whenever prospective grooms came to visit , my grandmother was mysteriously absent !
Her teachers also recognized her intelligence and petitioned my great-grandfather to allow her to continue her education . Medical school in Mumbai was the only option then , but only one student from her province was allowed to attend . My grandmother qualified for that seat and went to Mumbai alone , which was very unconventional for that era . She majored in obstetrics and gynecology , later entered academic medicine , and eventually became the first head of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Lokmanya Tilak Municipal Medical College in Mumbai until her retirement . She continued her legacy of advocating
This interview has been edited for length and clarity . for women ’ s health through her work at the nonprofit organization , Family Planning Association of India , which she did well into her 70s .
My mother followed in her footsteps and I did the same . I wanted to be a physician at a very young age because of them . I probably also subconsciously understood that becoming a physician was a straightforward way for a woman to get a higher education , command respect in society , and achieve financial independence , all while helping people every day . I saw that firsthand with my grandmother and my mother ; it made sense to follow that path .
Did you ever consider straying from the “ family business ?” I briefly considered being a forest ranger , after visiting several national parks throughout India with a variety of camps that my parents enrolled me in growing up . Again , it was unique for children , especially girls , to have these opportunities . I credit my parents with giving me experiences like these that broadened my worldview and contributed to that early sense of identity and independence .
On one of those trips , surrounded by the natural beauty at these parks , I remember thinking , “ This is a great career – I could live in a jungle and see tigers every day .” Obviously , that did not materialize .
Once you decided to pursue medicine , what drew you to hematology , and specifically your focus in myeloid malignancies ? I left my parents ’ home for the first time after medical school , when I came to the U . S . I did my residency at the Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia . That is when I started falling in love with the field of oncology . I saw the unique relationship that oncologists developed with their patients – we were united as a team in trying to stay one step ahead of their cancer , as it was figuring out ways to elude every therapy we tried . Myeloid malignancies , and acute leukemias in particular , illustrated that biological battle more dramatically than any cancer . There is a sense of urgency to save patients ’ lives , but we continue to follow them along their treatment trajectory to determine how we can maximize their quality of life while offering them potentially curative treatment . I took care of very sick patients and seeing them get better after a tough hospital stay felt like a victory for our team . Even when the outcomes were not good , we continued our teamwork to minimize pain and suffering and maximize our patients ’ quality of life .
I knew then that I wanted to be part of a profession where you could build these unique relationships . In myeloid malignancies , we have made tremendous strides in employing newer diagnostic techniques to develop
Dr . Borate with her husband and daughters ( at top ) and grandmother ( above ).
ASHClinicalNews . org ASH Clinical News
19