Dr. Queenie Tan

What do you do on a daily basis in your job? What are the skills that you utilize?

"I see patients in my clinic. They can be children or Adults, and they have diseases or disorders that are caused by genetics. That means they have a gene that has mutated, and which can cause health complications."

"Some skills that I utilize in my job, and which are extremely helpful are skills that come from Medical school. Such as needing to be able to take care of medical needs but to also have empathy and sympathy for the patient and their situation."

When did you first get interested in this career/career path? 

"I was always interested in genetics. However, I did not always want to go to medical school, because I was afraid of the responsibility.  Despite this, after interacting with patients through shadowing and volunteering opportunities, I realized that I truly enjoyed these experiences. And eventually, I decided to take the leap and go to medical school; and due to my past experiences and passion for it, I choose to go into the field of medical genetics."

What did you do in order to pursue this career path? 

"Before medical school, I volunteered and shadowed professionals. I did some research in a lab, then after I went to medical school, I did three years of residency in pediatrics. I also did three years of fellowship and genetics."

What was a time when you faced challenges? How did you get through them?

"Recently, we have been doing clinical trials on some patients. They are important, because genetic diseases are really rare, and there are not many treatments."

"One of my clinical trial patients became very sick, and was about to receive the drug for the clinical trial that we thought could cure him. However, he needed to be in the clinic to receive the drug, and he lived pretty far away. We were weighing which was more important, him not traveling in hopes that his sickness would not progress as quickly, or getting the drug and maybe getting better. We discussed with the family about how he was doing, and we brought him to the clinic. He got the drug, but unfortunately, a few days later, the patient passed away. This was unfortunate, but we learned quite a few valuable and important lessons; always listen to your patients and make a plan together, make sure you can work together. And for everything, there is always going to be a benefit and a risk, and you always need to be conscious about making the decision in the patient's best interest." 

What is some advice you have for High Schoolers looking to pursue this career/career path?

"It's a very interesting career because it merges medicine and care for people with a lot of research. My advice for high schoolers is that you have to know what you're interested in. My path to my career was a very complicated and I guess a "winding" one. It took me a long time to get to the position and job that I am in, and although I did start pretty late, I love my job, and I think that it is all fully worth it."

As a woman in STEM, what are some (if any) difficulties you’ve faced because of your identity as a woman?

"Medicine is unique because there are actually a lot of women in medicine so there isn't much discrimination per se, however having children and taking care of children is probably the biggest difficulty that women in my career face. A lot of times I feel that women do the majority of the childcare work, and it is also like an “invisible burden”. The biggest challenge, which is caused by this, is having to prioritize your time, especially since your priorities may change over time. It's a matter of knowing that changing priorities is okay, normal, and nothing to be ashamed of or feel guilty about."

How many women do you work with on an average day? On an average project?

"As I said earlier, Medicine is unique in the sense that a majority of the people in the practice are actually women. Where I work, 90% are women. There are only 3 male doctors, one male genetic counselor and one nurse." 

Do you feel that High Schoolers should look into this career for their futures?

"Yes! If you are interested in genetics, it would be a great career to pursue. I think it is the perfect blend of scientific research and personal interactions with people."

What do you wish you knew before starting your journey into STEM?

"I wish I knew the different career options out there. I think I wouldn't have taken so long to get to this career that I enjoy so much."

What is some general Life Advice you have for High Schoolers?

"Find your passion. It may take a while, but it is worth it to do what you want."

Editor: Jieling Pua