Interview with Mary Guinan
Author of “Adventures of a Female Medical Detective: In Pursuit of
Smallpox and AIDS”
Mary Guinan,
Professor emerita at the School of Community Sciences at the
University of Nevada, Las Vegas, has recently published a collection
of 12 stories describing her diverse, barrier-shattering career in
public health. Each chapter tells an engaging and inspirational story
from her past. Topics include her first outbreak as an Epidemic
Intelligence Service officer tracking down a life-threatening blood
infection in a military hospital, her work on the Smallpox eradication
program, and stories from her work on the frontlines of the AIDS
epidemic. The book delivers a unique female perspective of a time when
far fewer women worked in the field. The Epidemiology Monitor
interviewed Guinan to find out more about her motivation for writing
the book, her thoughts on the state of women in science and medicine
and what advice she would give to young epidemiologists.
EM:
In the
introduction you mention that your motivation for writing this book is
to encourage young scientists to consider a career in epidemiology. In
addition to sharing inspirational stories such as those in the book,
what is the most important thing we can do to recruit and retain
bright, young scientists to the field of epidemiology?
Guinan:
I believe that we have to introduce the science of epidemiology to
undergraduate schools, so that students are exposed to it early in
their careers. Many schools including public health schools are
introducing a Bachelor's degree in public health. UNLV's new
undergraduate program in public health features a major in
epidemiology and biostatistics.
EM:
The book is a collection of stories from your diverse and impressive
career in public health, from your part in the smallpox eradication
effort to your work on the frontlines of the AIDS epidemic. Looking
back, which of these experiences impacted the trajectory of your
career the most and why?
Guinan:
Participation in the worldwide smallpox eradication program had the
most profound effect on my career choices because I saw how successful
it was and the personal satisfaction I received in contributing to
improving the lives of others. I was hooked on a career in
epidemiology and public health.
EM:
What are the main reasons you think epidemiologists will enjoy or
benefit from reading the book?
Guinan:
I believe that it will be interesting for young epidemiologists
looking at future career options because it opens the door to many
interesting avenues of pursuit. Others more advanced in their careers
I hope will enjoy reading about some of the personal experiences I had
especially during the smallpox eradication program, the early AIDS
years and how I became Dr. Herpes.
EM:
What was the most important thing you learned in the process of
writing the book?
Guinan:
Probably that I should get a good editor to help me. I got Anne
Mather who had 30 or so years editing epidemiology articles for
publication including CDC’s MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly
Report).
EM:
Throughout your career you have challenged gender norms of the time.
For example, you pursued a medical degree when the field was dominated
by men, and you became the first female scientific advisor to the
Director of the CDC. At present, nearly 50% of medical school
graduates are female. However, in academic medicine for example, only
22% of tenured faculty are women and only 16% of Deans are women. As a
retired Dean, what thoughts do you have on why this discrepancy exists
and how we can improve the representation of women in medicine and
science at higher levels?
Guinan:
Medicine and science in academia have so many barriers for women even
now. Most women physicians and scientists who have children take the
major responsibility for raising children and managing households.
Paid family leave is a rarity in the U.S. Hopefully these will be
addressed in the near future. I was fortunate to belong to a number of
women's groups who helped me during many phases of my career
especially the American Medical Women's Association where I found so
many good friends who understood the problems we all faced and worked
together to solve them. I still believe that women's organizations are
a powerful force for finding answers to these continuing problems.
EM:
The title of the book
is Adventures
of a Female Medical Detective.
What do you feel is the biggest advantage you had as a woman in this
line of work? Disadvantage? For example, during your work for the KSOI
task force you were interviewing and testing patients at a time when
they must have felt very vulnerable. Is it possible that being a woman
made it easier to engender their trust?
Guinan:
I am not sure about this. I know that the Task Force discussed early
on whether a gay man would be more comfortable with a heterosexual
male physician or a woman physician interviewer. A CDC behavioral
scientist Bill Darrow did a study on this and concluded there
was no difference in answers to questions asked by male and female
physicians. I do think that women with HIV/AIDS preferred a woman
physician and the nurses in the clinic where I worked steered the
female patients to me. ■
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