20 Years, 20 Leaders: Eve Higginbotham, MD
“We need to keep our hearts and minds fully engaged in the delivery of medicine.”
Our connection to the experiences of those who came before helps to define the present and future of medicine. The Foundation is celebrating 20 years by joining in conversation with 20 women leaders in all aspects of medicine to understand their stories and how their experiences will shape the next generation.
Eve Higginbotham, MD. is the inaugural Vice Dean for Inclusion and Diversity of the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. She is also a Senior Fellow at the Leonard Davis Institute for Health Economics and Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Pennsylvania.
Here’s what we learned during our conversation with Dr. Higginbotham.
Why did you choose to go into medicine or your related field?
I was always interested in science. When I was at MIT, it was my intention to go into research. I decided to go into medical school as a pragmatic choice that would help me in my research. Once I matriculated into med school, I fell in love with patient care.
What’s your core philosophy?
Compassion, integrity, humility and social justice are at the top of my list. To be the best healer I can be and incorporate these values in my daily life and practice of ophthalmology.
What motivates you?
My opportunity to contribute to goodness and fairness in the world.
How do you motivate others?
By being an inclusive leader. Collectively tapping into other people’s passions to make the world better.
What challenges have you had to overcome?
Racism and sexism. When I was an undergrad at MIT, in my class of 1,000 there were only 100 women so it was a case of being your best every day and letting your best performance speak for itself. Racism and sexism came together when I was at medical school at Harvard. I recall an instance during my internal medicine rotation at Mass General. I was the only one woman in my very small rotation who was not asked to give a report during grand rounds, which put me at a distinct disadvantage, since I assumed such reports contribute to one’s grade in the rotation. The apparent disparate treatment was disappointing, and regrettably I was devastated by the experience. As a way to confront my disappointment, I ultimately asked that very same attending to write me a letter of recommendation for my residency application. He did it, although I don’t know how strong a recommendation it was. Given that I was only a student and he was an attending, I did not confront him with his disparate treatment of me during the rotation. This experience shaped by choice of career. However, it is safe to say that ophthalmology was the best choice for me, given that I have enjoyed my career in ophthalmology in all aspects – research, education, and patient care.
Humans fail. Please share a time when you failed and what you did next to move forward.
The admission of failure is a challenge since I try to think of it as a step forward instead of as a negative. When I submitted my first grant submission to NIH it wasn’t approved. And at the same time, I had accepted a major position and had to set the grant aside because I had so much else on my plate. I was able to move forward by translating my research dreams into clinical research aspirations, doing research as part of my clinical work. I miss the days that I spent previously in the laboratory, however as a medical school administrator, my experience in the basic sciences contributes to my full appreciation of bench research.
Who was your most important mentor(s) and why?
My parents are my most significant mentors. They are the ones who told me that I could accomplish whatever I put my mind to, including leaving New Orleans to go to MIT. They were my first teachers to understand how best to combat prejudice and build a level of resilience to survive in a professional career. My husband also has been a mentor and coach. As an exceptional leader himself, Frank has been a great sounding board for my most difficult administrative decisions and has been a great guide in shaping my emotional intelligence. Another great mentor is my first department chair at University of Illinois, Morton Goldberg, who is one of the most inclusive leaders I have ever encountered.
What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned?
To be true and fair. Truthfulness and transparency can get you through very difficult situations.
How do you define success and how do you measure up to your own definition?
Success is being the best that you can be. Whatever the outcome, know that you have done the best you can do under the circumstances. Another measure is to strive to create impact, and to protect time to love and care for family and friends. I have always strived to achieve these goals at every juncture of my career.
What do you see in store for the future of medicine and the related fields?
I have hopes laced with concerns for the future of medicine. In a few short words, my summation is as follows: more tech and less caring. Technology will play an increasingly important role in the physician-patient relationship. It’s our challenge to make sure we achieve that balance between increasing our diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities with the compassion we need as medical professionals. We need to keep our hearts and minds fully engaged in the delivery of medicine.
What advice would you give to the next generation of women in medicine and the medical sciences?
Find your passion. Be confident in your skills. Know that you would not have come this far if you did not have what it takes to succeed. Own that and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Also, be supportive of others. We women should strive to be as supportive as we can be of one another.
The Backstory on Dr. Higginbotham
Dr. Higginbotham is the immediate past president of the AΩA Medical Honor Society and currently serves on the National Academy of Medicine Council and the National Research Council Board. She also serves as a member of the Finance Committee of the National Academy of Medicine and is an Associate Editor of the American Journal of Ophthalmology. Notable leadership positions in academia include Dean of the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Senior Vice President for Health Sciences at Howard University, and Professor and Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the University of Maryland in Baltimore, a position she held for 12 years. She formerly served as a member of the Harvard Board of Overseers and the MIT Corporation.
A graduate of MIT with undergraduate and graduate degrees in chemical engineering (Course X, S.B, and S.M.) and Harvard Medical School, she completed her residency in ophthalmology at the LSU Eye Center and fellowship training in the subspecialty of glaucoma at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary in Boston. Dr. Higginbotham has served as a member of two federal advisory committees including the Defense Health Board which is advisory to the Secretary of Defense, and the Special Medical Advisory Committee to the Secretary of Veteran Affairs. She is a member of the Board of Directors of Ascension, the second largest private health system in the United States, caring for patients in 20 states. She also serves as a Chair of the Quality Committee, a member of the Finance and Audit Committees as a member of the Board, and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In the Spring will be receiving a Masters in Health Law from the Law School at the University of Pennsylvania.