20 Years, 20 Leaders: Katherine Sherif, MD, FACP
“Silence is acquiescence. Human rights begin at home.”
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.
Katherine Sherif, MD, FACP, is a Professor of Medicine and Vice Chair, Academic Affairs in the Department of Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University.
Dr. Sherif has advanced the understanding that women’s health encompasses more than reproductive health, and that the so-called sex hormones have significant clinical effects on all organ systems. Dr. Sherif has promoted the idea that conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) represent a paradigm of women’s health in that changes in sex hormones which regulate menstruation also affect critical non-reproductive health outcomes, such as carbohydrate metabolism, blood pressure and lipids.
She has been named one of Philadelphia Magazine's “Top Docs” 14 times and received the Philadelphia County’s Medical Society’s “Clinician of the Year” award in 2019.
Here’s what we learned by talking to Dr. Sherif:
Why did you choose to go into medicine or your related field?
Early on, I was attracted to the field of medicine, but I didn't want to be part of a system of patient care that was structurally (and often in practice) sexist and racist. In the end, I realized that I would be able to work for change more effectively from inside the system rather than on the outside. My reading of Gena Corea's book (1977) about how American medicine mistreats women inspired the belief that we could do better. Dr. Nawal el Saadawi, an Egyptian physician, imprisoned in the early 1980s for writing a book about her experience of genital cutting at the age of 5, convinced me of my own capacity to speak truth to power.
What’s your core philosophy?
Speak truth to power, and its correlates: Silence is acquiescence. Human rights begin at home.
What motivates you?
Above all, I am motivated by the humanity of my patients. I am also motivated by discoveries in medicine, by connections with colleagues and trainees, and the challenge of diagnostic problem-solving.
How do you motivate others?
My love of science, my teaching, and how I care for patients motivates others.
What challenges have you had to overcome?
My most significant challenge is that I have often been overlooked, as a female physician-leader, when institutional power (and corresponding influence) is allocated. I’ve had to work hard not to internalize our field’s longstanding, systematic sexism, whether overt or expressed more subtly.
Humans fail. Please share a time when you failed and what you did next to move forward.
In my first year as an attending, I overlooked a pre-cancerous abnormality on a test. The patient developed cancer related to that abnormality. After I recovered from my distress, I realized that occasional mistakes are inevitable, but more importantly, to meticulously review all charts, no matter my workload.
Who was your most important mentor(s) and why?
My most important mentors were Dr. Sandra Levison & Dr. Bonita Falkner, nephrologists, and two of the founders of the Medical College of Pennsylvania's Center for Women's Health in 1995. Through their efforts in research, education, and clinical care, Center was named one of the first DHHS National Centers of Excellence in Women's Health. They passionately believed in promoting women physicians, taking better care of women patients, and the importance of including women in research studies. The effects of their work are incalculable, and they have changed the culture of medicine.
What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned?
Your silence will not protect you (Audre Lord).
How do you define success and how do you measure up to your own definition?
I define success as improving the world around me — by staying present with the core needs of each patient I see, contributing to the medical literature in my specialty, and through teaching and inspiring students, residents, and colleagues to discover connections between siloed fields and approaches to patient care.
I often measure up to challenges inherent in this definition. As we know, clinical medicine can be a grind, and unless I take care of myself, I can lose focus on what’s important.
Last month, in response to a podcast, a young physician wrote, "Please know that you have changed the way I will practice medicine forever, and more importantly, you have changed the life and health of my patients."
What do you see in store for the future of medicine and the related fields?
Without universal health care, our current system is not sustainable and will collapse. Meanwhile, health-related disparities will only worsen for most of our country.
What advice would you give to the next generation of women in medicine and the medical sciences?
Be assertive -- and actively support each other. Don’t let male leadership (or their enablers) turn you into an “exception.”
The Backstory on Dr. Sherif
Dr. Sherif earned a BA in Psychobiology from Hamilton College and a medical degree from the Medical College of Pennsylvania.
She is the recipient of a host of awards including: the “Clinical Fellowship in Medicine & Human Rights” Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons (1993), the AAMC/Pfizer ‘Humanism in Medicine Award,’ the Dean’s Award for ‘Excellence in Education’ SKMC at Thomas Jefferson University, the PCOS Challenge ‘Social Responsibility Award and the 2019 Philadelphia County Medical Society ‘Practitioner of the Year’ Award.
Throughout her 25-year career, she has taught and mentored medical students, residents and conducted women’s health studies. In addition to authoring journal articles, she has written 2 books: Women’s Health in Clinical Practice, 2008 and Hormone Therapy, 2013.
Today, Dr. Sherif continues to teach her students and serve patients while participating in professional and scientific societies and academic committees.