Make it stand out.

As a 34-year-old entrepreneur, I pride myself on being a proactive out of the box thinker that is determined to make a positive and meaningful difference within my community. Specifically, health outcomes within the maternal-child health population. It is my chosen professional arena and working with families in the perinatal space has shaped me on a personal level. I feel deeply impacted and forever changed by my work experience with pregnant, newborn, and recently postpartum individuals.

When I entered the maternal-child health field as a postpartum doula and lactation counselor 12 years ago, I wanted to help people. Specifically, women because I saw how demanding raising children, managing household tasks, minding the emotions of each family member, scheduling social events, while simultaneously maintaining a career was. It was not enough for me to help families by offering accurate and evidence-based information so that they had less confusion and a few less obstacles to navigate on their own, I wanted to see them thriving. Although, my passion to decrease mortality and morbidity rates among infant and maternal populations remains important, I find myself needing change. Reaching towards Vanderbilt’s Master’s program in Clinical Informatics aligns with my interests, goals, and dreams that support a balanced lifestyle and meet my fundamental need to progress with the times. Technology has rapidly advanced and is altering every aspect of society. In short, my needs have changed and I feel I am ready to advance my skillset in the health informatics space to impact my individual growth and the forward expansion of healthcare.

I work alone and realize that I would like to work with and learn from a team in the healthcare or health research field. What is it like to have a mentor or knowledgeable boss? I have a fluid and flexible schedule as an on-call doula and now I desire structure and predictability. I oversee all operations and business development while also providing services in massage therapy, lactation counseling, birth doula care, postpartum doula care, and as a community health educator. I wear many hats and now I seek a profession of a singular focus. What’s it like to start a project and be able to completely focus on it till it’s complete? I would like to find the answers to these questions and I feel confident that pivoting my career in the direction of clinical informatics will provide the insights I seek and my personal goal of having a balanced skillset.