Virtual Mentor

An Interview With...

Gary C. Doolittle, MD
Medical Director, Midwest Cancer Alliance
Capitol Federal Masonic Distinguished Professorship in Cancer
Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology

Recipient of the:
2007 Gold Humanism Society
Various Student Voice Awards

WHAT IS YOUR HOMETOWN?
Leawood, Kansas 

WHEN DID YOU JOIN THE KUSOM FACULTY?
1991

How/when did you become interested in science and medicine?
In college I was a science major and a lot of my friends were in pre med.

Is there a teacher or mentor who helped shape your career?

How or why did you choose the KU School of Medicine? 

What kinds of professional opportunities or advantages does being a faculty member at KUSoM provide? What about challenges?
There's a flexibility that comes with practicing in the SOM that you don't get in private practice.  Being able to apply what I've learned makes it so that the joy of practicing medicine is still there.

Please describe your professional interests?
I had experiences as a medical student that shaped my desire to care for patients with cancer.  I've also dealt with cancer in my family, so I knew this was where I belonged.

What are some of your outside interests?

In what ways are you engaged with the greater Kansas public?
I'm actively involved with the Kansas Cancer Partnership and the Midwest Cancer Alliance, two statewide organizations attempting to reduce the burden of cancer throughout Kansas.

Do you have an insight or philosophy that guides you in your professional work?
It's important to recognize that the relationships physicians build with their patients are all part of the patient's therapy; every encounter you have with a patient is part of his/her therapy.  As such, patients should leave the office feeling better than when they arrived.

If you ever had to overcome any obstacles in your life, please tell us about them and how you overcame them or face obstacles on a daily basis.
Losing one of my brothers in high school was a defining moment for me; I knew right then that I had to do something important and meaningful with my life.

If you could change one thing about the world (or the world of medicine/science), what would it be?
I would try to get people to look at the whole picture instead of focusing on special interests.

What is the biggest change you've experienced in your field since you were a student?  
The Internet has opened up a whole new world of medicine to patients.  As a physician, I now interpret the information patients come armed with as opposed to providing the information for them.

What is the biggest challenge you’ve experienced or witnessed in your field or the field of medicine as a whole since you were a student?
Trying to care for patients without resources; it is imperative that we get some sort of universal healthcare..

What do you see as the future of medicine?  

What particular skills acquired during your graduate career do you find most valuable in your professional career today?  
molecular genetics

What one piece of advice you would give to:

Medical Students:
Immerse yourself in patient care; try to enjoy the process and the rich learning environment without getting too caught up in competition.

Graduate students:

Residents:
Learn to balance work and family time.

Junior Faculty:
Learn to balance work and family time, and try to develop a background that incorporates a research component.

I would tell all of them:

What do you believe is the key reason that led to your selection over all others in for being presented one of the awards listed above?

Gold Humanism Society
I have deep, intense interactions with my patients.  While that in and of itself is not unique, I am willing to be open about those interactions and share those experiences with medical students, and I think that openness may be somewhat unique.