There are so many professionals out there supporting people’s health in the healthcare industry! Ms. Jennifer Feeney is a Nurse Practitioner working in women’s health at the UC Davis Health Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. She joins us today to tell us all about her experience of working in different types of healthcare, how she came to specialize in women’s health, and what her role entails on a daily basis. Jennifer tells us what it’s really like to work in a hospital and how she promotes wellbeing and prevention for all of her patients. We talk about her training, some of the options available to nurses, and other roles in healthcare and she shares what she loves most about getting to support women in their pursuit of healthy living, and even the pregnancy process. Tune in today to learn all about life as a nurse practitioner and find out if it just might be what you want to be when you grow up!

Key Points From This Episode:

• The difference between a nurse practitioner, a doctor, and a nurse.
• Ms. Feeney’s day-to-day responsibilities in women’s healthcare at UC Davis.
• Her journey to working in this area of nursing.
• Working in Alaska, private practice, and UC Davis.
• Different options available during nurse practitioner training.
• What nurses in the NICU focus on.
• Ms. Feeney’s original interest in working in pediatrics.
• Majoring in biology at the University of Denver before applying to a nursing program.
• Tests and exams she had to take to qualify.
• Her day-to-day experience of doing nurse training.
• What it’s really like to work in a hospital!
• Some of the most common problems that Ms. Feeney’s patients are facing.
• Why OB care is Ms. Feeney’s favorite part of her job.
• How a baby’s due date is determined and what a sonographer does.
• The process of screening for cervical cancer and breast cancer
• Advice for anyone interested in working in healthcare.
• Why shadowing is a great way to know what you want to do.
• What a physician assistant usually does.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Ms. Jennifer Feeney

UC Davis Health Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology

The University of Denver

‘What's a Nurse Practitioner (NP)?’

One of the many incredible things women can do is bring humans into the world and today, we get to hear all the ‘behind-the-scenes’ of obstetrics and gynecology! Welcome to another episode of What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up? In this episode, we are joined by OB-GYN Dr. Jocylen Glassberg to tell us all about what her career entails, how she balances work and family, and finding her way in a STEM field as a woman. Tuning in, you’ll hear all about Dr. Glassberg’s upbringing, college experience, medical school and residency journey, and becoming an OB-GYN. She explains the differences between obstetrics, gynecology, and OB-GYN before delving into her day-to-day schedule, the kinds of patients she treats, the surgeries she performs, and more! We even hear all about prenatal care, the birth process, postnatal care, and pregnancy complications. Finally, Dr. Glassberg tells us why having more female leaders and mentors in STEM fields will encourage women to follow their passions. To hear all this and more, press play now!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Introducing today’s guest, Dr. Jocylen Glassberg. 
• The difference between a gynecologist, obstetrician, and OB-GYN. 
• Why Dr. Glassberg wanted to specialize in both gynecology and obstetrics. 
• What her schedule looks like and the kinds of surgeries she does. 
• What being a professor of obstetrics and gynecology and a clerkship director entails. 
• The kinds of diagnostic and treatment tools Dr. Glassberg uses. 
• She tells us about her task to try to make clinicians happier and less burnt out. 
• Dr. Glassberg tells us about her experience of teaching residents. 
• Her favorite childhood hobbies and the unconventional way she chose OB-GYN.  
• Our guest shares her medical school and residency experience. 
• How she ended up at UC Davis Medical Group and the work/life balance she gets there.
• The kinds of issues women go to Dr. Glassberg for. 
• Her favorite part about her job and how it feels to bring babies into the world. 
• Dr. Glassberg talks us through the process of giving birth and her job in the process.
• The prenatal and postnatal care they provide for mothers. 
• Some pregnancy complications and how OB-GYNs deal with them. 
• What Dr. Glassberg thinks people should do to get more women in STEM fields. 
• Advice for any listeners wanting to become OB-GYNs or going into medicine in general. 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Dr. Jocylen Glassberg

While STEM fields have come a long way in terms of increasing diversity over the past few decades, there is still much to be achieved in terms of equity. Joining us today is Dr. Melissa Bauman, a neuroscientist at the UC Davis MIND Institute,  professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at UC Davis, and director of Women in Medicine and Health Sciences (WIMHS) at the same institution. Dr. Bauman is a passionate advocate for advancing women’s careers in science and medicine, and in today’s conversation, we learn how she is helping introduce more girls and young women to STEM fields. Tuning in you’ll learn about her own journey into neuroscience, the unique challenges that women in STEM face, and why she would never have gotten where she is today without the encouragement of key mentors and teachers throughout her schooling. Dr. Bauman shares what it’s like balancing her roles as a professor, scientist, and researcher, what a typical workday looks like for her, and the things she enjoys most about her work. She also shares her advice to young people interested in pursuing a similar career path and why she is deeply committed to giving back and helping others discover the joys of pursuing a career in STEM. To learn more about Dr. Bauman’s fascinating career, and her advice to aspiring scientists, be sure to tune in!

Key Points From This Episode:

• A warm welcome to today's guest, Dr. Melissa Bauman!
• How Dr. Bauman balances her roles as professor, scientist, and researcher.
• Insight into her passion for promoting diversity in STEM fields.
• Details about her role as director of Women in Medicine and Health Sciences (WIMHS).
• Why she is so appreciative that her parents and teachers encouraged her interest in science.
• The event that sparked her fascination with neuroscience during her college years.
• What she focused on for her Ph.D. program and how she transitioned into her current role.
• A breakdown of the grant application and funding process.
• Why being a good writer is a key part of her work.
• How she manages the budget for her projects.
• The similarities between running a research lab and managing a small business.
• An overview of her research focus and how she delegates tasks to her team.
• What a typical day in Dr. Bauman’s work life looks like.
• The topics she teaches in her WIMHS class and how her course has evolved.
• A rundown of the challenges faced by women in STEM.
• Helping female students find a way forward that is a little bit easier.
• Insight into her study initiatives; selecting them, the amount of time they typically take to complete, and how they build on one another.
• Dr. Bauman’s advice to anyone interested in pursuing a similar career path.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Dr. Melissa Bauman on LinkedIn

Dr. Melissa Bauman, Ph.D. at UC Davis