Sarah Rae Easter, MD
2014 Resident Scholars Program
Currently at Brigham & Women's Hospital
What was the most memorable part of your Foundation-funded project or experience as a Foundation awardee?
I'll never forget coming to the annual meeting my first year as a Resident Scholar. I spent the day with George Macones and Kate Menard as my mentors and had the opportunity to follow them as they explored the science, contributed to committees, and met with colleagues about issues across our subspecialty. I was admittedly star struck to meet so many people who had authored the textbooks or journal articles I had been studying with such intensity over the past years. The intimidation factor of being surrounded by so many SMFM "celebrities" was balanced by a sense of belonging in our Society. I knew I had found my home. The club I wanted to join. The organization I wanted to invest my time and energy in for years to come.
How did the award influence your career?
Being a Resident Scholar gave me the confidence to explore ideas and pursue opportunities that I may not have otherwise. Observing the interactions of leaders in our field helped me realize the range of perspectives that are required to make our Society effective and the value that SMFM places on the engagement of future members like myself.
What lessons (e.g., personal, professional, life, etc.) did you learn that you would like to pass on to future awardees?
SMFM is our home and its members are our family. Cheesy but true. As a resident I saw SMFM as this intimidating group of people smarter and more experienced than me who would tell me (along with other future and current MFMs) what to do. After spending more time as a Resident Scholar and interacting with the Society in other roles, I now realize that our Society is a diverse group of individuals coming together to share a wide range of perspectives about how to advance patient care and our profession. In our hospitals we may all have a role to serve in the hierarchy. But SMFM is a community where that hierarchy is flattened, members can express their thoughts, and develop relationships under this shared common goal.
Did you submit an abstract for #SMFM20?
Yes.
Where did you do your MFM fellowship?
Brigham & Women's Hospital.
What do you like best about being an MFM?
Delivering babies is the best job in the world and nothing will change that. But being an MFM gives you a unique opportunity to contribute to different facets of pregnancy care ranging from care of complex pregnancies at the bedside to making advances in science or policy that can affect patients you will never meet on a far reaching scale. The diversity of experiences in terms of the day to day job and the roles we play is what makes being an MFM such a privilege.
What do you hope to be doing in 10 years?
My ideal job in 10 years will be similar to the one I have today --practicing MFM with a focus in caring for women at risk of severe maternal morbidity in pregnancy in an academic environment with the time to explore research and advocacy questions that to advance the care for my patients.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself!
Professionally, I just completed a one-year critical care medicine fellowship through the Department of Anesthesia and will be attending 4-6 weeks per year as the intensivist in the surgical ICU.
Personally, I have a one-year old son and together with my husband we are on a mission to take him to see all 50 states by the time he is five years old. Coming to the SMFM meetings is going to be a huge help in achieving our family's new goal!
