FDA panel uses ’real talk’ to spotlight inspirations, challenges of Black oncologists
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As a 10-year-old in Nashville, Tennessee, Ashley C. Woods, MD, watched her grandmother avoid medical treatment for metastatic lung cancer until it was too late.
“There was — and is — a lot of medical mistrust, particularly among Black people in the South,” said Woods, a hematologist and clinical reviewer at the FDA’s Division of Hematologic Malignancies 1. “My grandmother just refused to go to the doctor until she broke her hip and had a pathological fracture. At that point, they diagnosed her with stage IV lung cancer, and she died pretty quickly after her diagnosis.”
The heartbreaking experience inspired a powerful mission: Woods wanted to ensure that no patient ever fears the medical professionals entrusted with their care.
“That’s what got me interested in being a doctor. I didn’t want patients to be afraid to go to the doctor when they’re sick,” Woods said during an FDA Oncology Center of Excellence Black History Month program titled, “Real Talk: Our Stories as Black Oncologists at the FDA.”
Woods, along with several other Black physicians who work at the FDA, spoke about the obstacles they faced early in their careers, the importance of family and community support, and the need to clear paths to success for future generations.
Repeatedly told ‘no’
Jamie Brewer, MD, joined the FDA in 2018. She served as a clinical reviewer on the genitourinary cancer team, and now she is a medical oncologist and clinical team lead in the FDA’s Division of Oncology 3 in the Office of Oncologic Diseases.
Brewer recalled a time during high school in Chicago when her guidance counselor discouraged her from applying to Northwestern University.
“I remember telling a guidance counselor that I was applying there, and they basically told me I wouldn’t get in, despite not looking at anything in my records,” Brewer recalled.
Fortunately, Brewer didn’t listen. She attended Northwestern, and her undergraduate degree was just the beginning of a long list of academic and scientific achievements.
“Part of why I am here today is that there was at least one person in high school and one person in college who expressed to me that they thought I could do it,” Brewer said. “That’s important, because there were many, many more people who were telling me that I could not.”
Several members of the panel shared similar stories of authority figures trying to dissuade them from following their chosen paths.
Nicole Gormley, MD, division director for the FDA’s Division of Hematologic Malignancies 2 and associate director for oncology endpoint development at the Oncology Center of Excellence, recalled encountering such discouragement as early as grade school.
“I remember the many people telling me ‘no’ in various ways,” Gormley said. “In eighth grade, my math teacher said, ‘No, she shouldn’t take honors math,’ despite the fact that I had straight As. When you hear that type of thing often enough, in multiple instances, it leaves an impression.”
Gormley credited the encouragement and example of her family members with bolstering her self-confidence. She especially was shaped by watching her older sister overcome various obstacles and become a successful physician.
“It’s so important to have those role models who look like you and who you can connect with, who are there telling you, ‘Yes, you can,’” Gormley said. “I watched my sister go through medical school and residency, putting in all of those hours of time and effort. Seeing her success was pivotal for me.”
’Go create your future’
Luckson Mathieu, MD, a medical oncologist and senior reviewer at the Division of Oncology 2 — which regulates investigational new drug applications and biologic licensing applications for thoracic/head and neck cancers, neuro-oncology, rare cancers and pediatric solid tumors — also flourished through the support and inspiration of his family.
One of nine siblings in a family that came to the U.S. from Haiti, Mathieu grew up in a small duplex in inner-city Miami.
“I was fortunate enough to have my oldest sister lead the way. She was the first one to get into college and, once she did it, we all had our marching orders,” Mathieu said. “Very early on, our parents told us that we had opportunities they’d never had. Coming to the United States, we had to make the most of it. All nine of us were able to graduate from college.”
Mathieu was lucky enough to have siblings for inspiration, but he recalled some important advice he received from his oldest brother when trying to choose an undergraduate university.
“When I was trying to decide between Harvard and Yale, my oldest brother — who went to Yale — said, ‘Go pave your own way. You don’t have to follow me anymore. Go create your future,’’” Mathieu recalled.
Patricia Oneal, MD, a hematology specialist at the FDA, grew up in a Mississippi community filled with Black role models in the form of educators, physicians, surgeons and nurses.
“I had teachers who were there to say I could do this. I could consider a career in research, mathematics and science,” she said. “Yet once I moved into those arenas, I got these questions, like ‘How did you get here? Are you an affirmative action person?’”
Oneal also identified with and benefitted from mentors during graduate school, medical school and residency. Since then, she has felt motivated to pay this generosity forward through the Oncology Center of Excellence Summer Scholars Program, which she directs.
The program introduces high school students who are interested in science, technology, engineering, mathematics or medicine to the cancer drug development process and career opportunities in government, regulatory medicine and cancer advocacy.
“Finding these mentors throughout my career allowed me that space, and it made me realize that now that I’m here, I should extend this to others,” she said. “As the director of the summer scholars program, I selfishly say that I hope to see these high school students take care of me when I get older.”
Gormley also praised the support of her extended family in helping her attain success.
“The sense of Black family is more than just Mom and Dad. I had several aunts who, if I was ever out of line, wouldn’t have an issue pulling me aside and addressing it,” she said. “It’s true that there are strains on family units across the board, but I think that’s one of the strengths of the Black community. There are plenty of extended family members who have no problem stepping up.”
Reference:
- FDA Oncology Center of Excellence presents Conversations on Cancer, Black History Month Program: “Real Talk: Our Stories as Black Oncologists at the FDA” (press release). Available at: https://www.fda.gov/news-events/fda-meetings-conferences-and-workshops/fda-oncology-center-excellence-presents-conversations-cancer-black-history-month-program-real-talk. Published Feb. 27, 2024. Accessed March 11, 2024.
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Conversations on Cancer, Black History Month Program: Real Talk: Our Stories as Black Oncologists at the FDA
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