在智利长大, 密苏里州, 一个不到10人的小镇,000人, Amy Patel didn’t see many physicians that looked like her.

“There was only one primary care woman physician in my hometown and there weren’t any women who looked like me, 有色人种的女人. From a young age I realized there was such a need for women practicing specialized care, 尤其是有色人种女性,帕特尔说.

That observation sparked a fire and passion in Patel that has continued to grow. Patel went on to study medicine at the 世界杯赌场盘口 and graduated from the school’s six-year medical program. During medical school she completed a rotation with a breast radiologist at Washington University in St. Louis, which was a turning point in her decision to specialize in breast cancer radiology.

After completing a breast imaging fellowship at Washington University, Patel began her professional career in Boston, and even found time to work as a faculty member at Harvard. But eventually, Patel felt called to return to 密苏里州.

“I always wanted to come back to the Midwest to assume a leadership position where I could make a difference and make an impact,帕特尔解释道.

In July of 2018 Patel was named medical director of the Breast Imaging Center at Liberty Hospital. Since her arrival she’s helped grow the program, adding an additional breast imaging specialist, starting a plastic surgery program and partnering with the UMKC 医学院 to launch a 乳腺放射学选修课 课程. 帕特尔教授这门课程, which involves a rotation designed to introduce medical students to a range of screening and diagnostic breast imaging modalities to multidisciplinary care. 她希望这门课能帮助到其他人, 尤其是女性和少数族裔, 对职业更感兴趣.

“The percentages of women entering the radiology field have remained around 27% a year, and those numbers for underrepresented minorities are even lower. 现在, there are so many opportunities for students and I’m hopeful in the future, we will start to see growth in the percentages that have remained stagnant for many years,帕特尔说.

In addition to helping launch the new rotation, Patel says one of the initiatives she’s most excited about is a newly launched genetics program within Liberty Hospital.

“Knowing your family history is very important because that could potentially warrant genetic consultation and then possible testing. That is why it's so important for a hospital system to have a genetics program and that's why we’ve worked really hard to have one here,她补充道.

While familial genetic indicators may be out of our control, Patel says everyone can proactively take steps to lower their risk of breast cancer.

“健康的饮食很重要, maintaining a body mass index that is within recommended limits is key because we know obesity is a risk factor for breast cancer. Moderate alcohol consumption and not smoking are also important ways to lower your risk,帕特尔说.

Regular screenings are also key in the fight against breast cancer. Patel says screening rates among women plummeted into the single digits during the pandemic due to the pause of routine screenings in Spring and early Summer of 2020 under advisement of the CDC. While the numbers have started to rebound, they’re still down about 13% compared to pre-pandemic.

“I always wanted to come back to the Midwest to assume a leadership position where I could make a difference and make an impact.——艾米·帕特尔

 

“We are particularly worried about women of color, who tend to be the ones with more barriers when it comes to access and education. 如果筛查率没有回升, we are worried that disparity could widen even further so it's really going to take the entire breast cancer community to come together and encourage patients of all backgrounds to get screened,帕特尔说.

Patel says 10月 is a good time to get screened and encourage friends and family to do so as well.

“Breast Cancer Awareness Month is not just about raising money for research; the awareness component is equally as important, and I love to see specialists coming together and encouraging others to go and get your mammogram.”