Interview with Margaret Westland, January 13, 2016

Partial Transcript: Hi, I'm Karen Clancy.

Segment Synopsis: Westland gives an overview of her career, stating that she has lived in over fifty locations in her lifetime while holding medical licenses from six different states. She then describes what careers she dreamed of having when she was younger. She says that she wanted to be a teacher or a musician. She says that she also wanted to do something in the sciences. She tells of what classes she took in high school and the influences in her life.

Keywords: Careers; Childhood; Creative writing; Education; Family; Health; Medicine; University of Louisville

Subjects: Childhood; Education, Higher--Kentucky; Families.; Health; Medical education; Medicine.; Universities and colleges--Departments

Partial Transcript: I ended up going to medical school in a very peculiar way.

Segment Synopsis: Westland describes how she ended up in medical school. She also describes how she met her husband. She says that she originally wanted to get a degree in medical technology but chose to go to medical school after her husband pushed her to. She says that she applied to the University of Louisville and the University of Kentucky and was accepted by both. She says that she then decided to go to the University of Kentucky.

Keywords: Education; Medical schools; Medicine; University of Kentucky; University of Louisville; Women physicians

Subjects: Education; Education, Higher--Kentucky; Medical education; University of Kentucky. College of Medicine; University of Kentucky. Medical Center; Women physicians.

Partial Transcript: Okay, so you get to UK, you get accepted, you decide that's where you're going. So can you remember what it felt like that first week or two when you got into medical school?

Segment Synopsis: Westland discusses starting medical school at the University of Kentucky. She discusses moving to Lexington and marrying her husband. She then discusses her interests and classes in medical school.

Keywords: Education; Health; Medical schools; Medicine; University of Kentucky

Subjects: Education; Education, Higher--Kentucky; Health; Medical education; Medicine.; Universities and colleges--Departments; University of Kentucky. College of Medicine; University of Kentucky. Medical Center

Partial Transcript: So then, the next two years you're in clinicals.

Segment Synopsis: Westland discusses her clinical trials. She describes how she and her husband decided to have a baby before she started clinicals. She says that she delivered in front of her class. She then describes how she took care of her daughter while in clinicals. She then talks about her clerkships and various areas, including her favorites and least favorites.

Keywords: Childbirth; Clinicals; Education; Family; Health; Higher education; Medical education; Medical schools; Medicine; University of Kentucky; University of Kentucky College of Medicine; University of Kentucky Medical Center

Subjects: Education; Education, Higher--Kentucky; Families.; Health; Medical education; Medicine.; Universities and colleges--Departments; University of Kentucky. College of Medicine; University of Kentucky. Medical Center

Partial Transcript: Okay, tell me about some of your other experiences in, in working with students in your class.

Segment Synopsis: Westland describes her best friend Judy Donovan. She also talks about her neuro-anatomy class where her female teacher had a great impact on her. She then talks about going on rounds and interacting with patients.

Keywords: Education; Family; Health; Higher education; Medical education; Medicine; University of Kentucky College of Medicine; University of Kentucky Medical Center

Subjects: Education; Education, Higher--Kentucky; Families.; Health; Medical education; Medicine.; Universities and colleges--Departments; University of Kentucky. College of Medicine; University of Kentucky. Medical Center

Partial Transcript: Do you, um--what do you remember about, um, balancing your family life--I mean you had a child in, in medical school--with your patients and your education?

Segment Synopsis: Westland discusses balancing her medical education and her family life. She says that she got an internship at a Catholic hospital in California and moved her family there. She also describes the relationships between women patients and female doctors.

Keywords: Education; Family; Health; Internships; Medical education; Medical internships; Medical schools; Medicine; Nuns; University of Kentucky College of Medicine; University of Kentucky Medical Center

Subjects: Education; Education, Higher--Kentucky; Families.; Health; Medical education; Medicine.; Universities and colleges--Departments; University of Kentucky. College of Medicine; University of Kentucky. Medical Center

Partial Transcript: Well go ahead and start talking about your jobs 'cause you've some really wonderful, uh, jobs.

Segment Synopsis: Westland discusses her various jobs she's had in her career. She describes working in student health in Tallahassee, Florida. She also talks about being a gynecologist and treating septic abortions. She also talks about women in the medical field. She then describes how she came to specialize in epidemiology and infectious diseases. She says that she then got a degree in public health. Westland then talks about her various jobs.

Keywords: Education; Epidemiology; Family; Health; Medical education; Medicine; Public health; Women in medicine; Women physicians

Subjects: Education, Higher--Kentucky; Epidemiology; Families.; Health; Medical education; Medicine.; Physician and patient.; Physicians (General practice); Women physicians.

Partial Transcript: So you were in West Palm Beach and how long were you there?

Segment Synopsis: Westland describes the changing role of women in medicine in the United States. She also explains how the University of Kentucky influenced her and changed her mindset about community and public health. She also discusses the changes in women's health, such as birth control.

Keywords: Epidemiology; Family; Health; Higher education; Medical education; Medicine; Physicians and patients; Public health; Women physicians

Subjects: Education, Higher--Kentucky; Epidemiology; Families.; Health; Medical education; Medicine.; Physician and patient.; Women physicians.

Partial Transcript: So, okay, so you've done a lot of public health community medicine types of, of work, so how did you get into the, the drug company business?

Segment Synopsis: Westland describes how she got into the drug industry. She says that a drug group led by Keith Borden was looking for a trained epidemiologist and they hired her. She describes the group that she worked for and how they worked with drug companies and the FDA. She says that she was developing medical coding systems for drug companies.

Keywords: Drugs; Epidemiology; Food and Drug Administration (FDA); Health; Keith Borden; Medical drugs; Medications; Medicine; Pharmaceutical industry; Pharmaceuticals; Public health; Ronald Reagan; Women physicians

Subjects: Drugs; Epidemiology; Food and Drug Administration.; Health; Medicine; Public health.; Women physicians.

Partial Transcript: Well, who were some of your mentors, um, when you were a student or when you were in your career, who were some of your mentors and what did they do?

Segment Synopsis: Westland describes the various mentors that she has had throughout her education and career. She tells of her chemistry in high school, Mr. Harrison, who promoted having women in science. She says that her creative writing professor, Harvey Webster, was also a huge influence on her. She also says that a woman in Student Affairs at the University of Louisville named Polly Belmer was an influence. She also describes her father and how they had a close relationship.

Keywords: Careers; Childhood; Creative writing; Education; Family; Health; Medicine; Mentors; Role models; University of Louisville

Subjects: Careers; Childhood; Education; Families.; Health; Medicine.; University of Louisville

Partial Transcript: What, um, what would you--what kind of advice would you give educators today?

Segment Synopsis: Westland gives her advice to both educators and students. She also talks about the various protests and movements she was a part of. Westland describes the impact that she has hoped to have made on people. She also tells various stories from her career and work with patients. She also talks about her own writing, including her published poetry as well as her submissions to medical journals.

Keywords: Careers; Education; Family; Health; Medicine

Subjects: Careers; Childhood; Education; Families.; Health; Medicine.