Written by: Pooja Shah
Dr. Brittany Jackson is from Lewes, DE. She completed her undergraduate schooling at the University of Delaware, and graduated from Thomas Jefferson University – Sidney Kimmel Medical College with her M.D. in 2013. Her class comprised of 55% females – 137/250 students were female. She is currently doing her residency in OB/GYN at George Washington University. Interestingly, Thomas Jefferson University was the last medical school of accept women but the first to have a female Dean.
Journey to Ob/Gyn: Initially, Dr. Jackson was interested in Family Medicine and was actually told not to do OB/GYN because of the lifestyle, but she really believed that you should do wha you love. She had a small group leader who was practicing OB/GYN in medical school, and they got along really well, and loved what her small group leader did as her profession. Dr. Jackson was also a part of an ACOG program called “Adopt a mom” during MS1 in which she got to follow an expecting mom through her prenatal care and delivery. She also did research in Maternal Fetal Medicine and gained exposure in the field of OB/GYN through that. She was president of the ACOG interest group at her medical school and saw how diverse OB/GYN is. Finally, during rotations she loved her Surgical and Ob/Gyn rotations but chose Ob/Gyn because of her prior experiences and the complexity, diversity, and advocacy aspects that Ob/Gyn had to offer.
A memorable moment from your medical career: The first two years of residency have been the most memorable for Dr. Jackson. Her residency program consists of 9 residents, and she describes it as a “9-way-marriage.” The class really becomes a family and works together. And the transition from MS4 to residency is like a “slap to your ego” – it is a huge transition but having the support of the other residents helped her make the transition.
If you had to do it over again, would you?
“Yes….if exempt from Step 1.”
One aspect of your career you have really enjoyed: “In the OR, I really love my job. I love being able to connect with the patient in that kind of way, and caring for the women in and out of the OR.”
What advice would you give to those of us who are currently studying for a medical career? “Take deep breaths. Don’t lose the forest for the trees. Maintain your relationships with your friends and family. And have appropriate outlets for stress.”
