Sarah Collins
Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Northwestern Feinburg School of Medicine
“Nobody that I knew or grew up with was a doctor so my family was largely learning about the path to becoming a doctor with me.”
Read Dr. Sarah’s full profile below
What do you do every day?
It differs from day to day. Somedays I see woman in my office for doctors appointments for pelvic floor problems. The pelvic floor problems I take care of are usually from childbirth and they involve the bladder, the uterus, and really all of the pelvic organs. I talk to woman about their treatment options. On other days I operate on those problems in which I do surgeries to fix pelvic floor disorders. Other days I do research where I'm interested in studying reasons for the problems that woman experience after childbirth or other disorders that can happen even outside of childbirth finding ways to best take care of them.
Why do you love it?
I love what I do because it allows me to very directly and immediately provide relief to a lot of woman. The interventions I am able to offer make people feel better, especially with problems that may be very embarrassing or demoralizing for them. Being able to fix that is very rewarding.
What were your moments of fear and challenges in your career?
Oh sure there were many, before I was in medical school worrying whether or not I would be accepted to medical school and learning along the way that once I'm in medical school what it takes to get through it. Having fear about where I was going to end up as a resident, because its a match process and you don't really know until the morning of match day. In residency, almost every day there is a moment of doubt, until you realize what you are good at, what you're not good at, ways you can learn, ways that you can make deadly mistakes and ways to save someone quickly. There are these moments everyday. After that there was a fellowship after my residency, so again another match and another worry if I would end up doing what I want to do. Now I am challenged by different patients and what I can do for them, and ways I can look out for them.
What are some of the latest innovations in science that you are most excited about?
I'd say that some of the most interesting work that I believe being done is genetics. I say this without having any direct application into the work. The strives we are making in genetic science is amazing. We are able to identify more what predispositions people have. For pelvic floor disorders I think it's going to be an exciting future determining the genetic codes associated with pelvic floor problems.
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in the Detroit area. I lived there until I graduated from high school and then I came back after medical school. It was very middle class; I was a kid who was involved in sports, swimming, and I had very supportive parents. Nobody that I knew or grew up with was a doctor so my family was largely learning about the path to becoming a doctor with me. I lived in a neighborhood where you rode your bike anywhere so I walked to school; I had a relatively uneventful childhood.
Who was your favorite teacher and why?
Mr. Morrow, he was my calculus teacher in high school. He was very stern but was actually a sweet man on the inside; he was very happy when we did well. He had a way of explaining things when we got into the classroom and make calculus make sense. I often asked questions that other students laughed about because they thought they were too basic or stupid. But he always believed they were smart and had an answer that made things easier for me.
What is your unique talent?
I connect with people easily. A lot of people are good clinicians and good scientists but I connect with people easily; I explain things to them in ways that they understand and that puts them at ease.
Is there a current book or book you love?
I read all of Jane Austin's books; they are still my favorite. I recently read a book that I found very moving called "Me Before You" by Jojo Moyes, a novel about a woman who is taking care of a quadriplegic man, it was a really good book.
Who inspires you?
The patients I meet everyday. I usually have one or two who make me think and show me something inspiring.
What’s next for you?
I am working right now at developing a research career here at the University of Chicago where I can learn more about pelvic floor disorders and improve our approach to treatment in the future. I would like to make the profession better understood by patients and the treatments less intimidating for patients. Research developing is finding the potential to make that happen, I am most focused on that in terms of my next big step.
