Carey Jansen
BIO
Cancer immunologist pursuing dual degree MD/PhD training at Emory University in Atlanta (US). Mother of one.
Instagram: @carey.jansen
Twitter: @careyjans
Carey Jansen
“Each day is changing and brings new gifts and new challenges—both in my training and in motherhood.”
I fell in love with the confluence of science and medicine as a young girl, and I have also dreamed of motherhood for as long as I can remember. I grew up on a farm and was fortunate to discover my passion for science and medicine at an early age through spending time with my father, a veterinarian, and his colleagues at the nearby veterinary school in our town. I earned my Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Virginia in 2015, where I spent time as a researcher in infectious diseases and double majored in Global Public Health, which gave me the opportunity to study both my interests—basic science and human health. I continued on this journey by matriculating to the Medical Scientist Training Program (dual MD/PhD program) at Emory University.
I was fortunate to have incredible research mentors before beginning my PhD—both esteemed academicians and clinicians and truly remarkable people who encouraged me to pursue my dreams and demonstrated to me that it was possible to have a family and a career in science and medicine.
I am grateful now to have found another mentor in my PhD advisor who has supported me throughout my training, and most importantly, as I have become a mother. But despite this important support, being a mother and an MD/PhD student has been a journey full of ups and downs. The MD/PhD training pathway is one that is full of transitions with many times that feel full of ‘newness,’ and motherhood is not dissimilar. Each day is changing and brings new gifts and new challenges—both in my training and in motherhood.
There are things that are hard, to be certain, about being a student-parent in particular. For instance, even though I chose a supportive mentor, it was still incredibly nerve-wracking to share the news that I was pregnant. The process of setting up my maternity leave was not always straightforward, especially as my maternity leave ended and the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic began, which ultimately delayed my graduation due to university shutdowns and lack of childcare options.
As a mother, there are different demands on my time than many of my peers, and since becoming a mother, I’ve had to learn to adapt to a new pace of life and a new pace of work. It is tempting to let these challenges of being a student-parent feel insurmountable, but I continue to, strive for, cling to, and choose hope. I fight to continue believing in my dreams—both for my career and my family.
I seek to give myself grace and to cultivate gratefulness for my supportive home and work environments. And I strive to use that good fortune as a springboard for advocating for others—and for a better and more inclusive academic system that proudly supports women and mothers.
Often motherhood in STEMM fields can feel isolating, but there are many of us that deeply love both motherhood and our careers. It is not an easy road—we may long for our babies when we are at work and crave the chance to flex our intellectual muscles when we’re at home with our families. It can be hard to serve both of these roles well, and even harder to feel that I am keeping afloat, let alone excelling in either role. But despite this, coming home to a gleeful shriek and an enthusiastic hug from my toddler is resoundingly worth it all. So perhaps that is our best weapon and our shining moment as mothers in science—that we are the people who can fight through any challenges thrown our way and stay the course despite the storms we may weather.
Based on some profound truths spoken to me by a cherished mentor, I firmly believe that I am a better scientist and a better physician-in-training because I am a mother. And I am a better mother because I am a scientist and aspiring physician.
I am my best self at work because I am a mother, and I am the best mother I can be because I am empowered by a passion for my work. I have to remind myself of this regularly, as it is easy to slip into doubting whether I can juggle everything before me, but I am lucky to be surrounded by people who will speak the truth to me when I can’t speak it to myself: you can do this, you are doing this, and you are doing it well.