Ed Ostrin
BIO
Assistant Professor and medical doctor (MD/PhD) at MD Anderson Cancer Center (US). I have 4 children, aged 9, 12, 14, and 16.
Twitter: @phlegmMDPhD
Ed Ostrin
“We have always found the ability to create a sanctum of stability at home and to support each other even through the hardest times.”
I knew as an undergraduate that I wanted to pursue medicine on a scientific basis, and I was able to finagle myself into an MD/PhD program. While graduate and medical education certainly opened my eyes in countless ways (and especially providing care to underserved communities), my marriage to a clinician-scientist has been just as illustrative. My wife and I married in my second year of my MD/PhD program, and the first year of her OD/PhD.
At every stage, my wife has had to work harder and smarter than I have. We had our first daughter while I was in graduate school, and while we try to split child care responsibilities, invariably she has borne the brunt of the childcare. This was magnified with our subsequent three children, born when I was in medical school, residency, and fellowship.
She has afforded me a space apart from the all-encompassing work of medical school, residency, and fellowship. I still feel guilty about not lending her adequate support during my residency, when she had a postdoc that was not turning out according to plan and had three young children at home. As a result of her relentless effort as junior faculty, she has a blossoming career and has become an expert in her field. In this, she has become a role model for my junior faculty development.
We have always found the ability to create a sanctum of stability at home and to support each other even through the hardest times. We are able to take pride in each other’s accomplishments in an automatic way, with a deep understanding of things like “minor revision” or “impact scores” or “tenure clock."
In today’s day, it is important to recognise our own privilege. As an immigrant, my parents worked hard to provide an environment where I could pursue an MD/PhD. My training has allowed me to live on both coasts and be exposed to a broad swath of humanity, and especially has led me to see how medicine and science can fail so many people.
It is a life mission for both of us to address these challenges head on, and to not only serve as examples to our children, but to mentor, educate, and share our privilege.