“I was born and raised in Beijing, China, where I went to medical school. After medical school, I arrived in Hanover, NH in August 1993 on a student scholarship to become a graduate student here. I had never been on an airplane or travelled internationally, and I tried to sleep, but was so excited I couldn’t. It was interesting on the flight to see a beautiful, tall, blonde flight attendant serving me, and really gave me the impression that I had made it.
I chose the field of cardiology because you can get immediate results. If a patient has a heart attack, you can send them to the catheterization laboratory and open up clogged arteries. There is also so much innovation in cardiology, such as novel ways of fixing heart valve disease without open heart surgery. When I was doing rotations as a resident, I realized that I enjoy action and technology.
The biggest obstacle is realizing my ability and building my confidence, which I believe is very valuable. I want to make a difference. Being a woman from another country, I feel like I have imposter syndrome. I made it here because I am lucky or somehow someone helped me. But I have gradually realized that I worked hard and have the best credentials I can to lead the team. I was asked to be the Chief of cardiology, the largest section at Dartmouth Hitchcock, which is an honor and a dream come true to come back to Dartmouth. Nine months in, I am beginning to get the hang of the rhythm.
I come into any challenge or unfamiliar project with the mindset to show up to improve, not show up to prove. I don’t have to prove myself to anyone, I just need to do a good job. When I go into a board room, I am often the only woman in the room, especially early in my career. Being the only Asian woman in the room, I have to be a little indifferent to looking different, and just focus on getting things done.
I look forward to my daughters having the same opportunity to go into boardrooms and feel as if they have a say. That is part of the reason why I took the position as Chief. Sometimes it is easier to just take care of patients, but I want to set an example for the next generation, and this is the way to do it–tough it out, do the hard job, and set a precedent. In the 60-year history of Dartmouth Cardiology, the chief has always been a white man. I think that being a woman leading the largest section in Dartmouth-Hitchcock will set an example for the next generation of physicians pursuing excellence and leadership. When I applied to become a cardiologist, only about 5% of the cardiology workforce were women, but now it is about 10-15%. Over the past 20 years, we have made a difference, but not enough.” – Dr. Cynthia Taub, Hanover, NH
