“No girl as nice as you will ever survive in this world.”

I recall voices like that ringing loudly in my early career. Often, I would hear comments that questioned my suitability for the field that I loved. The drumbeat of stereotypes about physical strength, combined with concerns about proper radiation protection and a reluctance to see women as experts, were enough to make anyone question this career path.

While the field is more supportive now and the number of women in interventional cardiology is growing, some still hold onto an older way of thinking that women are not built – on the inside or outside – to conduct heart procedures. Even today, I’ve had patients not believe I was a doctor. They assumed I was the nurse. Admittedly, it can be very easy for a woman to get pushed out of this field if your passion doesn’t burn bright. Use that passion to block out the doubters and look for supporters who believe in you.

For me, I wouldn’t be where I am today at WellSpan Health without my mentors, and I’m so grateful that I continued to “look for the good.” From Drs. Gilchrist and Abbott who empower women to be a part of interventional cardiology, to Drs. Lombardi, Kearney and McCabe at the University of Washington. Those were the voices I surrounded myself with, and it’s that motivation that got me where I am today. At my UW year-long fellowship I was able to participate in over 400 chronic total occlusion percutaneous coronary interventions (CTO/PCI).

Then in 2020, I was afforded the opportunity to bring my training back to Pennsylvania to WellSpan York Hospital where we are pioneering advances in interventional cardiology and sharing that knowledge with institutions across the globe. WellSpan York Hospital interventional cardiologists have earned this international recognition especially for our ability to perform complicated CTO/PCI.

Because of the intense training required and the difficulty of the procedure, which takes between two and four hours, not every hospital performs CTO/PCI. WellSpan York Hospital, however, is among the top hospitals in the country, based on the volume of CTO/PCI procedures, performing approximately 250 annually with referrals from up and down the East Coast.

What we’re able to accomplish with interventional cardiology these days is remarkable from a purely scientific perspective. From a human perspective, I remain in awe of the resiliency of our patients and am humbled by every interaction and even more humbled by every thank you card I receive. As medical professionals, it’s easy to focus on the cutting-edge technology, science and medicine, but for me, relationships are at the heart of what we do. And the foundation for a trusting relationship is honesty. I was always raised that honesty is the best policy. The more honest we are up front, the less regret we’ll have down the road.

I’m up front with them with my patients about what we can do, and what we can’t do to help them. Forming that trust goes a long way as my patients and I travel their healthcare journey together.

I’m also up front with those who may be thinking about the interventional cardiology path as a career: It’s not easy, but it’s worth it. You’ll increase your chances of success and your own satisfaction if you find a mentor who is right for you. To this day, I will still connect with my mentors about cases, and they keep me on track. In fact, I’ve made it a point to make myself available for those early in their career looking for advice to help them succeed on the track they set out on, and to believe in themselves and their goals. Networking opportunities are blossoming that didn’t exist before. Be the best interventionalist that you can be and don’t be deterred from following your dreams.

Growing up, my father was my best friend, and when I lost him to cancer a couple years ago I felt more resolve than ever before to live the life I’ve set out to lead and to follow my dreams no matter what artificial roadblocks may be thrown up along the way.  My colleagues, and indeed my patients, should know that when presented with a challenge, that’s when I rise up to meet it.

Written by Rhian E. Davies, DO, MS, FACC, FSCAI