What inspired you to work in sexual medicine?

During my residency, we frequently engaged in major cancer surgeries where the primary emphasis was on extending the patient's lifespan. However, I soon realized that for many, the quality of life was equally paramount. This realization drew me towards urology subspecialties emphasizing life quality. Sexual medicine emerged as an initial interest within the context of cancer survivorship, and it expanded from there.

What inspired you to work in sexual medicine?

I always knew I wanted to be a psychologist, but I didn't have a clear idea of a specialty. I was interested in people, their relationships, and their stories. My first internship was in a community family counseling center. It quickly became apparent that no one at the center had any idea of how to work with those experiencing sexual complaints, and no one was really interested in discussing sex with patients. I saw a need to be filled and I volunteered to get specialty training and take on these cases. That was 40+ years ago and the rest is history!

What inspired you to work in sexual medicine?

My experience working with combat-injured soldiers at Walter Reed is what sparked my interest in sexual medicine. We had many young soldiers with devastating genital trauma from dismounted IED (improvised explosive device) blasts. Even as a medical student, I was very interested in the surgeries and medical treatments we provided these patients to help maintain their sexual function and fertility potential. I remember having a patient with a traumatic loss of his scrotum who had thigh pouches created for his testicles until he was stable enough for reconstructive surgery. I had no idea these types of surgeries even existed. I immediately wanted to learn more, and I signed up for a Urology elective. From there, I knew early on that I had found my future career path.

What inspired you to work in sexual medicine?
This developed all the way back to PA school. I questioned why we weren't learning about the clitoris and female pleasure, but were learning about erections and male low testosterone. Sexual health is far more than just how the genitals work and this inspired me to learn more about the sexual response cycle and the biopsychosocial model to understand what fueled an individual's sexual appetite. Plus, this is a taboo topic filled with shame and embarrassment. I really wanted to break down those barriers and help people optimize their pleasure.

What inspired you to work in sexual medicine?
The urologists with whom I worked as a medical student were a very happy bunch. It seemed to me they loved the mix of patient interaction, clinic procedures, and surgery. I did a rotation at the prestigious Sexual Health Center at the University of Minnesota and realized there was an unmet need that could also lead to a fulfilling career.

What inspired you to work in sexual medicine?
I was inspired by the opportunity to contribute to the effort of protecting cancer patients' quality of life after treatment.

What inspired you to work in sexual medicine?
I was very lucky to have been trained in Urology by a pioneer in the field of sexual medicine, Dr. Tom Lue. Through the course of my residency at UCSF, we wrote up many abstracts on the diagnosis and management of erectile dysfunction. Travel to present the science introduced me to cast of now famous investigators and clinicians: Irwin Goldstein, Ira Sharlip, and Ronald Lewis. In turn, I became a colleague and friend to their trainees: Larry Hakim, Gerald Brock, Hossein Sadeghi-Nejad, John Mulhall, and Wayne Hellstrom.

What inspired you to work in sexual medicine?
I was inspired initially to pursue andrology through work with my mentor, Dr. Peter Stahl, during my urology residency. After witnessing the major improvements in the quality of life of men and their partners and the unique relationships with these patients, I knew this was the field for me. I am inspired daily by my patients and strive to continue enhancing ways for men to access treatments for sexual dysfunction.