[ ADVOCACY MATTERS ]
THE HEALING POWER OF
COMPASSION When someone is diagnosed with a disease such as lymphoma, the relationship between a patient and their doctor is crucial. It is not only the cornerstone to their care, but also has a critical impact on their mindset and often even their long-term outcome. For Kami Maddocks, MD of The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, the bonds she creates with her patients go far beyond the call of duty of a doctor and are the most rewarding aspect of her work.
PULSE | SUMMER EDITION 2021
DREAMS OF BECOMING A DOCTOR Born and raised in South Dakota, Dr. Maddocks always had her sights set on becoming a doctor. “My parents say that as a little girl, I always said I would become a doctor when I grew up,” says Dr. Maddocks. As a young child, she had dreams of becoming an OBGYN and delivering babies, but her interests changed drastically during her first year of medical school. “I was attending a biochemistry lecture about oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes, and I found the science so fascinating,” says Dr. Maddocks. “Following the lecture, I went back to my apartment with my roommate and said, ‘I just cannot believe that everybody would not want to be an oncologist, this science is so interesting.’”
