PHOTOGRAPHY: JESSE JONES, UF HEALTH CREATIVE SERVICES
MARCH/APRIL 2018
OUR TOWN MAGAZINE
SURGEON >> DR. LISA SPIGUEL
Now, her family has been in Gainesville since 2012. Her husband also works for UF Health as an orthopaedic surgeon in the Oncology and Trauma divisions. The two are parents to 9-yearold Cristian, 5-year-old Alex and 2-year-old Livia. “We have a lot of family support that makes it doable, but I think in general, having a significant other that is in the same profession makes it doable,” Spiguel said. “It makes it harder in regard to time commitment, but it makes it easier in regards to understanding, like when we’re in the OR later than expected. We know why – we’ve been there.” During the weekdays, they care for their patients, but the weekends are strictly for family, starting with dinner at Spiguel’s mother-in-law’s house every Friday night joined by her sister-in-law and her kids. Saturday mornings are devoted to Both Spiguel and her husband are surgeons with UF Health. the kids’ sports and maintaining “My husband was very the household. supportive,” Spiguel said. “I do the best I can to show my “We’ve been married going on children that I don’t do work out17 years. We were both medical side of the hospital,” Spiguel said. students together and we talked a lot about it and the time “So if it’s waking up at 5 [a.m.] on [commitment], and he said, Saturday and Sunday before they ‘you need to do this.’” are up or staying up late to do work after they go to bed, I do my best to do that.” Her children have a relative idea that she is a doctor, Spiguel footsteps, her advice is to them is to be passionate about what they do and to love it, just like she does. said, but they probably don’t know all of the different roles she “I just tell them that I wouldn’t want any other job. But then, plays throughout the week. I also tell them that you need to have a job like that. Whatever She sees establishing relationships with patients as a clinician you do as a woman, you need to have a job where you want to and working with a team of brilliant minds as one of the most be there,” Spiguel said. rewarding parts of her job. “You just need to make sure you’ve got the support, and it “My role as a breast surgeon is to advance the care that our works. But surgery is not easy – I don’t want to sugarcoat it,” breast cancer patients receive in the community. By doing that, she said. “But if you have that endurance, you have that determy goal is to make UF a leader in the field,” Spiguel said. mination, you have that drive, then don’t not do it. Because it’s In addition to caring for her patients, she teaches students, doable.” interns and residents and mentors young surgeons. As Spiguel continues to care for patients, teach future surSince she joined UF Health, four of her residents have decided to go into breast cancer surgery and have accepted fellowships geons and raise her children, her mission is to make UF Health a center of excellence for breast care and advance the care that across the country. “From a mentoring standpoint, that’s very rewarding,” Spiguel her patients receive. “I feel very blessed that I chose this profession,” Spiguel said. “It’s really rewarding to see residents get passionate about said. “Because almost every day of my career, I think, ‘Wow – I it and for me to be able to support their career.” did such an awesome thing today.’” As far as the young female surgeons that will follow in her
| 71
71