BOSTON — Faith Robertson’s inspiration to become a doctor dates to her childhood.
Robertson, a neurosurgery senior resident at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, credits her passion for healthcare to a pivotal moment she endured as a teen.
When Robertson was 14 years old, her mother, now healthy, was diagnosed with breast cancer.
“That diagnosis, the kind she had for women in their 40s, was really a very poor prognosis,” she said.
Her mother was then entered into a research study at The Ohio State University.
Born and raised in Shelby, Robertson said the community came together to support her family.
“That was a very scary time,” she said. “We just felt so much love and support from the community.
“My (mother’s) past, seeing her go from a patient to a survivor when I was so young, is what inspired me to become a doctor.”
‘Doing it like a girl’
Robertson will be one of four featured speakers at a Harvard Business School MyTake, March 6, hosted in the university’s Klarman Auditorium.
According to a Harvard Business School blog post, a MyTake is a “student-run event that allows two to four students to share personal stories that you may not hear about in the classroom.”
Robertson, who plans to touch on neurosurgery during her talk, said she will focus on her experience as a woman in the medical field. She will also explore how both men and women can help promote more gender parity in the medical field.
International Women’s Day, occurring two days later on March 8, has inspired the theme of the MyTake, she said.
“Initially, when I entered medical school, I had kind of written off neurosurgery,” Robertson said.
“I thought that it was a pretty intense field, I didn’t know that much about the brain, and it was extremely male-dominated. And that gave me some pause at first.”
She said at that time, around 5 to 8 percent of all practicing neurosurgeons were women.
Robertson admitted these ideas led her to form some bias.
“I also thought ‘It’s just a bunch of guys with big egos,'” she said. “But when I have a bias, I try to challenge that.”
Furthermore, Robertson said she also plans to discuss challenges she’s faced with other women while navigating her career.
“Kindness and empowering individuals goes so much further than trying to compete and be the alpha female,” she said.
2009 Shelby High School graduate
Robertson earned her bachelor’s degree in biology, with a chemistry minor, from Duke University in 2013, graduating with high distinction.
She spent the following year conducting research at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland.
In 2019, Robertson graduated cum laude from Harvard Medical School, where she earned her Doctorate of Medicine.
While at Harvard, she spent a year in the United Kingdom earning her master’s degree in global health and global surgery from King’s College London.
Robertson is in year five of her seven-year neurosurgery residency at Mass General. She’s set to finish the residency in 2026.
Residents are given a few years for research purposes, said Robertson, who’s currently using the opportunity to earn a master’s degree in business administration from Harvard Business School.
“I guess you could say I’m a lifelong learner,” she said with a laugh.
Harvard grad overcame early obstacles
Robertson’s childhood was spent on a farm, running around barefoot and tending to a variety of animals.
She was heavily involved in sports throughout the community, including softball, cross country, track and basketball.
Valedictorian of Shelby High School’s 2009 graduating class, Robertson was inducted into her alma mater’s Hall of Distinction in 2019.
Furthermore, she was the featured commencement speaker at Shelby High School’s graduation the same year.
“I’ve given many talks over the years, a lot of scientific talks, and I still think that’s one of the most meaningful talks I’ve ever given,” Robertson said.
While reflecting on her own journey after graduation, Robertson recalled facing a sea of doubt.
“Even when I applied to Duke, a lot of people, sadly, didn’t believe in me,” she said, “or told me that I was being ‘Unrealistic’ or ‘Don’t get your hopes up.'”
Robertson, who said she nearly failed out of Duke her freshman year, hopes sharing her own experiences and challenges can serve as motivation to students in her hometown.
“I was living with a ton of imposter syndrome,” she said. “I really had to figure out how to ask for help, seek resources and refocus.
“That was part of the story that I shared with the graduating class that year (2019) and some of the challenges I had. But hopefully, to also tell my story, did service some inspiration that this is all possible.”
Embracing a ‘growth mindset’
When Robertson arrived at Duke, she noticed how many of her peers were already familiar with an advanced style curriculum.
This challenge inspired her to work with teachers and administrators at Shelby High School to guide the implementation and expansion of AP courses.
“It was incredible to see how much they’re (Shelby) continuing to stretch their wings and push the envelope to grow as a community and a high school,” the Shelby native said.
“Now they have multiple AP courses and they’re really leaning into trying to develop the curriculum there to be a strong educational platform.”
When asked what advice she’d share today, Robertson said she’d tell students to “embrace a growth mindset.”
“If you’re having a challenge, or not doing as well as you want to, it doesn’t mean you’re not skilled enough or your incompetent,” she said.
“It means that, if you lean into that (mindset), you can grow. We’re constantly evolving, and if you’re better today than you were yesterday, you’re moving on that path.”
Robertson also explained the value of supporting those around you.
“Be the encourager,” she said. “Those few words, of positive feedback for someone, can be so influential and it costs you nothing.
“Even though it sounds crazy, it might be the difference between someone actually becoming a Harvard doctor or not.”