Martha Boone, MD

Thriving in Medicine: The Power of Boundaries, Focus, and Self-Care in a Demanding Profession

Tell Us About Your Career Path

I was one of the first 100 women board certified in Urology in the United States. I began my career when the field was 98% male urologists.
I loved being a surgery and urology resident at Charity Hospital in New Orleans and loved my time at Tulane University Medical Center. Tulane was ahead of the curve in training women in Urology.

I retired after 35 years to write full time. My nonfiction book, The Unfettered Urologist and my two novels, The Big Free and Mother Charity have been very well accepted in the medical world.
I enjoy teaching and speaking engagements as a retired urologist.

Can you Cite Any Particular Instance or Individuals that influenced your choices?

As a urologist, I only ever had male mentors. At Tulane, I was well supported by Dr. Blackwell Evans,
Dr. Raju Thomas and Dr. Norman McSwain.
My very favorite female urologists are Dr. Catherine DeVries, Dr. Martha Terris and Dr. Jenelle Foote who have been valued colleagues.

What Challenges have you Faced in your Medical Career?

I retired because the over regulation of our industry became overwhelming. I feel that I have a wealth of wisdom from 7 years of post medical school residency and fellowship training and 35 years of practice. Our system does not support part time work for surgeons.

Have you had an Ah-Ha moment? Or is there anything else that has impacted your career trajectory or work within or outside medicine that has been a significant influence?

I knew that Tulane was the place for me to train when the Chairman never asked me a single question related to my being female. He only cared that I was committed to excellent patient care. I knew sitting in his office in the first five minutes that this short fat bald man from Virginia was the one to train me. I knew on a deeper level that the package a person comes in does not matter. My respect for my own intuition was born in that moment.

Given your lived experiences, do you have any advice for women in medicine?

Always keep your eye on your ball. Do not let outside issues distract you from taking excellent care of your patients. There is no such thing as work-life balance. It is a myth. But, every day, know that you can’t give what you don’t have. Preserve your energy for what really matters to you and don’t let others sap your vital life force with engagement in matters that don’t further your own life goals.

I was in SOLO private practice for 25 years. I took my own call and never had an answering service. I could do it because I was a good communicator, took excellent care of my patients and had very strong boundaries around what I could and could not do.