Dr. Nancy Nielsen, an associate dean at UB, is breaking new ground as the second woman ever to head the American Medical Association (AMA), the leading advocate for physicians nationwide.
As AMA president, Nielsen is responsible for such duties as speaking to the media, giving interviews and testifying before Congress on health care matters.
"I am honored and privileged to be the spokesperson for the medical profession," Nielsen said.
Nielsen will continue her current position as the senior associate dean of medical education in the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences while heading the national organization.
According to Nielsen, there were major challenges along the way to getting accepted in medical school, including prejudices against women and skepticism towards students that are parents.
"There was a bias against people who already had a career [and] a bias against older students," Nielsen said. "There was a clear bias against a woman who had five children."
The admissions committee of the medical school was concerned about Nielsen's ability to balance her family's needs and the academic demands, but accepted her into the program nonetheless.
"Despite their misgivings, they gave me a chance," she said.
Nielsen, along with five other select students, was allowed to complete the program in three years instead of four.
"We went all summer; there were no days off," she said. "It was tremendously helpful [and] saved a whole year of babysitting fees."
Nielsen studied at night, after her children went to bed.
One issue Nielsen hopes to tackle as president is the problem of citizens without health insurance.
"We have a plan to cover the uninsured [and] help the country find common ground," she said. "There are principles we can agree on and come to a solution so we can cover all Americans."
According to AMA's Web site, 46 million Americans are currently uninsured. This causes numerous problems such as suffering from avoidable illnesses, premature death and disparities of health based on race and income. The AMA notes that both lower and middle-class families are feeling these pressures. They are also worried about the rising costs of health care and their ability to find affordable health coverage for their families in the future.
Nielsen wants to provide individuals and families with greater choice in deciding which health care plan to join, and would like to see the country work together to solve this problem.
The need for affordable, quality health insurance is a crucial issue in light of the upcoming presidential election, according to Nielsen.
"Health care is an issue of critical importance, especially in a time of economic downturn," she said.
Nielsen grew up in West Virginia. She knew she wanted to be a doctor when she was 8 years old. She attended West Virginia University as a pre-med student and received a master's degree and a Ph.D. in clinical microbiology from Catholic University in Washington, D.C.
Nielsen joined the AMA after finishing medical school and becoming a practicing physician during the era of the counterculture of the 1970s when students "weren't joiners," she said.
"I was talked into it by other people," she said.
The prevailing view of the AMA was one of "pocketbook protection," she said. She began attending the meeting, which changed her opinion about the organization.
"I found out that the AMA does many other things," she said, noting the organization's focus on education and public health. "I didn't know that at the time."
She is also one of the primary advocates for the AMA's "Voice of the Uninsured" campaign. The AMA is working to advocate health care plan that would allow all Americans access to affordable health insurance.
"It's time for the country to set aside their differences and try to get to a solution," Nielsen said.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
