Dr. Claire Massagee Lanier, MD still fondly remembers the hum of the hospital corridors from her childhood, her mother’s background as a nurse, and her father’s colleagues pulling him aside to speak “medicalese.” At the time, she could only wonder what they were saying. “It felt like really important work was being done at the hospital. I loved to visit, or even just drive by,” she reminisces.  

Now, Lanier is at the forefront of medical care as she prepares to finish her residency in a few months. Wrapping up residency, she’s reflecting on the difficulty of being a woman in medicine, the culture between doctors and nurses, and how creativity has been a lifeline as she navigates her experiences in healthcare.

To celebrate Doctor’s Day, The Nursing Beat sat down with Lanier, our first interview with an MD, to honor the collaboration between nurses and our physician partners. 

Q: How did you get into medicine?

A: My father was a physician, and my mom was a nurse, so I grew up around medicine.

However, my father told me, “Medicine is hard for women,” and to consider all potential career options. I didn’t pursue medicine initially during college. It wasn’t until my dad had a major heart attack that I felt called to medicine. I did explore other healthcare roles besides being a physician, but ultimately, medicine felt like the right path. 

I went back to school, took some prerequisites, and was grateful to get into medical school at Wake Forest School of Medicine in North Carolina, and am now a radiation oncology resident. I’ll finish my residency in June.  

Q: Why did you choose radiation oncology?

A: I ended up in radiation oncology because I really liked the intersection of technology and medicine, as well as the nice balance of having new patients and new cases, but getting to follow patients through their treatments. 

Like most specialties in medicine, there’s a lot of multi-disciplinary work. We work with other physicians, nurses, radiation therapists, physicists, radiation biologists, and every type of surgeon. 

I feel like people facing cancer have a perspective on life that I don’t have, and you almost can’t have unless you’re facing something trying to take your life. 

Q: How do you feel about the phrase ‘medicine is hard for women’?

A: I would never want to deter any woman from pursuing any career they want, but a lot of professions are hard for women. Women in the workplace are often planning for and thinking about children far earlier than men have to. 

As women, we’ve been told to lean into careers and opportunities, but sometimes it feels like we lean in with nothing to support us. As someone who went to medical school and is very driven, it’s hard because you can’t be the best at all of it. It’s a hard balance. You often feel like you’re not excelling and that you’re mediocre at all of it. 

I want to model that women can be great parents and still work. I want to model that I love my children, but I also do other important things, and can still be a great physician. I can take the empathy I’ve learned raising kids and apply that to work. 

Q: Do you think medical school perpetuates an “us” vs. “them” culture between doctors and nurses?

A: Throughout my training, I was always taught to listen to your nurses. If I get a call—night or day—from my nurses saying our patient doesn’t look good, I go to the bedside right away. Especially starting out, I’ve only ever been told to respect the opinions of nurses. However, doctors do train independently from nurses, which could be the cause of stifling some communication between the specialties. 

Nurses are the face of what we do on the frontlines, and they may see our patients more than we do as providers. Nurses are in the literal center of the department at a nurse’s station without doors. The doctors are often kind of shut away in dictation rooms or in an office. I think that even the physical design of healthcare reinforces the silos we operate in. 

Some of the harsh behavior of doctors toward nurses might be an old school mentality, or just the long-term stress of being in healthcare. 

Q: What do you think about Doctor’s Day vs. Nurses Week?

A: Nurses Week is a longer celebration, but I certainly think that institutionally, physicians have a lot of respect and perks. 

Physicians often have access to the best parking, provider lounges, free refreshments, and more. I think we also see a lot more medicine represented in the news and social media.

Despite this, most of the family members I interact with at the hospital say the most important person during their stay was their nurse, or even their nursing assistant. Everyone is playing an important role, and every role should feel respected. 

Q: How does creativity play a role in healthcare for you?

A: It’s important for me to have another outlet to center me. It helps me be a better physician, mom, and person when I have something that brings me joy. I love arranging flowers, being crafty, and planning birthday parties. 

I recently was able to do an art project for the 25th anniversary of our Gamma Knife machine, which is a fancy radiation tool that allows us to provide really high doses of localized radiation intracranially. I really enjoyed that. The piece will be hung in our department and was just electronically published on the cover of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics. 

Being creative helps you make connections and think outside the box to solve problems. I think anyone would be better served by having a creative outlet. 

Final Thoughts

As Lanier moves forward in her career, she carries with her the lessons learned both inside and outside the hospital. From navigating the challenges of being a woman in medicine to finding meaning in the connections she builds with patients and colleagues, she is committed to growth, balance, and breaking down barriers. 

The Nursing Beat holds a deep respect for doctors and women in medicine, and we recognize the importance of bridging the gap between all members of the care team. We believe that mutual respect and collaboration are essential because, ultimately, we all rely on each other to provide the best patient care.

For nurses who know that healthcare runs on teamwork (and a whole lot of caffeine), subscribe to The Nursing Beat to never miss an update!