Tami Benton

This Black History Month, we are spotlighting Tami Benton, MD, the Psychiatrist-in-Chief and Chair of the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.  

Dr. Benton spoke with us about her unexpected career path, the importance of mentorship, and what the College means to her. 

 

What is your favorite part of the College?

I love the Museum! The Museum's medical libraries and the collection of antique medical equipment really bring to life the history of our profession and the development of medicine.   

 

What do you wish more people knew about the College?

I wish that more people learned about the unique and historic role that the College holds in medicine, about the exceptional members, and about the education programs available to physicians and the lay community that are offered by the College.  

 

You’ve been a Fellow of the College for many years. What first drew you to the College, and what keeps you connected to its mission today? 

I was drawn to the College by its membership.  Several of my colleagues were members of the College, and they were all such committed, dedicated, and successful physician leaders that I was encouraged to learn more.  After joining the College and becoming a community member, I was able to meet other like-minded professionals, establish new relationships with others in my field, and participate in some educational sessions to discuss issues and concerns that are unique to the lives of physicians.  

 

As part of Black History Month, we celebrate trailblazers who have opened doors for others. Can you share a bit about your own journey in medicine and what helped you persevere along the way? 

Like many Black Americans, I am from a family of strivers, hailing from the south, who believed that education was essential for progress. I had never considered medicine until my senior year of college, when I met a Black woman physician during a college activity. She was the first physician that I'd ever met. I'd never spoken with a physician until that time and had never considered the possibility of medicine as a career.  She encouraged me to learn more and apply to medical school. However, I did not know about the complexities of the medical school admission process, applications, and all the requirements needed to obtain admission, as well as the financial expectations.  

During medical school, I learned many myths about Black Americans that were used to justify medical treatments. Those experiences taught me the importance of questioning, advancing science, and creating new practices.  One example: the assumption that Black children were inherently less sensitive to pain, including pain with Sickle Cell Disease Crisis. There was also this idea that the experiences of physical illnesses affecting children did not impact their mental health. These experiences reinforced my belief that physicians must be agents of change, continuously challenging poor science, evaluating our practices and outcomes, and creating new care models for our patients.   

After medical school, I wanted to pursue a career that combined my interest in pediatric medicine and psychiatric medicine.  I had a vision for how the combined training could provide the background needed to treat the complex pediatric health and mental health conditions that disproportionally affected marginalized communities. I took the chance to participate in a pilot training program at that time, the Triple Board Program, which would allow me to become board-certified in pediatrics, general psychiatry, and child psychiatry. Despite warnings from skeptics, it was exactly right for me. The training gave me the tools to pursue my interest in Sickle Cell Disease, pediatric HIV, and eventually informed my neuroimmunology research on HIV+ depressed women at Penn and CHOP. I later went on to obtain certification in psychosomatic medicine, which specifically focuses on medical psychiatric co-morbidities. Despite the skeptics, I found research mentors with expertise in psychiatry and neurology who welcomed my interest in pediatrics to broaden their research. This reinforced for me the importance of good ideas and finding the right partners to create a path forward. 

I have had the good fortune of having others who have helped me navigate these and other challenges throughout my career.  

 

You’ve built an incredible career in child and adolescent psychiatry and medical leadership. Were there mentors or pivotal moments that shaped your path?   

Absolutely!  I have been fortunate to have mentors, sponsors, and colleagues who have supported me, guided me, and provided opportunities.  They were kind, committed physicians who gained no direct benefits other than supporting the development of a committed colleague. They’ve had an incredible impact on my career.

Medical school was a challenging experience, and finding mentors was very challenging. However, during my first clinical rotation, I met the woman who would become my lifelong mentor and supporter. She introduced me to the field of child and adolescent psychiatry and the benefits of good mental health care for youth who were struggling. Having experienced early maternal death myself, meeting a researcher who studied the trauma of early maternal death for children and how to buffer those impacts was my introduction to psychiatry and confirmation of my career choice. She remained my mentor throughout my career and recruited me to CHOP. She supported me throughout my career and shared a vision for it that I could not see for myself. As a successful minority woman in medicine herself, she understood what was needed for a successful academic career, and made sure that I had access to many opportunities for exposure and leadership, locally and nationally. She also reinforced that I should be confident in my abilities to achieve the career that I imagined, to forge my own path, and that, like her, it was important to support the development of future physicians.

I made a conscious decision after medical school that I would select a training program that existed in a diverse geographical community with a diverse medical staff for my development. That was a pivotal decision for me, as I recognized that developing the confidence that I needed as a Black woman would be bolstered by seeing others who were like me and working with others who were accustomed to working with physicians who looked like me. I also chose an urban community with a high level of need that reflected my own community. Choosing to participate in a pilot training program with only 12 participants nationally (Triple Board Program) taught me about leadership, navigating complex systems, and creating your own pathway. These experiences also gave me the confidence I needed to push boundaries and navigate new systems.  

  

Representation and inclusion are powerful forces in healthcare. How do you see diversity strengthening medicine and improving patient care?

Extant literature has demonstrated the benefits of representation and inclusion for health system effectiveness, physician workforce development, well-being, and belonging. Healthcare systems that are inclusive of physicians who reflect diversity of experience, knowledge, perspectives, and cultural contexts produce better health outcomes and career satisfaction. Diverse perspectives also better inform our knowledge about the diverse patients that we treat, inform our clinical practices, and research. A diverse workforce is the only way forward for addressing health disparities.  

  

What do you wish more people understood about the importance of mental health and well-being, especially among youth and families?

I wish that more people understood that there is no health without mental health and that mental health is foundational for your health. As a society, we still hold the idea that our minds and our bodies exist independently, and that mental health and physical health are independent conditions. Recognition of the connections between mental health and physical health will support efforts for prevention and mental health promotion. This framework for thinking about mental health provides opportunities for preventing many mental health conditions affecting young people. We continue to be challenged by the rising rates of anxiety, depression, and suicide among adolescents. Increasing mental health literacy, reducing stigma, promoting dialogue in communities, and promoting mental health early for young people can turn these negative trends around.  

  

As you reflect on your journey and achievements, what legacy do you hope to leave for the next generation of physicians and change makers?

Stay true to your ideas and beliefs. Be courageous on behalf of our patients and believe in your abilities to reach your goals. Surround yourself with confident people who support you. I have committed my career to the mental health of children, families, and communities, and I have been fortunate to have mentors and colleagues who supported my aspirations and shaped my future. I have championed diversity in health care to achieve health equity. I hope that my legacy will reflect my commitment to these principles through the achievements of my peers and trainees, and through my support for the future of a diverse community of physicians who will secure health equity for all.   

  

You work at one of the nation’s leading hospitals for children, where the next generation of physicians often looks to mentors for guidance. What advice or words of encouragement would you share with doctors who are just starting their careers, especially as we work to strengthen diversity and inclusion within medicine? 

Medicine is a wonderful profession, and we are fortunate to be physicians.  It is even more fulfilling and rewarding when you reach the personal and professional goals that you have developed for yourself. As a leader, I am proud to be a member of an excellent team of professionals who continue to pay it forward by supporting the next generation.  

I encourage all of you to pursue your goals and set your own career course. Do not be derailed by the challenges that you may be experiencing early in your career, as they are temporary. Seek like-minded peers, mentors, and partners-they always exist. Do not back away from your priorities and always believe in yourself -you can achieve any of the goals that you set for yourself. And most importantly, create your team at home, at work, and in your community, as these are the tools that you will need to maintain your emotional health.