You are the Associate Chair for Career Development and a member of the Neonatal-Perinatal Division of Pediatrics. Can you share more about your two roles, and how you got to Michigan Medicine?
I joined Michigan Medicine in 2009, after my fellowship at the University of Chicago. In the world of medicine and connections, I was fortunate enough that my fellowship director knew Dr. John Barks, our current Division Director for Neonatology. We knew that he was really working to expand the division, and in 2009 it was a rare opportunity to find a position as a junior faculty member in Nenonatalogy like this one. During my interview, I realized the great opportunities I would receive as a neonatologist in a great academic center, but also the opportunity I would receive to explore my passion as a bioethicist. The department was willing to welcome me and support me in building a career that was focused on both aspects.
The Associate Chair role is still relatively new for me. My interest in the role stemmed from my experiences working on the Advisory Committee on Clinical Track Appointments and Promotions (CLINACAP). In this role, I’ve been learning about what goes into promotion packets and have been energized by seeing the many ways that people build exciting and impactful careers. I knew that I wanted to follow in the footsteps of some really great leaders before me and this has been a great opportunity to work on my own leadership and coaching skills.
What inspired you to attend medical school?
I am the first physician in my family, my mother was a nurse and she saw something in me early on. It was my mother who really encouraged me to become a doctor. My brother was a preemie and was in the NICU for two months after he was born so I have a true personal connection with this field.
In high school and college, I realized that attending medical school was an opportunity to combine my love of science and humanities, and to have an academic career that was rich with human connection. I was an Anthropology major as an undergrad, which gave me a chance to learn about our origins from multiple aspects: our languages, or cultures, and our physical evolution. It came together in a way that was very tangible for me.
What do you hope to achieve as the Associate Chair for Career Development?
I want to create opportunities for everyone in the department to thrive. I want to help them find avenues that allow them to advance in doing the things they love most!
What advice would you give a younger doctor just starting out in their career?
I would tell them to take the opportunity to find out what they really love doing. Search for opportunities to make your passion part of your profession. Don’t carve yourself into something so narrow that you give things up before you’re ready to do so.
What else should we know about your roles and interests? Research Projects?
I wear a lot of hats! My clinical work as a neonatologist will always be front and center - I love the intensive care environment. But my academic and intellectual home is really in bioethics. I am a clinical ethics consultant across the age spectrum, including in the adult hospital. I love to teach, learn and write about ethics. The joy of ethics, for me, is working with people who don’t have a lot of experience or training in ethics and making it more accessible to them. .
I am also the Service Chief for Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine. In that role I work closely with our Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants, along with my faculty colleagues in Neonatology with a focus on professional practice standards. I really enjoy having that interprofessional relationship with a variety of different people.
Another aspect of work that is important to me is my involvement with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). I am the chairperson of the Committee on Bioethics (COB). It is such a gift to be involved in writing policies for the AAP.
What else do you like to do outside of work?
I try to make a lot of time for my family. We love to travel and be outside. Right now, our favorite activity is to play silly card games together (Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza!). Light-heartedness is a big part of how my family connects and finds joy together. In my spare time, I also love to exercise on my Peloton bike.
About Dr. Laventhal
Dr. Naomi Laventhal joined the University of Michigan in August 2009 after completing a residency in pediatrics, fellowships in neonatology and clinical medical ethics, and a master’s degree in public policy at the University of Chicago. She is currently a neonatologist practicing in the Brandon Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU), caring for infants with complex medical needs. She has clinical expertise in prenatal consultation for prematurity, congenital anomalies and syndromes, and complex maternal-fetal conditions. She is the Service Chief for Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, with oversight of professional practice for faculty and advanced practice providers. Dr. Laventhal is a formally trained bioethicist and is certified in healthcare ethics consultation and is nationally and internationally recognized as a leader in the field of neonatal bioethics. At the Center for Bioethics and Social Sciences and Medicine, she is a Faculty Ethicist, providing clinical ethics consultation across the age spectrum at Michigan Medicine, and she is the co-chief of the Research Ethics Service. As the Associate Chair for Career Development, Dr. Laventhal oversees the coordination of nominations and awards for the Department of Pediatrics, along with providing career advancement and peer mentoring opportunities for faculty.
