First Exposure to Breast Imaging Set Her Career Path

First Exposure to Breast Imaging Set Her Career Path

In her third year of medical school at Midwestern University, Fatima Elahi, DO, MHA, discovered her passion for breast imaging. During her first week rotating in the radiology department, she worked alongside a radiologist reviewing imaging for a patient with a palpable breast lump.

They ultimately went to evaluate and speak with the patient together. That interaction sparked her interest in the field, which blossomed as she spent more time working with experienced colleagues on multimodality breast imaging and interacting with patients facing breast concerns. 

“I remember rotating through breast imaging and thinking, ‘This is something special,’” Dr. Elahi said. “I knew this was something that married my interests in imaging with my desire to care for patients facing breast cancer. It felt like a perfect fit.”

Fatima Elahi, MD, is a mammography/women’s imaging fellow at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota.
Fatima Elahi, MD, is a mammography/women’s imaging fellow at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota.

By the time she completed her radiology residency at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Elahi had chosen breast imaging as her career path. Her reasons went beyond the clinical realm.

“The global breast imaging community consistently advocates for their patients,” she said. “They’re not just breast imagers; they’re public health educators.”

Dr. Elahi’s career choice was also shaped by the ability to follow patients through each stage of their breast health journey, from screening to diagnosis and biopsy.

“I love that I get to see patients over the long-term, providing care during some of their most vulnerable moments,” she said.

Dr. Elahi matched into mammography/women’s imaging as a fellow at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. She was impressed with the institution’s commitment to patient care.

“When I was interviewing at Mayo, two principles stood out to me,” she said. “One is that the patient’s needs always come first. Two is that the Clinic focuses on how to approach patient care both at a patient level and systems level. Mayo Clinic highlights how we can care for patients efficiently and effectively while maintaining high-quality care.”

As October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, shines a spotlight on women’s health, Dr. Elahi notes the increased efforts at Mayo Clinic to raise awareness. The Clinic distributes pink pins, sets up informational tables, offers physician interviews to the media, and organizes events in malls and community spaces.

“There’s extra energy in the air during this time,” she said. “It’s wonderful to see everyone come together to support this important cause.”

The increased focus on breast cancer awareness is critical, as the American Cancer Society reports that the average risk of a woman in the United States developing breast cancer in her life is approximately 13%.

“Our goal collectively and through the Society of Breast Imaging (SBI) is to educate patients and physicians about the importance of screening,” she said.

Dr. Elahi is part of the SBI’s Inclusion Diversity Equity Alliance. The group’s goals include sharing education on culturally competent care and addressing barriers to breast cancer screening. Raising awareness is key, and the organization uses many vehicles, including social media, to do that. 

“While we’re trying to disseminate evidence-based education to physicians and patients, we’re also trying to learn, as breast imagers, what the barriers are to screening for breast cancer and how we can address them,” she said.

Dr. Elahi also serves as chair of the American College of Radiology (ACR) Resident and Fellow Section, and as a board member of the ACR’s Radiology Advocacy Network.

Amy Patel, MD, a breast radiologist, medical director of the breast care center at Liberty Hospital, and chair of the Radiology Advocacy Network, admires the work that Dr. Elahi does to help patients. The two have worked together on various projects. 

“When it comes to breast imaging, advocacy is incredibly important,” Dr. Patel said. “Dr. Elahi exemplifies what it means to be the gold standard for advocating for our patients to ensure they have access to life-saving exams. We cannot carry out this type of work effectively without proven radiology leaders.”

Dr. Elahi considered other specialties before her introduction to breast imaging. She’s confident that she made the right choice.

“I find a lot of value in feeling like what I do is meaningful,” she said. “I am grateful for the opportunity to serve our patients and hope to continue to work with our communities to increase access to breast cancer screening.”

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