Women in Medicine: Savanna Kiefer, MS

Why did you pursue a career in medicine? 

I chose to pursue a career in medicine because of the people. I love being in a career where I know my work serves others and in turn, I can serve my community. I enjoy working in an interdisciplinary field and the ability to collaborate with other clinicians to provide top patient care.

What is your work focused on?

I am a graduate student in the PGSP-Stanford Psy.D. Consortium. My clinical work is focused on children with neurodevelopmental disorders, both assessing and evaluating children and treatment of behaviors. My dissertation focuses on evaluating the efficacy of a new brief measure of autism behaviors for children. I hope to use my findings to continue to help evolve the field by understanding what measures we can use to evaluate the efficacy of autism treatment in research.

What is the most fulfilling part of your work?

Seeing the progress that my clients make and knowing that I am making a positive impact on my patients' and families' lives. It is so fulfilling to hear that someone used the techniques and skills that we discussed in the session throughout their week.

What advice would you give others who are considering embarking on a career in medicine?

This career can be challenging (physically, emotionally, and mentally). I would advise people embarking on a career in medicine to follow their passions and work with a clinical population where they feel they can make a difference that way they can feel fulfilled at the end of a long work day.