Career Development

Career Stories from Alumnae - Anne Bendel

Find out where a

Chemistry

major can lead you!


Anne Bendel graduated from the College of St. Catherine in 1983 with a double major in Chemistry and Mathematics. After the College of St. Catherine, she continued on to obtain her MD at the University of Minnesota, which she accomplished in 4 years. Then, she completed a three year Pediatric Residency at the University of Minnesota and a three year Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Fellowship at the University of Minnesota.

What is your work history and current employer?

  • Anne currently works for Children's Hospitals and Clinics of MN as a Pediatric Hematologist/Oncologist.

Please describe a routine day or week in your job.
  • Anne spends her day seeing patients who have cancer or blood disorders in either the clinic or the hospital
  • Her position includes a teaching aspect in which she has students and residents shadow her on her patient rounds.

How competitive is entry into this field? What’s the outlook for future openings?
  • She states that “This field is relatively competitive but there is always room for a good student. At this point in time there are several openings around the USA.”

What kind of educational preparation does a person need for this job? What types of advancement opportunities are available?
  • Students must complete Graduate School, pediatric residency and a pediatric fellowship for this position, which amounts to 10 years post-undergraduate work!
  • However, Anne says that it pays off in the end because there are so many advancement opportunities in this field

What types of skills characteristics does a person need to do this job effectively?
  • Skills that are needed are proper training, organization and good people skills
  • Also important is the motivation to keep updated on advances in the field

What do you like about your current position? Dislikes?
LIKES:
  • Being able to work with children
  • The tight-knit relationships that she forms with families while caring for their children
  • At the hospital, they are able to cure over 75% of children with cancer, which she states as extremely rewarding
  • She loves the fact that every day she is doing "clinical research" by enrolling children on national treatment protocols that are using new combinations of treatments with the goal of finding new and better treatments!

CHALLENGES:
  • She is challenged by the fact that they still have progress to be made in this field and still need to research new approaches to curing cancer and need to discover why cancer happens
  • Her career is very important, enjoyable and challenging to her but it can be physically and emotionally draining.

Are there a lot of women in this field? What inspired you to take this path? How did St. Kate’s help you? Do you have any advice for our students?
  • There are more women than men in this field
  • Medicine stimulated her interest and curiosity, working with children makes her happy, working with terribly sick/emotionally stressed patients and families satisfies her desire to help others
  • St. Kate’s provided a sound education, taught her the importance of helping others, and made her realize that she was capable of doing anything she was willing to put her full effort into
  • She advises students to “keep your mind open, look at multiple options, and then go with what feels the best for you as a person.”