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Anya Parekh, MD, is a hematology fellow in the American Society of Hematology’s (ASH) Hematology-Focused Fellowship Training Program (HFFTP). She is in the Division of Hematology and Oncology at the University of California, Davis Medical Center.

Growing up, my father was a surgical oncologist. I was always so inspired after hearing his stories about his patients and how connected he was with each one of them. I wanted to have those same patient-provider relationships. I wanted to advocate for patients underserved in medicine and increase health equity.

In medical school, I became fascinated with cancer and blood pathologies, and as an internal medicine resident, my favorite cases were always in hematology. I love that in hematology, you can learn so much about a patient or disease from a pathology report or diagnostic workup. Also, hematologists have to be excellent internists to be good at our job. A lot of what we do is interpreting many disparate clues and disease processes into a cohesive diagnostic picture. It’s a remarkable field.

Having dedicated time to pursue my research interests is, in part, what attracted me to apply for ASH’s HFFTP program. It’s designed for fellows to achieve their goals in hematology.

In my fellowship, I am most interested in bleeding disorders and myeloproliferative neoplasms. I am wrapping up a project looking at how many patients who presented for neutropenia evaluation had something called typical neutrophil count with Fy(a-b-) status, which is a clinically insignificant phenotype, commonly called Duffy null,1  found in individuals from malaria-endemic countries.

It turns out approximately 60% of referrals at my residency clinic were ultimately thought to have this phenotype, which speaks to the need for more education in hematology among referring providers. It also demonstrates that the populations that typically have this phenotype (i.e., people with heritage from Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Asia) were not included in original baseline studies that inform what we consider to be “normal” lab values, and how medicine continues to pathologize non-whiteness.

When it came time to apply for my fellowship, I could not decide whether to apply for hematology and oncology programs or pursue hematology exclusively. When my mentor asked me what I enjoyed more, I immediately responded hematology. He said that if my passion lay in hematology, it would be wise to focus my efforts on hematology-exclusive programs like HFFTP.

He helped me realize that the time I would have invested in learning about oncology could be better channeled towards areas directly relevant to my ideal career path.

Following a path that brings me joy and fulfillment has helped me stay focused and remain interested in my work, which ultimately makes me more productive. I am constantly fascinated by hematological diseases, diagnostic evaluations, and the endless variety of cases to learn from. Hematology continuously challenges me intellectually, and as a fellow, I get to connect with a diverse and engaging patient population.

Hematology is the perfect career for me. It’s versatile, encompassing clinical work, research, and teaching. The diversity of pathologies is fascinating, and the ability to diagnose directly from a smear, often without specialized testing, continuously awes me.

I’m a mom with a young son, which has been quite fun (and challenging) during fellowship!

I enjoy cooking, baking, video games, and weightlifting.

1

ASH is at the forefront of addressing the critical health equity concern of Duffy status through its initiative, the Reconsideration of Absolute Neutrophil Count (ANC) Reference Ranges by Duffy Status (hematology.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion/danc).