Interview with Dr. Laura Vater, resident physician and SMILE Score creator [Show Summary]

Dr. Laura Vater is a current resident in internal medicine, future hematologist/oncologist, mom, and inventor of The SMILE Score, a tool to help patients and health care providers simplify and prioritize health in their lives. She is also the mother of a beautiful little girl. How does an MD/MPH, resident and mom have the time to develop useful tool for measuring how well we are prioritizing our own health? Let’s find out in the interview with Dr. Laura Vater.

Life as a doctor and mom and how the SMILE Score helps [Show Notes]

Our guest today is Dr. Laura Vater. Dr. Vater did her undergrad at Notre Dame, majoring in Biological Sciences and Poverty Studies. She earned her MPH from the University of Pittsburgh and her MD at Indiana University School of Medicine, where she is currently a resident in internal medicine. She is also the developer of The SMILE Score, which we will learn about in just a few minutes.

Can you tell us about your background outside of medicine? Where you grew up? What you like to do for fun? [2:11]

All of my family is from Minnesota. We moved to Indiana when I was a child for my dad’s job. We planned to move back, but then my mom decided she wanted to go to graduate school and then medical school, enrolling at age 37 when I was 9. Today all of my family still live in Indiana.

In terms of what I like to do for fun, I have an almost three-year-old daughter and I’m a resident so I don’t have lots of time, but I love to be outside. I worked at Rocky Mountain State Park and just overall I love to hike and travel to national parks. I also love to read.

How did you know you wanted to be a doctor? [4:36]

My mom says I knew I wanted to be a doctor before her. I had a coach diagnosed with metastatic cancer when I was very young. I went with her to treatments and was with her when she passed away. This experience was very meaningful to me and I realized, that I wanted to be that person that helps someone navigate a serious illness - who lets them know they are not alone in that.

What was the hardest part of the med school application process for you? [6:42]

I went to Notre Dame and pursued a science degree. I had a lot of experience in global and public health so I took three years between graduation and medical school – I took a gap year and then got my MPH. I took the MCAT a few years after taking the rigorous courses, and I wish I had taken it when I was fresh.

Why did you decide to do a gap year between undergrad and your MPH? [8:06]

I had watched my mother go through the rigors of medical school and medical training. She started when I was 9 and started practicing medicine when I was 16 so I had grown up watching her go through it. All along I knew medicine was the right field for me, but I knew how challenging it would be. I was very interested in global and public health so decided to spend a year teaching in Haiti first. At Notre Dame they have a career fair and a service fair, where they actively encourage graduates to pursue service, and there was an opportunity to serve in Haiti after the earthquake in 2010. They needed help with teachers and community health, and it seemed like a great way to pursue something different.