When Dr. Kameelah Phillips ‘99 was growing up, she often found herself accompanying her grandparents to various medical appointments and she quickly learned about the complexities and inequalities of the healthcare system. Living in a multi-generational household, she also discovered the intrinsic connections between her family’s health and happiness and her own well-being: “When my grandparents felt well, we had glorious dinners and it was a good time in the house. But when my grandparents didn’t feel well or were dealing with medical complications, I was eating cereal or peanut butter and bread.” Phillips traces her professional path back to her early understanding of the ways that the impacts of health inequities can ripple through an extended family.
Phillips is now an obstetrician-gynecologist who runs Calla Women’s Health in New York City. She says that her interest in women’s health largely stemmed from experiencing the incredible strength, intelligence, and care of the women in her life; “they are the foundation of the family and a thriving community…When women are healthy, the family and the community are healthy.” She also found herself inspired by the diversity and spirit of the women around her. In high school, she witnessed young mothers navigating their education while caring for their babies. She began recognizing the broader social and cultural factors that made it challenging for women and girls to maintain their health. By her senior year in high school, she knew she wanted to become a doctor and was determined to address these issues.
When Phillips entered Stanford as a first-generation college student, she was well on her way to fulfilling her dream of becoming a physician. The Human Biology program offered her the opportunity to curate her education in human health, allowing her to incorporate her other interests in advocacy and public service. Taking classes in feminism and other topics related to women and women’s health further solidified these interests. After Stanford, Phillips went on to medical school at the University of Southern California before completing her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at New York University.
In her work as an obstetrician-gynecologist, she serves a diverse clientele with many of her patients coming from the African-American community. Phillips has also served patients from as far as Florida, Mississippi, and even Brazil.
When asked what she loves about her job, she immediately said her patients. She greatly appreciates the time she spends getting to know her patients during what is often their most vulnerable times. Her patients’ courage and grace inspire her to grow as a physician, mother, and human. She also loves that obstetrics blends medicine and surgery together for not just one, but two patients – mother and baby.
Over the past few years, Phillips has faced many challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, from lockdowns and patient reluctance towards office visits to disagreements with insurance companies. Meeting these challenges tested her patience, trust, and resilience but also reinforced the importance of her work as a doctor. Moreover, recent efforts to restrict some types of reproductive health care have become a central consideration in her daily practice. A strong advocate for women’s health and reproductive justice, Phillips stands firmly behind her patients’ choices regarding their lives and bodies. She offers her services with an open, loving, and unbiased spirit. As the mother of two daughters and one son, she also recognizes the importance of educating her children about women’s health and rights, as their lives and well-being depend on it.
“My interactions with [my patients] remind me of the privilege that I have to educate, empower, and be a partner with patients during these private moments [...] The medical establishment has a history of ignoring, marginalizing, and discriminating against communities based on race, ethnicity, gender, body size, and sexual orientation. We have to acknowledge how our bias hurts our patients and communities and make a change. […] I am here to guide, educate, and heal EVERYONE!”
Phillip’s dedication to women’s health extends beyond the doctor’s office. Collaborating with a colleague, she is writing a book on reproductive health including topics such as endometriosis, fibroids, and hysterectomies, which she hopes will provide women with evidence-based advice to help them make informed decisions about their health. Recognizing that menopause is often an overlooked phase of a woman’s life, Phillips is devoting more energy and time to her work as a certified menopause practitioner. “There are cultural nuances that aren’t addressed by mainstream medicine, and women of color in particular not only lack resources and support, but they tend to be left out of the conversation. I would like to be a voice of education and reason for those women,” she shared. Phillips’s Instagram, drkameelahsays, also fosters a safe and open dialogue about health and science. Using her expertise, she discusses topics like birth control, menopause, pregnancy and oral health, and more. She is committed to helping patients lead their best lives and encouraging women to make their health a top priority. The platform allows her to have fun, face her fear of being imperfect, and simply show up as her authentic self to help others.
Reflecting on her time at Stanford, Phillips says she could not have foreseen the influence it would have on her life. The multidisciplinary approach of Human Biology has impacted the way she interacts with patients, delivers care, and solves problems. “When a patient presents with an issue, I consider her as a complete person and not just a body or an illness to be cured. She is also her socio-cultural self (i.e. what in her culture can affect her trust in the medical establishment and me and can this influence her compliance and management of this issue), her economic self (such as how work status affects the ability to pay for medication or having steady insurance) and so much more.”
Human Biology provided Phillips with not only the multidisciplinary tools she needed to become an excellent doctor and health advocate for underserved communities but also the space and opportunities for her to take risks and do what she loves, and for that, she is forever grateful. To current and future students, Phillips encourages everyone to “live out loud,” “be present in the moment,” and “DO IT ALL;” you never know what amazing things can happen until you do!