Esselen ’98
A Passion for Science
Nobody in her family had ever been affili-
ated with the medical profession. But as a
Sixth Former at St. Paul’s, Kate Esselen ’98
discovered a passion for science that has
led her to a career as a physician. Esselen
was a student in Dr. Theresa Gerardo-
Gettens’s advanced biology class during
the 1997-98 academic year, when she be-
came fascinated by what she was learning.
“I had always been interested in health
and the way human beings work physi-
ologically,” says Esselen. “We studied
anatomy and dissection and I began
to become interested in science at the
molecular level.”
Esselen went on to major in biology at
Brown University, before earning her M.D.
and M.B.A from Tufts University in 2008.
She completed her residency in obstetrics
and gynecology at Boston’s Brigham &
Women’s Hospital and Massachusetts
General Hospital and is currently a clinical
fellow in gynecologic oncology at Brigham
& Women’s and the Dana Farber Cancer
Institute. Esselen was drawn to her spec-
ialty, she said, by the opportunity to take
care of women.
“Women are often the caregivers for
their families and they tend to take care
of themselves last,” she says. “Being a
provider who helps women is important
to me. Patients can break your heart and
also make you laugh and give you per-
spective. I feel really privileged to take
care of these women.”
Now a second-year fellow in gynecologic
oncology, Esselen spends most of her days
in the operating room. But her role is a dual
one: She performs surgeries on patients
with cervical, ovarian, and uterine cancers,
while teaching residents and medical stu-
dents about the procedures.
Esselen has also expanded her exper-
tise beyond the borders of the Boston-
based hospitals.
In 2008, as a fourth-year medical stu-
dent, she traveled to Nicaragua, where she
worked with Siuna District Health Centers
to set up local primary care clinics. She
has twice volunteered in Rwanda. First, in
2010, she worked with Partners in Health
to care for women and contributed the
section on obstetrics and gynecology for
Kirehe Hospital’s clinical handbook. Esselen
returned to Rwanda in February 2013 to
instruct Rwandan physicians on certain
gynecologic surgical procedures that
identify and treat early cervical cancers.
On that visit, Esselen and a team of doctors
worked with the Rwandan ministry of
health and Partners in Health as part of
the first national campaign for cervical
cancer prevention, care, and control.
Cervical cancer is a largely preventable
disease that is currently the most deadly
cancer among women in Rwanda.
“It was a wonderful experience,” she
says, “to feel that I was a part of some-
thing that will dramatically reduce mortal-
ity from cervical cancer in Rwanda, and
serve as a model for other low-income
countries.”
Outside of her clinical work, Esselen
tries to carve out time for research. She
is most interested in outcomes-based
research, such as gathering data on vary-
ing protocols for the cancers she treats
to identify best practices. Her hope is to
advance the quality and efficiency of
treatment for cancers specific to women.
She describes herself as humbled,
even surprised, to have been selected
as a recipient of the SPS Alumni Assoc-
iation Award.
“I am impressed by what so many of
my fellow alumni have accomplished,”
she says. “The fact that the School recog-
nizes what I do as important is an incredible
honor. It makes me think I have a lot to do
to live up to this award going forward.”
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