Let’s hear it for the girls! Our Charleston Allergy & Asthma team has been blessed with some fantastic board-certified providers who all go above and beyond in giving exceptional care for our patients. For more than 30 years, we’ve been providing relief from allergies and asthma to the people of the Lowcountry.
To celebrate the incredible women in our lives, we’re thrilled to introduce you to our three female providers and share their stories of how they came to lead the way for women in healthcare. Get to know our favorite female allergists below!
Dr. Meredith Moore
Did you want to be a doctor when you were a little girl?
“Yes, I had to have a surgery when I was young and afterward, had to stay in a big ward with no parents. A burn victim was next to me and they would change her dressings. She was so sad and would cry. One night, she was crying and hysterical. All the physicians and nurses had left her, no parents were there and I went over and sat with her and made her feel better. I knew that I wanted people to have a better experience.”
What is your favorite part about being a doctor?
“Hard to answer because there are so many things! It’s the relationships you develop with people. They have allowed you the privilege of sharing their lives with you. It’s an awesome privilege and an amazing experience that someone was able to open themselves up to you and then you help make their lives better.”
What’s it like to balance personal and work life as a doctor?
“Practicing medicine with passion takes a lot out of you, whether you are a man or a woman, mom or not. Universally, it’s difficult if you want to approach medicine as a calling. It’s a very rewarding but demanding profession, no matter who you are.”
Dr. Carolyn Word
Why did you become a doctor?
“Growing up, my grandfather was a general practitioner and when we visited him in his office, I loved seeing how he interacted with patients and how he was able to help them. It seemed like a great way to help people. I always loved math and science, so I did biomedical engineering for undergrad. In the process of that, I realized that though I loved science, I loved working with people more. It’s a great way for me to take my love of science and apply it to patient care, which led me to medicine. I loved my rotation in allergy/immunology and all the ways we can make a difference in our patients’ lives.”
Have you overcome any obstacles as a female in the medical field?
“I think there certainly are stereotypes about women in medicine. There have been times when patients have thought I was a nurse because I was a woman or question my knowledge but more often, they have been grateful. When I was a medical student, I felt more pressure as a woman to work harder, push harder and prove myself to be accepted. I have never felt like that in my practice now and I’m grateful to work in such a wonderful practice.”
What’s your favorite part about your job?
“When I get to see a patient for a follow-up and hear that they are feeling so much better. When a patient has recently started allergy shots and has been coming in for frequent injections for a couple of months, then they share that after years of medicine, they had no idea how they could feel so much better; that’s the best part! Patients who have been struggling with a food allergy and who have passed their food challenge, then seeing their excitement. It’s a great thing to be a part of. And just getting to know my patients in general. We catch up about their lives beyond helping them find relief. We’re building relationships. It’s personal.”
Dr. Lindsey Stoltz Steadman
Why did you want to become a doctor?
“I was always interested in the sciences: biology, anatomy, physiology. On top of that, I enjoy interacting with people and going into a profession that was going to allow me to give back was important to me. I really enjoy teaching. I believe as a physician, my job is to educate our patients, our patients’ families and the community about our field.”
What’s it like to balance personal and work-life in the medical industry?
“My husband is a physician as well, so a major part of our relationship is that we’re very understanding of what the other person is going through. We bounce ideas off of each other and educate each other. There are a lot of sacrifices made when you decide you want to be a doctor and it doesn’t end after graduation of medical school, fellowship, etc. We understand that about each other. I understand when he needs to do a surgery in the middle of the night and he understands when I have to take a call over the weekend. Our training kept us a part in different cities and different states, but we understood what the other person was going through. We may have been a part, but we were together.”
What do you love most about your job?
“Critical thinking. I really enjoy the process of meeting a patient and getting to put the pieces of the puzzle together to help them. I’m grateful that I get to improve people’s quality of life. Nothing is more rewarding than hearing their success stories.”
Is there anything you want to add about being a doctor?
“You can know all the science but if you can’t explain it to your patient then it all goes out of the window. Rapport with your patients is equally as important as understanding the science. Patients need to feel comfortable with their doctor. At the end of the day, you just need to be good at what you do.”
We’re thankful for the incredible team of compassionate and talented providers that we have here at Charleston Allergy & Asthma! If you think you may be suffering from allergy symptoms or if you’re in need of a local board-certified allergist, schedule an appointment with our team today.
