"I've never done one particular track, and I've always followed whatever I love and loved whatever I've done," said Cornell University Dean of Human Ecology Lisa Staiano-Coico at an April 5 panel discussion, "Women in Medicine and Science: Perspective on Research, Leadership and Career/Life Balance."

Staiano-Coico and three other women scientists shared their personal experiences and practical advice on making career decisions with about 30 undergraduate women from the Colleges of Human Ecology and Agriculture and Life Science in the auditorium of Martha Van Rensselaer Hall. They discussed how they arrived at their current career positions, their successes along the way, their hurdles and how they balance careers and family life.

"I thought it was really important for you, as women undergraduates, to understand that there is not one way to do things," said Staiano-Coico, who has been dean for the past 18 months. She and the three other women on the panel, all personal friends, met at a training program in executive leadership in academic medicine and have been a mutual support network ever since.

Staiano-Coico received her Ph.D. in microbiology and immunology from Cornell's Graduate School of Medical Sciences (now Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences) and was a faculty member at Weill for 23 years before coming to Ithaca.

Panel member Carol Bernstein, M.D., associate professor of psychiatry and director of residency training in the Department of Psychiatry, New York University (NYU) School of Medicine, entered medical school at age 29. As director of residency education at NYU, Bernstein sees a lot of older students coming into medicine.

"For those of you who think you need to make a decision now about what you want to do for the rest of your life, think again," said Bernstein. "There really is time to do it."

"And, medical schools now are about 50 percent women," said panelist Sandy Weller, who is a professor and chair of the Department of Molecular, Microbial and Structural Biology at the University of Connecticut Health Center. She said she knew she wanted to become a scientist in grade school; now a virologist, she has published over 70 peer-reviewed papers.

The final panelist was Carolyn Meltzer, M.D. (Cornell '83, biology), who received her medical degree from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and is board certified in both diagnostic radiology and nuclear medicine, with subspecialty certification in neuroradiology and advanced training in positron emission tomography; she recently moved to Emory University to serve as director of Emory's neuroscience imaging research center.

While at Cornell, Meltzer was president of the Women in Science organization. Although she had been in the top one-third of her medical school class, she was unable to match to a residency program. Undiscouraged, she chose to go into research.

The panelists chose different family arrangements. Staiano-Coico had her children while in graduate school, while Weller waited until she received tenure. Meltzer and her husband decided not to have children. Bernstein, who married her second husband at age 40, adopted her daughter much later in her career.

"Yes, it's a challenge to become a new mother at the age of 49," said Bernstein, who also noted that no matter when women choose to have children, raising a family and having a career is a challenge, albeit incredibly rewarding.

Despite their busy career schedules, these women make time to pursue other interests.

"There's sanity in making sure that you do other things than just your career track," said Staiano-Coico, who is also a competitive ballroom dancer. Meltzer trains rescue dogs to become "therapy animals" for patients in care. Weller plays guitar with her teenage boys, and Bernstein spends much of her time engaging in the life of her 8-year-old daughter.

Graduate student Sandra Holley is a writer intern at the Cornell News Service.