Elizabeth Griffiths wasn’t raised in the most traditional sense - her parents rebelled against conformity, of the idea that you just go to work every day and watch your life go by. Her father was an aerospace engineer and her mother, who graduated medical school as one of only five women in her class, withdrew from her OB GYN residency because the training carried the expectation that she would dedicate her life solely to the program. Her mom knew the importance of balance, and ultimately went into primary care where she excelled. That sense of balance was a driving force in Elizabeth’s family, and for about five years of her life she and her parents lived on a 43-foot steel sailboat that they built in their backyard. This unique experience gave Elizabeth the opportunity to spend a significant amount of time with her parents, whom she calls her best friends, and in that time she absorbed everything her mom knew was key about practicing medicine and taking care of patients.

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Read Elizabeth’s full Pioneer Spotlight here

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The key takeaways from Elizabeth's spotlight are:

1. Get to the root of where you are specializing
2. Self-direction is critical to getting the most from a mentor
3. AI will never replace bedside manner
4. Clinical trials need help from startups