Episode 483: Fibroids, Endometriosis, and Financial Loss: The Real Cost of Untreated Womb Conditions w/ Dr. Kemi Doll

This week on the podcast we are joined by Dr. Kemi Doll, a physician, surgeon, researcher, double board-certified gynecologist and oncologist, and founding director of the Gynecologic Research and Cancer Equity Center at the University of Washington. After 16 years of training and over $200,000 in student loan debt, she turned her personal and professional experience into a mission to change how Black women are treated in gynecologic care.

In this episode, Dr. Kemi breaks down how conditions like heavy menstrual bleeding, endometriosis, and fibroids are not just health issues; they are career and financial ones. Women with endometriosis can miss up to 60 to 65 days of work a year, while women with heavy bleeding often show up to work functioning far below their capacity, a phenomenon called presenteeism.

She shares the clinical signs that your period is not normal, the exact language to use at your gynecology appointment to be taken seriously, and how to find a provider who will actually listen. We also get into her own story of resilience, how she used the NIH Loan Repayment Program to eliminate her debt while building her research career, and why she started a coaching company after discovering she was being paid 30% less than her colleagues.

In this episode, Dr. Kemi shares:

• How untreated womb conditions like fibroids and endometriosis silently drain Black women’s productivity and earning potential
• The clinical signs that your period is not normal and what you can do about it
• How to advocate for yourself at a gynecology appointment, including the exact phrases that get doctors to take your symptoms seriously
• How she paid off over $200,000 in student loans using the NIH Loan Repayment Program while building her research career + more

What’s New in the Paperback Edition of Your Journey to Financial Freedom:

• A bonus chapter: When Life Happens: Staying on the Path to Financial Freedom Through Setbacks, Shifts, and Uncertainty
• A book club and discussion guide with prompts, exercises, and action steps
• Updated corrections from the original hardcover
• Exclusive bonus
  • The Fire Starter Course
  • The Find Your FIRE Number Worksheet

Other related blog posts/links mentioned in this episode:

• NIH Loan Repayment Program: lrp.nih.gov
• Check out “A Terrible Strength” by Dr. Kemi Doll
• Check out the FIRE Calc
• Get your paperback edition of Your Journey To Financial Freedom if you haven’t already.
• Apply to Share Your Journeyer Story, here.
• Join the Journey to Launch Book Club to dive deeper into financial freedom with guided discussions and resources here!
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• Check out my personal website here.
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Connect with Dr. Kemi:

• Website: Kemidoll.com
• Instagram: @KemiDoll
• TikTok: @DrKemiDoll

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