QUESTIONS & ANSWERS: DR. ANNETTE MAYES

‘There needs to be a more cohesive, team approach to caring for people’

Longtime readers of Las Vegas Black Image are well-acquainted with the professional expertise of Dr. Annette Mayes. She not only wrote a monthly column for this magazine, but the popular physician is a 30-year resident of Southern Nevada, a familiar face at the annual breast cancer and mammogram awareness fair, and an assistant professor at the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV. Less familiar is the story of Dr. Mayes’ path to success, so we sat down with her to walk through her history. 

Tell us about your background. 

I was the youngest of six children growing up in East Palo Alto. Even though neither of my parents graduated high school, they recognized the importance of education — and got me into a very good private junior high/high school, and from there I went on to Stanford University, and later medical school. 

Were you always a straight A student? 

(Laughs) I got straight A’s at my public elementary school, but after enrolling in an all-girls private school, I was definitely behind. When I tested going into the 7th grade, they said my reading was 8th grade level, but my math skills were like 5th grade level. So I was playing catch up. I just had to study and work at it, because it didn’t come easily. 

When did you decide to become a doctor? 

It was weird. My big sister said she wanted to be a doctor, and I said, “Me too!” Then, when I got into high school, I realized I actually did like the sciences. 

How difficult were the academics at Stanford, one of the most prestigious universities in the country? 

Every step I took, I thought, “Oh my God, this is so much harder than before.” When I got into Stanford, I thought it was so hard — and then in medical school, I thought, “Oh, Stanford was so easy compared to this.” So, every step I had to really work for it. Looking back, I feel like I didn’t take advantage of the opportunities that surrounded me. I think because I came from a Black community, I surrounded myself with Black friends, which was good for my heart — but at the same time, I think I missed out on things that could have been beneficial to me. Like, I never went to the dean of student affairs just to get to know him. 

There were only five or so Black women in your medical school class of approximately 200 students. Why aren’t there more Black physicians today? 

To many people, it feels like an impossible dream. Remember: I was this little Black girl from the ghetto whose parents didn’t graduate from high school — so it’s not impossible. But you do have to work for it, and delay any ideas of instant gratification, because it’s a long haul before you see a financial return. Besides the enjoyment I get caring for my patients, one of the benefits for me is that I’ve never been fearful of being out of work; even when the economy turns bad, being a physician, there’s a feeling of security knowing that you will always be able to find good employment. 

The opening of the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine and soon, a new Children’s Hospital, are big steps forward. What is the next “big thing” needed to improve healthcare in Southern Nevada? 

I thought about this when my mother was going through some medical problems: there needs to be a more cohesive, team approach to caring for people, where it’s not on the patient to navigate and tell Doctor A what Doctor B did and so forth. Kind of like at the Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic. Those are places that can handle complicated cases because they have a diverse team of specialists and they’re all communicating with each other. Something like that would be fantastic. Hopefully, we’ll get there one day.