Honoring four trailblazing alumnae on National Women Physicians Day

Championing athletes and breaking barriers: Carol L. Otis, MD, FACSM ’75, sports medicine physician and women’s athletic health pioneer

Long before Title IX had fully reshaped women’s athletics, Carol L. Otis, MD, FACSM ’75, competed in swimming and tennis in the 1960s, a time when opportunities and accurate information about physical activity for women were scarce. Those experiences propelled her toward a career as a sports medicine physician devoted to women athletes.​

“I was motivated to learn more, dispel myths and improve the medical care and policies for women athletes,” she reflects. “I dedicated myself to clinical care for female athletes, research, and educating women, physicians, coaches and administrators about best practices to achieve their best.”​

Over the decades, Otis has become a recognized leader in women’s sports medicine. She served as team physician at UCLA, physician at two Olympic Games — Los Angeles in 1984 and Sydney in 2000 — and medical advisor and consultant to the Women’s Tennis Association, where she chairs the commission that developed its Age Eligibility Rules and Player Development Programs. With collaborators, she helped define the Female Athlete Triad, fundamentally changing how physicians understand and manage the health of women athletes.​

“Know yourself and your heart, discover your passion and follow your dreams relentlessly. Don’t give up if a door slams in your face…Be a trailblazer, be bold, stay curious, seek mentorship, and go the extra mile to advocate for your patients.”​

Carol L. Otis, MD ’75

Her leadership has extended beyond the sidelines. She established a Women’s Strategic Initiative at the American College of Sports Medicine, created national training programs in female sports medicine for physicians, and developed educational programs and policies for coaches and administrators across major governing bodies, including USA Track and Field and the LPGA. “I followed my dreams, and I was a trailblazer in the field of women’s sports medicine,” she says.​

The journey was not without resistance. “In the 1980s, there were very few women physicians, especially in the male-dominated fields of sports and medicine,” she recalls. “As a former female athlete turned physician, I faced numerous barriers, including being banned from locker rooms and football sidelines.” When she raised concerns about care for female athletes and an investigation validated those concerns, she was blackballed from positions and teams she had served.​

Otis credits her Keck School education with grounding her approach, particularly the early, mentored work with actual patients that emphasized empathy and cultural competence. Her advice to today’s students is clear: “Know yourself and your heart, discover your passion and follow your dreams relentlessly. Don’t give up if a door slams in your face…Be a trailblazer, be bold, stay curious, seek mentorship, and go the extra mile to advocate for your patients.”​ She also adds, “Make self-care and self-knowledge a priority, seek balance between your professional and personal life. Find time for regular physical activity and mindfulness as a cornerstone to your health, and set an example for others.”

Healing across borders: Naomi Yamashita Morales, MD ’87, retired pediatrician and medical missions leader

As a retired Partner Emeritus of the Permanente Medical Group, Naomi Yamashita Morales, MD ’87, built a distinguished career in general pediatrics, pediatric hospitalist medicine and pediatric critical care transport before turning her efforts toward medical missions. Today, as medical missions leader at Eastside Church in Anaheim, California, she brings that expertise to communities with limited access to care.​

One defining moment came in 2018, when she was working in a remote Kenyan community and a critically ill toddler arrived at the clinic. “With limited resources, we provided what was available; however, further treatment was imperative,” she recalls. The nearest hospital was 50 kilometers away, and the child’s mother hesitated to travel. A pilot volunteered to fly the patient, and the team sprang into action. “The team mobilized resources, stabilized the patient, prepared her mother, and safely transported her to recovery,” Morales writes. “This routine US treatment had a profound impact on the community, educating them about respiratory care and making such situations rare.”​

“Cultivate curiosity and engage in thoughtful questioning. Maintain a courageous attitude despite any resistance you may encounter.”​
Naomi Yamashita Morales, MD ’87

She emphasizes that the child’s recovery was the work of many: “Her journey was the result of a group mobilizing their strengths for her benefit. Community leaders, clinic staff, medical professionals, the pilot, and resource providers all played crucial roles in her recovery.”​

Morales traces her approach to care back to her Keck School years. Early on, small-group learning fostered community and support, while early clinical skills training showed her practical applications of basic sciences in clinical practice. Clinical rotations at Los Angeles General Medical Center immersed her in diverse cultures, lifestyles and social circumstances. “Despite the demanding experience, it cultivated empathy, compassion, and courage to look beyond myself,” said Morales.​

To today’s Keck School medical students and early-career women physicians, she offers a framework for growth: “Cultivate curiosity and engage in thoughtful questioning. Maintain a courageous attitude despite any resistance you may encounter.”​

Inspiring a state and beyond: Diana Ramos, MD ’89, California Surgeon General and obstetrician-gynecologist

As California Surgeon General, Diana Ramos, MD ’89, brings the lens of an obstetrician-gynecologist to statewide efforts that center on mental health and equity in care. Her work in public health builds on years of clinical experience delivering babies and caring for families.​

“Some of the most meaningful and rewarding experiences have been in bringing new life into the world,” she shares. “As an ob/gyn, there is no more beautiful gift than to deliver a baby.” In her current role, she meets people across the state, especially young women, who see their own aspirations reflected in her story. She remembers a Latina high school student in the Central Valley who wanted to be a doctor: “She looked at me and said with tears in her eyes, ‘Meeting you and hearing your story, you made me realize, I too can be a doctor. Thank you.’”​

Being a woman in medicine deeply informs her practice. “As a female physician and an ob/gyn, I share the lived experience of the care I am giving my patients. I strive to be the physician I want to care for me,” she explains. “Being a female has made me a better doctor and provided some of the innovation in developing public health programs.”​

“The world is at your feet. You are physicians and have and should ask for what will help you be the best physician possible.”
Diana Ramos, MD ’89

Ramos describes the Keck School of Medicine as embodying the USC Trojan spirit of elevating and giving back. For her, the most important lessons came from patients. “I learned how to listen, understand and never stop giving back. I am so grateful for the opportunity to be a member of the Trojan family, professionally and personally,”​ says Ramos. 

Her message to current students and early-career women physicians is both practical and empowering: “The world is at your feet. You are physicians and have and should ask for what will help you be the best physician possible.” She encourages them to define what matters and feel empowered to negotiate: “What do you want your days to look like? Who and what is important to you? Write it out and use it as a guide to help you decide the jobs you want to take and more importantly, what you need to negotiate for. Yes, negotiate, you are an amazing physician.”​

For Ramos, Women Physicians Day is a celebration of what is possible and more. “With over 60% of all medical students being female, the future of medicine is in the hands of women,” she says. “Today is a celebration of what we are accomplishing from life science research, to how we deliver care to the areas of focus and solutions for today’s clinical challenges.”

Building confidence from the inside out: Sara Gaspard, MD ’05, dermatologist and practice leader

As a dermatologist and founder of a large private practice, Sara Gaspard, MD ’05, has built a career at the intersection of health, confidence and aesthetics. “I’ve always been a people person, and I was drawn to medicine because it allows me to connect with others in a meaningful way,” she says. “Dermatology lets me help people achieve both health and beauty — from the inside out — which is incredibly fulfilling.”​

Her patients are her daily motivation. “What continues to motivate me every day is my patients themselves: the joy they bring when they walk into the office, and the confidence and happiness I see when they leave,” she explains. “Those moments are a constant reminder of why I chose this path.”​ She recalls one patient whose story still anchors her sense of purpose. During the height of COVID-19, she diagnosed a man with melanoma. “He was terrified—not only of the diagnosis, but of coming into a doctor’s office at all,” she writes. “He shared that his greatest fear was that he wouldn’t live to see his children graduate from high school.” She and her team guided him through biopsy, excision and ongoing follow-up, ensuring he felt safe and supported at every step. “Today, both of his kids are off to college, and he didn’t miss a beat. Moments like that are a profound reminder of why compassionate, attentive care matters so deeply.”​

“Women Physicians Day is a celebration of what makes women in medicine so special…We bring empathy, organization, and strong management skills to our work, and we get things done.”​
Sara Gaspard, MD ’05

Being a woman in medicine has shaped her journey in powerful ways. “Early on, I felt the need to demonstrate that I belonged and could excel, which pushed me to work harder, stay focused, and cultivate resilience,” she reflects. At the same time, it sharpened strengths she values: empathy, collaboration, and the ability to lead with both confidence and care.

Gaspard credits the Keck School’s hands-on approach with preparing her to lead. “You’re really learning by doing from the very beginning,” she says. “We were also taught to treat every patient like a member of our own family, to be sensitive to differences, and to lead with compassion. Those lessons have stayed with me and continue to influence how I care for patients and run my practice today.”​

As a practice leader overseeing 48 employees and caring for more than 45 patients a day, she wants future women physicians to see that success can look many ways. “I hope my career shows that leadership doesn’t have to look a single, rigid way,” she notes. “If I had focused on the magnitude of all of that at the beginning, I probably would have been too intimidated to start. Instead, I focused on working hard, taking things step by step, and trusting the process.” Women Physicians Day, she adds, is “a celebration of what makes women in medicine so special…We bring empathy, organization, and strong management skills to our work, and we get things done.”​