Mary-Elizabeth Percival, MD
Dr. Mary-Beth Percival is a hematologist-oncologist, which is also known as being a hem-onc doctor. This dual specialty includes a focus on hematology (blood) and oncology (cancer).
What is Hematology and Oncology?
Hematology (blood) and oncology (cancer) are both sub-specialties that can be chosen by physicians after they finish residency training in the specialty of internal medicine or pediatrics. Some hem-onc doctors are focused on treating patients who have blood and bone marrow cancers (like leukemia) and disorders that affect the formation of blood cells. Others focus their time researching childhood cancers, cancer biology, and cancer treatments.
"One of the best parts of my job is that it changes frequently! My work is a mixture of patient care, clinical research, and teaching (the so-called 'academic trifecta')."
— Dr. Percival
Dr. Percival's Story
Childhood and Family Role Models
Although she was born in Seattle, Dr. Percival grew up in sunny San Diego, California, where her parents still live. She had an early interest in science and thought that someday she might get a PhD and run a research lab. However, as she moved through her educational journey, she discovered that being involved in direct patient care and having a clinical impact were important to her. Dr. Percival had strong role models for choosing a career in medicine, as both of her parents are physicians. Her mother is also a hematologist-oncologist (a physician who treats blood disorders and cancers) and her father is an endocrinologist (a physician who treats disorders of the endocrine system).
Educational Pathway and Specializations
Dr. Percival received her undergraduate degree in Biochemical Sciences from Harvard in Massachusetts, and then attended medical school at Stanford in California for five years (four years of medical school as well as an extra year to gain experience working in a research lab). After her first year of medical school, Dr. Percival developed an interest in immunology, but a research experience in the lab of Judy Shizuru, MD, PhD at Stanford introduced her to the field of blood and bone marrow transplantation. At this point, Dr. Percival thought she might specialize in pathology with a particular focus on hematopathology (the study of diseases and disorders of blood and bone marrow), but she realized that "clinical care with direct patient contact was really important to me." Therefore, she decided instead to specialize in hematology-oncology, realizing that it "provided the best link from my research interests to my clinical interests."
After receiving her MD, she spent three years at the University of California - San Francisco completing an internal medicine internship and residency, followed by three years of hematology-oncology fellowship at Stanford. At this time, Dr. Percival decided to focus on acute leukemia. She also returned to graduate school to earn a Master's degree in Epidemiology and Clinical Research from Stanford to inform her ability to participate in clinical research projects to help her patients, current and future. Reflecting on her educational pathway, Dr. Percival noted, "Becoming a doctor takes a lot of time and energy, but I can't imagine another career would have been right for me."
Time With Family
Outside of work, Dr. Percival enjoys spending time with her family, including her husband and two children, ages 11 and 7. Her kids keep the family busy with multiple activities, including soccer, cross-country running, lacrosse, and piano. Dr. Percival likes to unwind by running, reading, cooking, and making needlepoint creations.
A Day in the Life
Oftentimes, when someone thinks about what a physician does for their job, they only imagine the doctor's role in caring for their patients. However, as she works in patient care, clinical research, and teaching, Dr. Percival holds several titles across three partner organizations. Dr. Percival is Associate Professor in the Clinical Research Division at Fred Hutch Cancer Center and Associate Professor in the Division of Hematology at the University of Washington (UW). In addition, Dr. Percival is an Attending Physician at Fred Hutch Cancer Center (formerly Seattle Cancer Care Alliance). She is board certified in Internal Medicine, Hematology, and Medical Oncology.
Patient Care
As a doctor of hematology-oncology, Dr. Percival cares for patients with cancers and disorders of the blood and bone marrow. She spends two days each week at an outpatient clinic at Fred Hutch seeing patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and other blood disorders. She is also an attending physician at the inpatient leukemia service at the UW Medical Center for two months each year in two-week blocks. As part of her patient care team, Dr. Percival collaborates with two nurses, two nurse practitioners, and a scheduler. One of the most difficult parts of her job is caring for patients who are often very sick. She reflected, "Those cases can be very hard to deal with emotionally, and it is important to provide supportive care and empathy for patients and their family members in difficult times."
Clinical Research
Dr. Percival is involved in clinical research, in which data or samples of blood or tissue from patients are studied to understand how to prevent, detect, diagnose, and treat disease. This can include clinical trials to study new treatments, therapies, and drugs. Dr. Percival is involved in a mix of clinical trials for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and analyzing a leukemia database to answer important questions related to clinical care. Her research team consists of research coordinators, data managers, regulatory specialists, and others involved in making the clinical trials run smoothly. One clinical trial that she is currently involved in examines the use of a drug in AML patients with a low level of disease. This drug was initially developed at Fred Hutch in the late 1990s/early 2000s. The goal of the clinical trial is to see if the drug treatment can completely eradicate evidence of leukemia in the research participants. Next up, Dr. Percival will be involved in another clinical trial that will examine a combination chemotherapy regimen (using a combination of four drugs) in patients with AML. Dr. Percival explained, "The goal of all of these research projects is to improve care for patients with AML — both the patient sitting in front of me in the clinical room as well as future patients."
Teaching
In addition to her work in patient care and clinical research, Dr. Percival teaches medical students, internal medicine residents, and hematology/oncology fellows. She teaches medical students about hematology/oncology in a classroom setting, but her work with residents and fellows occurs at a patient's bedside at the hospital or at Fred Hutch clinics. She also is a lifelong learner herself and finds opportunities to attend lectures on a weekly basis.
Advice for Students
Interested in a career in Hem-Onc? Dr. Percival noted that, "There are many different directions to go within science and medicine, but a lot of them start with a strong background in science coursework in high school and college and with experience in a research setting." Those students who are interested in medicine in general, or hematology-oncology specifically, should choose challenging science courses and look for opportunities to get involved in research. There are summer research experiences for high school students and undergraduate students at cancer centers and universities around the country, including at Fred Hutch and UW.
"I would also encourage students to talk to lots of people to learn about different careers within science and medicine besides becoming a doctor," Dr. Percival said. "The road is long (and sometimes expensive), so it is important to have concrete goals in mind when setting out on the journey."
"The people I work with are the best part of my job! I care a lot for my patients, but the best part is my co-workers."
— Dr. Percival
U.S. Wage Information
According to the 2023 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, the median wage for physicians in the U.S. is $239,200.
Additional Resources
Credit: Thank you to Dr. Mary-Beth Percival for graciously participating in this project. Career profile written by Dr. Kristen Clapper Bergsman.