NASHVILLE, Tenn. Tiffany Megan Richburg, MD is a trailblazer. The Meharry Medical College (MMC) alum serves as an Assistant Professor within Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s (VUMC) Department of Anesthesiology, Division of Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology. She’s one of very few African American women within that field, making her a rarity among her peers.
“Sometimes it can be a bit intimidating, as a male-dominated field,” Richburg acknowledged, “but I just believe I’m supposed to be here. This is what I’m supposed to be doing.”
Destiny
Richburg believed early on she was meant for the medical field. The innate desire existed as long as she could remember, and she pursued the physician’s path from childhood to adulthood.
“In middle school and high school, I loved math and science,” she recalled. “In college, I was heavily involved in different health science professions and pre-medical programs.”
During her junior year at South Carolina State University (SCSU), Richburg traveled to Brazil as part of a project for undergraduate students interested in medical school. It allowed her to see how medicine functions in other parts of the world, which further inspired her efforts.
'Higher heights' at Meharry
Richburg went on to earn her medical degree from MMC. Initially, she wasn’t keen on moving to Nashville, she admits, but she was drawn to the institution based on her older sister’s experiences in the Dental School.
“Whenever I would visit, she talked about the comradery, the closeness of the faculty and students,” Richburg said. “And the support she had there, and how she just felt like everyone was a team.”
She believed Meharry’s primary goal for her sister – and Richburg – was to achieve “higher heights.”
After Meharry, Richburg did her Anesthesia Residency at the Medical College of Georgia and a Cardiothoracic Anesthesia Fellowship at Duke University.
Global health
Richburg joined VUMC’s faculty in September 2016. Currently, she is the Anesthesia Residency Rotation Director for the Cardiothoracic Rotation and the Cardiac Anesthesia Fellowship Director for the Transesophageal Echo Rotation.
She’s also heavily involved in global health, specifically as a faculty member assisting the ImPACT AFRICA GRANT with long distance education. “It’s a grant that focuses on educational development and helping prevent mortality in Kenya,” Richburg explained.
Additionally, she is Co-Investigator of the Peripheral Venus Wave Form Analysis for Determining Volume Responsiveness research project, which centers on the Peripheral Intravascular Volume Analysis device. “It attaches to a patient’s IV and sees if it can show fluid responsiveness for a patient,” she said.
Passion for mentorship
As a Meharrian, Richburg has a strong passion for engaging MMC students as a mentor and guide.
“As a med student, I didn’t know a lot of anesthesiologists,” she recalled. “It wasn’t a very popular field.”
There was a lot she didn’t know, and she felt like she needed direction and encouragement. Eventually, she received both from mentors like Dr. Rudolph Francis, an MMC employee at Nashville Metro General Hospital (NMGH). Francis helped Richburg build an educational foundation, and she hopes to do the same for other students today.
“Especially those interested in anesthesia,” she added.
‘You don’t get there alone’
Richburg considers her status as a trailblazer for African American women humbling. She credits Francis, her parents and others as contributors to her success.
“There are a lot of people who helped me along the way,” she said. “Anyone that’s successful, you don’t get there alone. I’m very grateful for every person, college and professor that I came in contact with that helped make and shape my career.”
About the Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance
Founded in 1999, the Alliance bridges the institutions of Meharry Medical College and Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Its mission is to enrich learning and advance clinical research in three primary areas -- community engagement, interprofessional education and research -- by developing and supporting mutually beneficial partnerships between Meharry Medical College, Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the communities they serve. Through community engagement, the Alliance serves a large community of stakeholders including surrounding universities and colleges, community organizations, faith-based outlets and community health centers. Its interprofessional education enhances students' interdisciplinary understanding and improves patient outcomes through integrated care. The research conducted provides access to experienced grant writers and materials supporting the grant application process and facilitates grant-writing workshops.
