America had its eyes on her during the Monica Lewinsky scandal. She was ordered to draw President Bill Clinton’s blood to see if his DNA matched the stain on the infamous blue dress. How did an immigrant woman from humble beginnings find herself as physician to some of the most powerful leaders in the world?
Dr. Connie Mariano will be the first to say being the White House doctor was not something that happened overnight. Last Saturday, May 14, Bellevue residents heard Dr. Mariano, former physician to presidents Clinton and George H.W. Bush, share her story. She was the keynote speaker for, “Breaking the Glass Ceiling,” an event at Hotel Bellevue hosted by ASCEND, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering Pan-Asian leaders. Mariano is the author of a new book, “The White House Doctor.”
REPORTER: What are some of the biggest challenges that women of color, or more specifically, Asia-Pacific women, face in the job world?
CM: When people look at us, diminutive, petite, Asian women, they assume we are quiet, meek and subservient – the stereotypical servant woman of the Orient. If we are attractive, they assume we are not smart enough or that we got our jobs because of our good looks. So for the jobs that require “American” behavior (bold, assertive, tough, macho), Asian-American women have to prove that we are intelligent, strong, assertive and can compete in the workplace.
REPORTER: What advice do you have for young American women of Asian and Pacific Islander heritage?
CM: Ignore the stereotypes. Find and listen to your own voice. Believe in yourself. Don’t take no for an answer. Women who feel uncomfortable entering a room and finding they stand out from the crowd, take comfort in knowing that this is your chance to be OUT-standing.
REPORTER: As a Filipina, what was the biggest challenge in climbing the career ladder?
CM: Being constantly underestimated. People would assume I didn’t speak English. When I told them I was in the navy, they assumed I was enlisted and not an officer. When I told them I was in healthcare, they assumed I was a nurse, not a doctor. Climbing the ladder meant educating people that their stereotypes and assumptoms were wrong.
REPORTER: You were the first military woman to become the White House Physician to the President, the first woman Director of The White House Medical Unit and the first Filipino American in U.S. history to become a Navy Rear Admiral. Is there one accomplishment that stands out more than the others?
CM: Being the first Filipino American to become a Navy Rear Admiral. As the daughter of an enlisted Filipino who joined the U.S. Navy in the 1940s as a steward, it was a major achievement not only to become an officer but to rise to the rank of admiral. I grew up the daughter of a steward, entering through the kitchen door to visit my father in the homes of the admirals where he served. As an admiral, I didn’t have to enter through the kitchen door anymore.
REPORTER: What was your most difficult accomplishment to achieve and why?
CM: Becoming a White House Doctor. All of my predecessors except one (Dr. Janet Travell, civilian doctor under President Kennedy, 30 years before my tenure) were males. So it meant breaking the all-boys club at the White House.
REPORTER: You’ve broken many barriers. What do you think was your secret to success?
CM: Growing up with the mantra, “You are never good enough.” My parents raised me to have an inferiority complex as I grew up in America so I always tried very hard to overcome that and not believe it. The secret to my success was that I never believed I would be a success. Also, feeling that the successes I’ve achieved are not enough and I am capable of doing more.
REPORTER: What was it like being doctor to President Bush Sr.?
CM: It was like taking care of my father. He is the same age and generation as my parents and very humble, kind, and fatherly. A pleasure to take care of him and know him and Mrs. Bush.
REPORTER: What was it like being doctor to President Cllnton?
CM: He was a few years older than I am so it was like taking care of my cool, popular older brother. He has a great sense of humor and loved to share jokes with me. Bill Clinton was the epitome of charisma. He could charm anyone and everyone he met, even if you didn’t agree with him. His power was that when you met him in a crowded room, he made you feel like you were the only one there; he would focus on you.
REPORTER: From treating Hillary Clinton for a blood clot to treating Presdient Clinton’s mother for breast cancer, what was the most challenging part of being the White House doctor?
CM: Trying to be respectful of their privacy and deciding what needed to be private versus what needed to be released to the media. It was tremendous pressure because not only were you a doctor first and foremost, but you had an obligation to reassure the American public that the president was healthy and able to do his job.
REPORTER: What did the daily job of White House physician entail?
CM: The day’s events depended on what the president was doing that day. If he was traveling, I would arrive early at the White House and accompany him on Marine one to Andrews Air Force Base and board Air Force One. I was velcroed to the president, accompanying him everywhere when he left the White House. We traveled to close to 100 countries in my nine years at the White House and my 24 years in the U.S. Navy. It’s been a whirlwind tour.
REPORTER: Tell me about the work you’re doing now at the Center for Executive Medicine in Scottsdale, Arizona.
CM: I founded my own medical concierge practice which offers presidential-quality care to more than 300 executives and their families. I’m the only physician, on call 24/7 to my patients. I spend as much time as my patients like with them during their visits. They email or call me whenever they wish. I do house calls. I get to know them as well as their families very well. Our mantra is to treat every patient as though he or she were the president of the United States.
REPORTER: What kind of impact do you hope to make with your new book, “The White House Doctor”?
CM: Shed light about what it is really like behind-the-scenes at the White House and what it is like to take care of the leader of the free world. Also my story is an American story of how I, as a little girl from the Philippines, came to America, went to school here and grew up to become the physician to the president.
