of parenthood
By ALEXANDRA BISSONNETTE Special to the Daily Press
DOWNTOWN Looking at Kristen Bendikson in her crisp white lab coat, no one would ever suspect that the successful assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology was not always at ease around blood.
“I used to be very squeamish,” Bendikson said while sitting in her office at the University of Southern California Fertility Clinic in Downtown Los Angeles.
For someone who used to feel sick around blood, medical school is a particularly impressive accomplishment.
You just have to get over it, she said. Bendikson, who now lives in Santa Monica, grew up in Northern California and considers the West Coast her home, but after finishing her undergraduate work at UCLA, she attended New York University Medical School and completed her residency training at Harvard Medical School.
After 12 years in the infamously gloomy East Coast weather, Bendikson finally made the move back to California following the completion of her fellowship in reproductive endocrinology and infertility at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University.
The move to California was an easy decision for Bendikson. Her husband had moved out two years prior for work, so moving to the Los Angeles area meant they could reunite. Additionally, the USC Fertility Clinic is renowned in its field.
“It was a no-brainer,” she said. “This department is fantastic and this division is unequaled in the area.”
Bendikson’s exceptional academic career in the medical field was not a complete fluke. Her father, an engineer, had always placed a particular emphasis on the sciences while she was growing up.
“He was adamant that I push as hard as I could in science,” she said.
Her father’s guidance clearly paid off. Once Bendikson had established her desire to go into medicine, she found a line of work that really captured her interest and enthusiasm.
“I would always talk about the embryology lab,” Bendikson said of her time in medical school.
She had been introduced to the lab during rotations — an aspect of medical school geared toward assisting residents in a particular field — and knew then that she wanted to specialize in reproductive medicine and infertility.
Additionally, Bendikson wanted to focus on a field that she could help develop.
“IVF [in vitro fertilization] is only 20 years old. It’s so recent, and there is so much we don’t know. It is a rapidly changing, fluid field. It is not stagnant,” Bendikson said.
Aiming to make new breakthroughs, Bendikson is currently researching endometrial receptivity. She is trying to further understand how to improve the implantation process and maximize the possibility of conception.
Bendikson’s interest in research, however, does not overshadow her love of working with her patients and getting to share in their joy of conceiving a healthy baby.
“I love helping the patients. It is very gratifying. I really enjoy the work part.”
While working with patients is one of her favorite parts of the job, the decision to work for her rival school’s clinic did not pose too much of a problem, but when it comes to sports, Bendikson remains a true Bruin.
“I haven’t switched my loyalty when it comes to football,” Bendikson said.“I rout for USC in other sports if they aren’t playing UCLA, but I’ll never really dawn Trojan colors.”
Bendikson currently lives with her husband and 19 month old son in Santa Monica.
“We really enjoy the outdoors, and the weather here is nice 365 days a year,” Bendikson said of her new home on Montana Avenue. “It’s also very walkable. It’s so nice not to be in a car all the time.”
Santa Monica has proved to be a perfect place for Bendikson and her family to settle.
“We really wanted to be by the ocean. Where else would you want to be?”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on July 14, 2008. Read the original PDF.