The girls in Dr. Samara Gibson’s life are an important part of what motivates her as a busy OB-GYN.
The first is her 3-year-old daughter Emerie. The others are her youngest patients, who look up to Dr. Gibson as not only their doctor but also a role model.
“They drive me,” she says of the teenagers she sees in her office. “They keep me going.”
As they open up about their lives and trust her for advice, Dr. Gibson feels grateful for the opportunity to simply encourage them and be a positive influence they might not have elsewhere.
“My young girls are my biggest inspiration,” she says. “I feel like they enjoy coming. I come to work just to see them and help them grow.”
At 33 years old and a successful physician with the DMC Medical Group, Dr. Gibson is often asked about her age but says trust and respect have never been an issue.
“It feels good being in the hospital and that no matter my age or sex, people trust me,” Dr. Gibson says. “One of the best compliments is when my coworkers come see me as patients.”
Dr. Gibson sees obstetrics and gynecology patients at the DMC Grand River Health Center in Detroit and at an office in Farmington Hills. She delivers babies, performs surgeries and counsels her patients about birth control.
Being an OB-GYN is “the best of both worlds,” she says.
“I get to be in the hospital, I get to operate and I get to be in the office,” Dr. Gibson says.
Relationships are an important part of her practice – from seeing the same patients for their annual exams or birth control needs to working closely with them for nine months during a pregnancy.
“Bonding with people for nine whole months – there’s no greater experience than that,” she says. “You really get to know that person. You really develop a bond.”
That bond is part of what first drew Dr. Gibson to medicine. She realized her passion for the field while she was attending Hope College and went on a medical mission trip to Bolivia as part of Alternative Spring Break.
“I fell in love with medicine on that trip,” she says. “It was just the simple thought of just making a difference, helping somebody.”
While her volunteering experience brought her to medicine, her kind demeanor and natural desire to care for others make it a perfect fit.
“I have a nurturing personality,” Dr. Gibson shares. “I like to enable people to be their own advocate.”
That includes encouraging her patients to ask plenty of questions; it’s critical to the process, she believes. “You need to know what I’m doing,” she says.
Working in both Detroit and Farmington Hills, Gibson sees women from all types of backgrounds and appreciates the unique experience each patient brings.
“I absolutely love our patient population. It’s very diverse. I get a little bit of everybody,” she says. “I get absolutely every spectrum, every race, every age. It’s the best.”
In her spare time, Dr. Gibson enjoys traveling and spending time with her daughter, who keeps her busy with ballet, swimming and other activities.
Despite a full schedule and late-night pages calling her to the hospital, being a working mom and physician is made possible thanks to supportive friends and family.
“I have the best, hugest village,” Dr. Gibson says. “I have the biggest support system. … They also keep me going.”
Dr. Samara Gibson works out of the DMC Grand River Health Center, located at 19460 Grand River in Detroit. She also has an office in Farmington Hills. To make an appointment, call 313-387-1097.
