This is the final in a three-part profile series. Please click here for part one and here for part two.
“Mass General may not have been my original plan, but the moment I came back, I recognized that it was the path I was meant to take,” says Marcela del Carmen, MD, MPH, president of Massachusetts General Hospital. “Life happens the way that it’s supposed to happen.”
Upon returning to Boston, after the unexpected death of her mentor three months into her new faculty position at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Dr. del Carmen quickly fell back into the world, the people and the routine she had established and admired during her fellowship. As she reoriented herself at Mass General and got back to work, she leaned into her passion of caring for underserved communities and strengthened her practice as a surgical oncologist.
She quickly became lauded by her peers for her excellence in gynecological cancer treatment and compassionate bedside manner. In fact, when you Google Dr. del Carmen’s name, you stumble upon praises from peers and patients alike. Some call Dr. del Carmen a “rock star” and an “inspiration,” while others offer more intimate details of their patient experience — like describing how comfortable she made them feel when they came to her with an ovarian cancer diagnosis.
But this should come as no surprise. Even sitting on a Zoom call with Dr. del Carmen will give you this impression. Her voice is even and soothing, and she always seems to be smiling as she talks. Her people skills are unmatched because she puts other people first — she makes you feel like you are part of her inner circle even if you have just met.
“I never had intentions of taking on an administrative role. My passion has always been caring for patients — I love being a doctor. It all happened rather serendipitously. When someone suggested I consider it, I thought of what I could bring to this position from my experience as a cancer clinician, and realized how much of an impact I could make for my peers.”
“When I was young, and newly in America, I was not invited to a fellow classmate’s birthday. I knew enough English at that time to understand what had happened. I was not mainstream. I was the outsider,” says Dr. del Carmen. “I never forgot what that felt like, and I realized that inclusivity was key to success. I realized that we have to accept people for who they are — for what they bring and for their shortcomings. We have to treat all people with respect and dignity.”
A Leader is Born
Her devotion to inclusivity and making people feel heard and welcomed, spills into her relationships with colleagues, as well. So much so, that in 2015, she assumed her first leadership role as medical director of Massachusetts General Physician Organization — a multi-specialty medical group that supports physicians through infrastructure and guidance.
“I never had intentions of taking on an administrative role. My passion has always been caring for patients — I love being a doctor,” says Dr. del Carmen. “It all happened rather serendipitously. When someone suggested I consider it, I thought of what I could bring to this position from my experience as a cancer clinician, and realized how much of an impact I could make for my peers.”
Those advocating on Dr. del Carmen’s behalf as she stepped forward as a leader felt that her expertise coupled with her devotion and empathy for others would be advantageous. Oncology — especially gynecological cancer care, which requires a broad, multidisciplinary team — collaborates with nearly every specialty within a hospital system. And although Dr. del Carmen would agree that “boots on the ground” experience is beneficial when supporting colleagues, she also saw the role as an administrative leader as an opportunity to serve patients and communities more effectively.
“Choosing to go down this road has come at a personal cost to me. My deep, deep love is practicing medicine, and I’ve had to stop doing that full-time,” says Dr. del Carmen. “But my leadership roles also have helped me make a difference on a larger scale, and that has been a true privilege.”
A Glass Ceiling is Broken
In the spring of 2024, Mass General Brigham (MGB) shared historic plans to integrate departments across its academic medical centers, Mass General and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. This announcement also brought forth transitions in leadership, and, in that moment, Dr. del Carmen was named the new president of Mass General — the first woman of color and Latino to hold the position.
She is quite reserved about these incredible facts — milestones no one has reached throughout MGB. And her modesty is not disingenuous; any conversation with Dr. del Carmen makes it clear that these accomplishments contribute to her continued growth in accepting duality — a concept she learned upon arriving as a child immigrant to Miami — and celebrating the idea that not one characteristic defines you.
“The representation of duality in my life is symbolic to me,” says Dr. del Carmen. “You can be a lot of different things throughout your lifetime and find pride in all of them.”
Moving Forward, Together
Dr. del Carmen applies this mantra into her work as she leads Mass General during MGB’s effort to unify care and services across academic medical centers. She recognizes that change can be hard but encourages colleagues and patients to lean into the possibilities.
“I know there is some fear related to our efforts to unify — fear of not being able to harmonize your older Mass General identity with this new identity,” Dr. del Carmen says. “But it’s important to remember that our core values remain the same, and oftentimes, you need to be disruptive and ambitious to innovate.”
“Mass General will always be a place where clinicians can execute on their passions, the things that are really important to them,” she adds. “Taking on the role of president during this time of transition was another opportunity to serve my people and to assure them that they are supported. I’m excited for our patients, our colleagues, our trainees and our communities as we move forward, together.”
This is the final in a three-part profile series, spotlighting Dr. Marcela del Carmen, president of Massachusetts General Hospital, president of Massachusetts General Physicians Organization and executive vice president for Mass General Brigham. Please click here for part one and here for part two.
