Meet Jennifer Lettsome

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Lettsome.

Jennifer, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I’m a queer afro-carribean Filipina woman working in Los Angeles, CA as a nurse practitioner. I was born and raised in Ladera Heights, CA. My father immigrated from the British Virgin Islands and became a podiatrist, and my mother, a Filipino immigrant, helped run his business and helped raised my younger brother and I. I remember my dad would bring my brother and me to work with him, and we’d sit behind the reception desk flipping through foot anatomy pictures of variable grossness and pointing which foot we thought our dad was seeing while bursting into laughter.

I knew my future career would involve working with people. My dad worked in our community in Ladera Heights, so I wanted to as well. I became actively involved in social justice after learning about the micro transgressions that I could never put words to before I went to college, particularly around blackness and being a woman. I heard messages from family members that knew I struggled with math that ‘it was okay because I was a girl’; and I was like ‘ah, okay, that’s why!” I think to this day I’m thankful I don’t have to do pre-algebra for work. I got the stares from classmates when we read ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin’ in class.

In undergrad, I learned about the career path of nurse practitioner after finishing a degree in literature & cultures and decided to pursue that route. It would allow me to work with people, and in the community, I wanted to serve.

I got a second bachelor’s degree in nursing and a master’s degree in nursing in Boston, MA in 2016 and promptly returned to Los Angeles, CA to find work. I am certified in women’s health and adult-gerontology; meaning I see everyone aged 13 until death.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I struggle with imposter syndrome. I struggle with the feelings not knowing enough. The medical field is constantly changing with new information around new medical therapies, new healthcare screenings, new vaccine recommendations, all the time. Additionally, just because a screening or medication is brand new doesn’t mean that a patient’s insurance will cover it. Even though I want to get them the most up to date therapy; we are so limited by what someone’s plan will cover. In the age of information, my patients are equally very well informed and very ill-informed; which brings unique challenges in every visit. There’s constantly something to look up and learn about.

Some progress I’ve made to work on these struggles is just learning about what imposter syndrome is. It’s super common in women’s in the healthcare field, and as a woman of color, it hits especially hard. Educating myself on what that means has helped me as well as journaling when I have very strong feelings. I’ve also come to focus on the fact that ‘I am just a human in a white coat, trying to help,’. If I don’t know an answer to a question from a patient, I collaborate with other providers, spend extra time at home doing research, and do my best back to them once I learn more.

There are not enough words for me to write about the complexities of medicine black, queer, and femme communities and capitalism in this short interview and compile them into struggles and obstacles — but believe me; I can talk about that for days!

We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I am a board-certified adult-gerontology and women’s health nurse practitioner at a community health clinic in Baldwin Hills, CA.

I currently serve a myriad of patients but mostly they are from the African diaspora, Latinx folks, and LGBT folks at the clinic I work at ages 13 and up (I don’t see little ones aka the 12s and under). I treat chronic diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure, hormone replacement therapy for menopausal folks and do PREP and PEP for HIV prevention. I also have a growing panel of trans and nonbinary patients that I provide gender-affirming hormone therapy for. I honestly love that I can do such a variety of services in my skillset.

I also make and sell all-natural soaps as a hobby, check out my Instagram @superdopesoaps. I’ve been trying to nurture hobbies outside of healthcare, and my soaps really help with that.

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
To me, success is being pleased and satisfied with my circumstances and being to maintain that lifestyle without enormous amounts of stress.

Pricing:

• Soap – $10

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/superdopesoaps/?igshid=q3akpbq4ggac

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