At first, I thought it was because talking about this disease can be rather depressing. The percentage of women who make it — less than 50 percent — isn’t much to boast about. But I often write about ovarian cancer, and I’m supposed to speak at several functions by year’s end, so that couldn’t be it.

Then, last week, I met with med students at Weill Cornell Medical College as part of the Survivors Teaching Students program, and it clicked. I function best when I feel like I’m moving forward.

Talking about the past and how I arrived here isn’t how I want to feel kinship. I’d rather find it by helping others. I’m not diminishing the role of cancer support groups. Everyone copes differently, and in my case, it just isn’t the right fit.

Now, holding court in front of future doctors? Well, that’s right up my alley.

A simple but ingenious program, Survivors Teaching Students places ovarian cancer patients in medical-school classrooms to share personal stories and information about the disease. Who better for the troops to learn from than the folks in the trenches?

As the fledgling physicians looked on intently, I told my story. I encouraged them to establish relationships with patients and never let race or age bias determine how they treat individuals. (I decided to skip the part about how my family thought I should sue my original doctor for misdiagnosing me. We were bonding, so I figured that little tidbit might not be appropriate to share.)

Afterward, the students asked really good questions: “How can doctors support their patients after a cancer diagnosis?” “What clued you in that something was wrong?” “How effective are new anti-nausea and pain medications?”

This was real dialogue happening, and I was leading it. And it was exciting! By the end of the session, I felt like I had been called to service and had prepared my unit to go out into the world and save lives.

Next week, I’m off to Wagner College in Staten Island, and I’m already anticipating it. In a strange turn of events,  it seems as if the students have become the support group I never imagined wanting.