MEET LOCAL LEGENDS: By Medical Specialty

"I'm blessed that I can work everyday at something I love. My greatest rewards are from my patients. They come to me and they trust me and let me become almost part of their family."

"I love science and am fascinated by how the human body works, and I have a strong interest in public health, in helping to create the conditions for better health, such as vaccinations to prevent disease, and clean water and improved health education."

"I like to work with people, to help them and see them get better..."

"I was very close to my aunt and uncle—he was a doctor—and in my teenage and early college years, they were exceptionally supportive of me and my wish to become a doctor."

"I love the opportunity to build new programs and recruit faculty here in the medical center. I enjoy the energy and challenges of the job. It's a way to make a difference."

"Teaching medicine has undergone huge changes. You can't just read a chapter from a book. As teachers we need to bring the students closer to patients so they learn about dealing with people. Medical students need to see real patients and conduct real medical interviews."

"I wanted to be a doctor from a very young age - even before I went to high school. I'm not sure exactly what motivated me. I had a father who was a chemist. I had a mother who was extremely ill through most of my childhood, and spent a long time in the hospital. It may have been that, that motivated me partly as well."