My Personal Tribute to Dr. Mary Ellen Avery

摘要

Because my husband was planning to pursue a fellowship in adolescent medicine at Boston Children’s Hospital, I was set to interview there in July of 1974 for a third year of pediatric training. I was just starting my second year of pediatrics in Los Angeles and had been focusing more on the mechanics of completing pediatric training than on choosing a fellowship. Dr. Mary Ellen Avery had just become Children’s Physician-in-Chief. In fact, she was still finding her way about the place, both physically and professionally. It was my second interview, the first resulting in less than positive news about the possibility of my obtaining a senior pediatric residency for the coming year. She did not let me be discouraged, made it known that she would welcome me there, and suggested I could pursue the start of a fellowship before completing my full pediatric training. What type of fellowship? I certainly hadn’t spent much time contemplating this. How about neonatology, she suggested, and immediately arranged for me to see Dr. Bill Taeusch, newly appointed Neonatology Division Director. So serendipity, and more importantly, Dr. Mel Avery are responsible for my career in neonatology: I joined the first official JPN fellows’ group that started training in July of 1975.