Skip to content
Several pictures of doctors who are featured on the Local Legends web site

MEET LOCAL LEGEND: Ann Jobe, M.D.

Picture of Ann Jobe

Ann Jobe, M.D.

“A major motivator was my concern that too often patients were not included as a central core of their own health care team, so I decided I would be willing to pursue seven additional years of medical education and residency to become a part of the solution...as a doctor.”

NOMINATING CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVE

Jim Marshall

“PASSIONATE, PATIENT-CENTERED HEALTH CARE REFORMER”

BIOGRAPHY

Before becoming a doctor, Ann Connor Jobe had already "earned her stripes" in health care as an operating room technician, a staff nurse at a university hospital and as a clinical nursing instructor. Now she is Professor in Family Medicine and Dean of Mercer University School of Medicine, one of only eight women heads of the country's 126 medical schools, a position which she says enables her to focus on her passion: improving the patient-doctor relationship.

"When I was in Family Practice residency," Jobe recalls, "I planned to have a practice where health professionals worked collaboratively as a team to provide holistic care to patients; a practice where prevention, nutrition and exercise were all incorporated into the office setting. As I pondered the impact, I realized it would be limited only to the patients I would see in my practice.

"I wanted to impact future generations of physicians who could then positively impact many more individuals in their practices. So I chose to enter academic medicine, never conceiving that that would lead to becoming a dean and having the opportunity-and privilege-to lead a medical school. I continue to find doors opening to work on improving the collaboration between health professionals.

"I hope when all is said and done, I will look back and see that patients and their families are receiving compassionate, competent care from health care teams that communicate well and are continually searching for ways to improve the system."

Perhaps this is what Rep. Jim Marshall (D-GA-3) had in mind in nominating Jobe as a Local Legend, "Dr. Jobe has distinguished herself as a caring, talented instructor and physician. Her efforts are training future generations top provide the same type of compassionate care that has been a critical part of her career."

After earning her medical degree at the University of Nevada School of Medicine and completing her residency training in Family Medicate at Florida Hospital, in Orlando, Jobe joined the pre-doctoral division of the Department of Family Medicine at East Carolina University School of Medicine, in Greenville, NC, in 1989, and in 1990 was appointed Assistant Dean for Student Affairs. In July 1995 she became Senior Associate Dean and served as Chief Operating Officer of The Brody School of Medicine, at East Carolina, until winning her appointment to lead the Mercer University School of Medicine.

"I hope I make a difference by role-modeling and speaking out about the ideals and values of medicine and health care and the need for academic health centers to be more accountable to societal needs and to win back the public trust," says Jobe. "I continue to work to bring changes in medical education that ensure future generations of physicians are compassionate and caring, competent, excellent communicators, collaborators with other health care professionals, continually improving their skills and abilities, and committed to the profession of medicine and serving patients and communities."

A member of the American Academy of Family Physicians, Jobe counts among her most cherished awards the 1986 Janet M. Glasgow Memorial Award from the American Medical Women's Association, and the 2001 Physician Volunteer of the Year Award from the Greenville Community Shelter Clinic, Greenville, NC.

MILESTONES

1976

Awarded R.N. degree, College of St. Catherine, St. Paul, MN

1986

Earns M.D. from University of Nevada School of Medicine, Reno, NV

2001

Appointed Dean, Mercer University School of Medicine, Macon, becoming first female physician/nurse nationwide to hold such post

BORN

1946

MEDICAL SCHOOL

University of Nevada School of Medicine

SPECIALTY

Family Practice

LOCATION

Georgia