MEET LOCAL LEGENDS: By Medical Specialty

"I decided that I really wanted to make an impact in life and make sure that people remembered I existed. My illness motivated me to think about ways to prevent cancer and diagnose it early."

""She was a legend in her field. She had a superb scientific mind and was able to see the value of science better than anybody else around. Her work at the Jones Institute opened significant avenues for women with infertility. She really was behind making in-vitro fertilization possible in the United States." (Alfred Abuhamad, M.D., chairman of obstetrics and gynecology at Eastern Virginia Medical School)"

"I'm a teacher at heart. My biggest thrill is seeing clinicians I've helped train become humane, caring physicians that I'd trust myself or my family with. I really believe that teaching the next generation of physicians is the most important and satisfying work I do."

"I was at a point in my life at which I wanted to build on my nursing experience. After considering a Ph.D. in nursing, however, I decided medicine offered more options. So, with the unwavering support of my father, and husband, Sam, who was a physician, I went to medical school to become a cardiologist. But obstetrics and gynecology became my passion because I could do surgery and take care of women!"

"I try to deliver the best possible health care for women. It's just not acceptable that in our country women are still dying of preventable diseases such as cervical cancer"

"Since I was nine years old, I've wanted to spend my life helping people."

"I had a revelation one day while walking down the street in Manhattan. I was working two jobs at the time, one at a hospital in Harlem, and it occurred to me that I was seeing people on the street who were sick and if I really wanted to help change the world, I had to start with the physical reality of helping these people get well so they could contribute too."