MEET LOCAL LEGENDS: By State

"I always wanted to be a doctor. When my family bought me dolls, I'd take them apart and operate on them."

"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."

"It's easy to lose sight of the plight of women who can't have children, though they want them. My whole career is devoted to understanding infertility and helping women to achieve parenthood."

"I like taking care of very sick people. You see what the problem is and you take immediate action. It's demanding work, and you're pulled in many directions, but there is a tremendous satisfaction in meeting the challenges that come at you."

"I've learned a lot from my cancer patients, and every day I see their courage. There have been so many advances in the field and now we actually cure people all the time who years ago would have been lost. And there is a silver lining to cancer - you learn what is important in life, and not to sweat the small stuff."

"I was inspired by my father, who was a physician and wonderful role model. His office was in our home, so medicine was a part of my daily life from early childhood, and patients were a part of our extended family. As a matter of fact, you could say that medicine is a family condition, since my brother, husband, son and daughter-in-law are also physicians!"

"The most rewarding part of my job is taking care of a really sick child who gets well and goes home, and then the parents bring him or her back for a follow up and I can tell them their child is cured. That's a really wonderful feeling."