Karen Stuart

Name: Karen Stuart

Current position: Obstetrician and gynecologist. She is president and owner of Womencare P.C., in Columbus, Ga.

Hometown: Fort Wayne, Ind.

Education: Received a bachelor's degree in biology for Purdue in 1975. Earned her medical degree at Howard University School of Medicine and did her residency in OB/GYN at the University of Cincinnati.

First, an engineer: After considering universities like Northwestern, she decided on Purdue because of a summer engineering program she attended here in high school. She enrolled, planning to study biomedical engineering, but that dream didn't last long. "My major obstacle in biomed was physics and calculus." Plus she always wanted to be a physician someday. "I pretty much was premed from the start."

A different kind of doctor: Karen says she decided in her senior year of high school that a career in health care was for her after a stay in the hospital. "The doctor of the girl I roomed with was so nice and talkative. My doctor was not talkative, and wouldn't tell me anything. When I got to Purdue, I went to the student clinic, and for the first time, I saw a female doctor. We talked, and she convinced me to go into medicine. I saw from her that someone can do it a lot better."

Changing the conversation: Karen says relating to patients is her favorite part of the job. Although she no longer delivers babies (due to the effect of the grueling hours on her family life), she takes pride in being the best doctor she can be to women. "It's especially rewarding when patients come to me after going to another doctor and tell me that I am the only one who explained their condition in a way they could understand. You can be a great surgeon, but if you can’t explain things to patients, you are much less effective."

Not the first doctor in the family: Karen's father was a dentist and even encouraged her to pursue the profession. "After working summers in his office, I had absolutely no interest in that!"

Down time: Karen enjoys spending her free time with her family, which includes husband Harold and sons Brandon, 23, and Alex, 16. She also enjoys researching topics on the Internet and photography.

Find out more: Read more about Karen and her clinic at www.womencareofcolumbus.com

 

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