Theresa Rohr-Kirchgraber, MD, FACP, FAMWA
Medical School: Cornell University College of Medicine
Specialty: Internal Medicine/Adolescent Medicine
Career Highlights:
Service with AMWA: Board of Directors, Publications Committee, Governance Committee
Quote: It's not how big you are, it's what you do with what you have and how you use the gifts you are given.
Biography:
Born one of 8 children, I never planned on going into medicine. Just getting into college and paying my way was enough to worry about! But, I found I loved science and found medicine and am grateful for the support I had along the way. Though I put myself through school, I can never say that I did this on my own. I had a family that supported me, women’s groups and others that provided scholarship funding, and colleagues that helped push me along when the going got tough. The summer programs during college were essential to learning more about the path to medicine, and the student clubs and organizations gave me leadership skills and foraged the path to medical school. Luckily I never gave much thought to the naysayers who said “you can’t be a mother and a doctor.” I graduated from Cal State Long Beach and then went on to medical school at Cornell in New York City. Back in the 80’s, medical school was a great place to meet guys and my now husband was a classmate. We matched together and started residency in Cleveland and since then I have been on faculty at various medical schools. We now have three children and are enjoying a fabulous two career marriage. Along the way, I have served as a soccer coach, Director of Girls Hockey, team manager, church lecturer, and too many things to count.
To get up every day, excited about the possibilities that lay ahead and be happy to come home at the end of the day…what is better than that!
