Hellems would not have survived in today’s work place!) That was the end of the interview. He immediately asked me two questions: 1) Did you make good grades? 2) Are you planning on having any more children soon? (Needless to say, Dr. I walked into his office and encountered a grumpy man in a long white coat engulfed in smoke from a cigarette held in one hand and another placed in the ashtray. Harper Hellems, who had been recruited as Chair of the Department of Medicine six months prior to this. I had led a fairly sheltered life until I interviewed with Dr. I applied for a medical secretary position at UMMC on December 23, 1964. Because I had always loved biological sciences, I thought it would be rewarding to work in a medical environment.

At times this was stressful, but the benefit offsetting the stress was working with so many brilliant, talented and wonderful people.Īfter college I began to look for a job just to help with finances for a couple of years. I believe my most important role was learning what the chairman’s vision for the department was, then finding the resources (money, personnel, equipment, space, etc.) to make it possible. I was fully engaged in strategic planning, program development, faculty recruitment and resource management. Each Chair taught me so much and gave me incredible opportunities. Robert Snavely, who passed away before I was employed.

It was my privilege to work with all of the Chairs and Interim Chairs except for the first chairman, Dr. Through the years as a member of the Chair’s staff, initially as a secretary and in later years as the Director of Business Services, I saw the department develop from about 30 faculty and housestaff and nine employees to a faculty of over 200, housestaff of 140 and several hundred employees.

By Pain of Death by Suzanne Clay