NEPA Vital Signs - Summer Fall 2017 - 27

S U M M E R / F A L L 2 017

suppose growing up in a medical family
doesn't seem different to me because it's
what I've known. My father is a physician, my mother is a registered nurse. I have
two older brothers who are both physicians
as well, and shortly I too shall be a physician.
For us as children, we were never pushed
into any kind of medical career, but at the
same time, our conversations at dinner
time often involved medicine and science.

SONGBIRD839/I23RF STOCK PHOTO

As I got older, and spent more time with
my peers, I realized that most kids my age
weren't talking about hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and atherosclerotic heart disease with
their families at home, and for that matter,
didn't even know what those terms meant.
Despite my familiarity with medical jargon,
all throughout high school I was steadfastly
determined to go into a career in law, not medicine, and certainly not anything scientific.

dream of becoming a physician, and unlike
my brothers, practicing right here in NEPA.
The years I spent working in the region before
college showed me that there was nowhere
else I would rather set down my roots and
spend the rest of my life. I was born here, I
will work here, and here I will retire when
that day comes in the distant future.
Doing my education and training here, as a
college student at the University of Scranton,
and medical school at TCMC (now GSOM)
I felt like a part of the community. Because
of my father, and all of his contacts, I already
knew most of the local physicians. It was
extremely helpful, as I could turn to anyone
anytime I needed to get a question answered,
or gain clinical experience. My father was
and still is an invaluable ally in my training,
and will be throughout the remainder of my
career. The physician community in general
has been, still is, and will be a phenomenal
asset both in my training, and as friends and
colleagues going forward.

Following several years of discovery
where I started a couple of businesses (a
publishing company, a tennis academy), I
gradually realized that I did truly have a love
Growing up in a medical family has cerfor medicine and science. So, when I went tainly shaped my future. I have connections
to college, I was thoroughly invested in the to the community that I would not have

hen a girl marries a doctor it's
supposed to be a fairytale happily ever after, like the end of the
old movie "An Officer and a Gentleman."
But, what about when he's an Officer and a
Doctor? I think there's a taco named after
it at Moe's, "the Overachiever."

Center San Diego, the same hospital where
I gave birth to our daughter years later. I
fell for him right away - long eyelashes,
gorgeous smile and an air of confidence
that caused my supervisor to scrunch her
face and warn me, "Too cocky." Neither
that nor the advice of friends- who upon
learning he was from Pennsylvania warned
Dual duty means there are things that go of frigid temperatures-deterred me from
differently than planned. For instance, you making the most of his one year Navy
envision your husband helping to deliver assignment in San Diego.
your only daughter - but he's off in Iraq,
performing superhero duties, helping put
I knew he was the one right away, not
bodies back together after the war on terror just for me, but also for the future family
has stolen other soldiers' happily ever afters. that would someday be ours. I remember
vivid dreams from back then, maybe even
He was there for the birth of our first child, premonitions, of him with our son on
though. Since he was the orthopedic surgery his lap. They would both be wearing pith
resident on call at President's Hospital in helmets, which would seem weirder if we
Washington, D.C. when I went into labor, weren't on a jungle safari in the dream.
he was able to spend the entire day with me Five years after we married that's exactly
and our newborn son!
where we found ourselves, exiled to one of
the least coveted Navy commissions, the
I met my husband, John 20 years ago, in tiny Jungle Book-like island in the pacific
my hometown, at National Naval Medical known as Guam. Talk about duty! At times
N E PA

VITAL SIGNS

otherwise. I have
the support at home and in the
community to be the best that I can be,
and have benefited greatly from that. The
decision to stay and practice right here in
NEPA was never much in doubt throughout
my life, as this is the place I know the best,
the people that I know, and the culture that
I feel most comfortable with. As I prepare
for my graduation, and subsequent residency at the Wright Center, I look forward
to starting a new chapter of my life while
continuing to stay in the only place I've
ever called home.
GRAHAM YEAGER, M.D., is a 2017 graduate
of Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine and
will be beginning completing his residency in Internal
Medicine at The Wright Center.

he was the only orthopedic surgeon for
the entire island of 150,000 people. In the
end, it was a good experience, because we
brought home our favorite souvenir from
Guam - our second son.
Our story then became all about family.
When he came back from Iraq, John scooped
us up and brought us to here to his hometown in Lackawanna County where we're
so grateful to be together. We can finally
put home and family first. We've sacrificed
career goals to coach the kids, knowing
how finite this phase in our lives will be.
All three children want to be orthopedic
surgeons and work with dad someday. I
think it's because we appreciate how our
mobile and active lifestyles make us feel
alive and bonded. Being able to join in
that mission to help people in maintaining
and improving their wellness gives us all a
greater sense of purpose.
SAM LYNOTT

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NEPA Vital Signs - Summer Fall 2017