From volunteering and mentoring to patient and physician advocacy, Dr. Colleen Schmitt brings her passion for serving the medical community to her new role as 2019 president of the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Medical Society.
"The major priority for the medical society here is to try and create a healthier community," Schmitt said. "That supersedes really every other part of the strategic plan."
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Rising high school seniors and 2019 high school graduates interested in pursuing medical careers may now apply or be nominated for the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Medical Society and Medical Foundation of Chattanooga’s 14th-annual Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine.The program will be held June 3 to 6 and includes daily roundtable discussions with physicians. Students will also shadow a different physician each day. The deadline to apply is April 12.Schmitt said the program is designed to:- Provide students the opportunity to learn more about life as a physician and inspire them to consider a career in medicine;- Educate students about options available to assist with the cost of medical education;- Provide students and local physicians with a community-based mentoring/teaching experience; and- Assist with efforts to increase the pipeline of health care providers in Southeastern Tennessee.Students must complete an application and submit two recommendations, which can be from a teacher, principal, guidance counselor, or other individuals familiar with the student’s educational background and interests. Applications must be received by the Medical Society by April 19. Applications and complete information are available at www.chattmd.org. Typically more than 100 students apply for the competitive program and approximately 25 students are selected.
Schmitt, a board-certified internist and gastroenterologist with Galen Medical Group, grew up in Ringgold, Georgia, and graduated from the University of South Alabama College of Medicine in 1986. She completed her internship and residency in internal medicine at Harvard's Beth Israel Hospital in Boston and a fellowship in gastroenterology at Duke University Medical Center, along with a joint fellowship in health services research at the Durham V.A. Hospital, where she finished a master's degree in biometry and informatics.
Schmitt succeeds past president Dr. Justin Calvert, who said that in the last year the society "worked diligently to make this community a safer place for physicians to practice medicine by rolling out the new physicians' well-being initiative called 'LifeBridge.'"
"I was honored to be a part of this process during my tenure as president. I have no doubt that Dr. Colleen Schmitt will carry the torch of putting patients first and promoting physician well-being in Chattanooga," Calvert said.
Other officers include Dr. James Haynes, president-elect, and Dr. David Armstrong, secretary-treasurer.
Of her many accomplishments, Schmitt said she's most proud of spearheading the Leadership Education and Development program at the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy in 2015. The program helps women physicians develop specific, important skill sets that they don't learn in medical school.
"I'm in a specialty that's heavily weighted toward men. There wasn't a path where women saw examples for them or appropriate mentoring," Schmitt said. "Unless you see women in a position that you think you might aspire to, you won't think it's possible for you. That's why I think it's very important for young women to see women in leadership positions."
Schmitt said she's also proud to be receiving the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy distinguished service award this year, but "getting a best mom plaque" from her daughter when she was 8 is another cherished achievement.
"Women always wonder, what am I sacrificing? Being a mother to my kids, how are they going to think of me?" she said. "My message to them is they'll be proud of you."
Founded in 1883, the 1,200-member medical society is affiliated with the Tennessee Medical Association and works closely on an array of issues that impact the practice of medicine in Tennessee. The society partners with the Medical Foundation of Chattanooga on public service projects including the Hamilton County Project Access program, the Future Docs Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine and the Medical Exploration Program, and the LifeBridge Physician Well-Being Initiative.
Contact staff writer Elizabeth Fite at efite@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6673.