Terry came to her decision by interviewing everyone she knew in every possible career choice that involved a lot of interpersonal communication. She had conversations with people in the medical field and, surprisingly, she received some “discouraging comments.” Nevertheless, she decided to speak to a pre-med adviser and shortly afterward, began taking the prerequisites she needed for medical school. She says, “(The University of Texas at) Houston was a great choice for me, as I was a Texas resident and had many supportive friends and family there after going to Rice University in Houston and working in Houston for four years as a mechanical engineer in the oil fields. UT gave me a great education and the ability to not have to learn a new city along with lots and lots of new facts!” Soon, Terry’s company was downsizing and offered her a great voluntary severance package. She accepted and went back to school full-time.

After finishing medical school at UT Houston in 1999, Terry went on to complete an internship at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she finished her residency and a three-year fellowship. Not counting the years earning her undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering, it took Terry 11 years to complete her medical education. She says that “detour” in life was the “best decision ever” and well worth the effort, and one can hear the authenticity and sincerity in her voice.

As a perinatologist, Terry does comprehensive ultrasound, amniocentesis, chorionic villus sampling (also called a placental biopsy), sarean delivery assistance, inpatient and outpatient consultations, and special fetal procedures, as applicable. Terry provides timely service, good listening skills for patient concerns, meticulous care, and follow-up, communicating in an understandable language as well as keeping patients’ primary referring doctors apprised of any change in care recommendations. She says, “I hope that my patients never leave without all their questions answered and that I make their pregnancies easier, safer, healthier, and more enjoyable whenever possible.”

The practice also offers genetic counseling. Genetics is a rapidly expanding and extremely complicated field that can help doctors assist patients in understanding the risk of birth defects or genetic disorders in a pregnancy. If a woman is over the age of 35, or has other risk factors, like a family history of birth defects or genetic disorders, exposure to medications, drugs or chemicals, multiple miscarriages, diabetes or abnormal alpha feto-protein (AFP) results, she may be a candidate for genetic counseling. AFP is a protein in maternal blood that can be measured in the second trimester to help detect chromosomal and spinal or abdominal wall problems in babies. Some indications that make a patient a candidate for Fetal Assessment Testing are decreased fetal movement, diabetes, high blood pressure, past due date, or preterm labor. Prenatal genetic counseling is done prior to any fetal diagnostic testing because “we feel that the average person will know a limited amount about chromosomes and abnormal fetal diagnoses. We hope with the counseling that women and partners get, all their questions are answered and they can make an informed decision prior to proceeding with any testing and particularly invasive procedure involving risk to the pregnancy,” Terry explains.

Perinatology is an incredibly exciting field with growth in knowledge every day, Terry says. “With ultrasound, we are helping to diagnose fetal problems and learning more and more about the treatment of problems like Rh disease, including blood transfusions to the fetus and other fetal surgical procedures.” Preterm labor is one of the nation’s leading pregnancy concerns. According to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, “Preterm births occur in about 12 percent of all pregnancies in the U.S. It is one of the top causes of infant death in this country.” However, a new preventative therapy presented in 2003 (17 hydroxy progesterone) can significantly decrease the risk of preterm delivery. There are also folks currently researching ways to diagnose fetal Down’s syndrome with noninvasive technology that poses no risk to pregnancy—as opposed to amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling. Terry is excited to be involved in such an important aspect of human health, and she finds her job especially rewarding.

When asked to share a favorite story that illustrates the rewarding nature of her career, she answers, “I find many different experiences in my job rewarding, but generally the most gratifying is helping patients with difficult maternal or fetal diagnoses to cope, grieve, and keep hope while going through a difficult pregnancy. One patient who illustrates that very well is a young mom who came to the office recently to show me her 2-week-old baby boy. I diagnosed the little boy very early in her pregnancy with multiple issues with the baby’s heart, kidneys, and arms. The patient, her mother, and I had many discussions about our concerns for this child after birth. The patient kept an amazing, positive attitude throughout the pregnancy, and this little boy defied all expectations—going home one week after delivery to a wonderful, loving, and supportive family.” Terry’s nurturing character makes her a perfect fit for this challenging career field, which she says is welcoming to female physicians, especially by patients.

After living in Texas and living in North Carolina for seven years, Terry and her husband were very interested in moving to the Southwest. Since she grew up in California and he in Texas, New Mexico was a great compromise location with a climate that allows them to raise their boys outside almost year round. “The clincher,” Terry says, “was the (Perinatal Associates) practice that I had the opportunity to join here.” She feels very fortunate to be able to work with some of the most professional, most caring and brightest MDs, RNs, sonographers, managers, and front desk staff that she has ever been around. “Really, really. I’m not just saying that!” she adds. Perinatal Associates of New Mexico, Ltd. has a comprehensive website at www.panm.com.

When asked what encouragement she might have for women who are considering switching careers in mid-life, Terry says, “We are at a time in history where it’s common to change careers, and the focus is more on job satisfaction” rather than staying with a company loyally for 30 to 40 years to get a pension. She encourages women in these situations to “make thoughtful decisions,” make sure you understand how school and a career will impact your personal life, and do something you are passionate about.

In her own experience, when it came time to consider a specialty, Terry spoke with moms who were OB/GYNs or surgeons to see how much time they had with family. She ultimately opted to do a subspecialty in order to have more time with her two boys, Benjamin, 6, and Bryce, 4.

And, as if she needed it, Terry has one more amazing reason to be a very happy woman—her husband, Keith. He’s chosen to be a stay-at-home dad and raise those two boys! She says it works out well for them, and he’s a great role model and caregiver. Although medical school was a long journey for her, she found that it’s not all about the end result; it’s about the experiences along the way and the opportunity she has now to touch so many fragile lives.

Perinatal Associates of New Mexico, Ltd.
www.panm.com

Lisa Ragsdale lives in Albuquerque with her husband, Tim, and their four children. She teaches English at Central New Mexico Community College.