Clay's Purpose — March 2022
I am privileged to be a physician, a profession that has enriched my life in ways that I could never have predicted. To our health sciences students, residents and WVU Medicine colleagues – the impact you have on our citizens is amazing. Some of our patients owe their lives to you and others rely on you for their long-term well-being. But all owe you a debt of gratitude for your selfless service and caring.
Tomorrow, we join all those you selflessly serve to celebrate you on National Doctors’ Day.
Pursuing a career in healthcare is a long, challenging journey, and one that is founded on a deep sense of purpose. As healthcare providers, we are champions for our patients – diagnosing conditions, seeking paths to recovery, advancing medical education and developing critical solutions to healthcare challenges through groundbreaking research. As Dr. Martin Henry Fischer once said, “our profession is the only one which works unceasingly to annihilate itself.”
Throughout the past two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, your dedication and sacrifice for extraordinary care have been more apparent than ever. As you are able, allow yourself to reflect on your contributions and care for yourself as you do for others. Remember, simple airline safety is to place the oxygen mask on yourself before you place it on others.
From one doctor to another, thank you for your commitment to this rewarding profession and for improving the quality of life for West Virginians and those around the world. We also thank your families for sharing you with us.
I hope each of you, whether you are a doctor or know a doctor, will join me in thanking them for their remarkable efforts.
Tomorrow, March 30, faculty and resident physicians at J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital are invited to stop by Bruce McClymonds Conference Room from 6:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. for a grab-and-go breakfast. Physicians at other Morgantown locations will receive a gift as a token of appreciation.
Happy Doctors’ Day.
Clay Marsh, M.D.
Chancellor and Executive Dean
WVU Health Sciences