 Fern Hauck, MD
MD Degree: St. Louis University School of Medicine E-mail: frh8e@virginia.edu I am one of the department's newest faculty members, and I am very excited about being here. I was tempted away from my prior position at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine by the enormous potential this department has in developing a research program and the wonderful colleagues, residents and staff with whom I will have the privilege to work. The beautiful surroundings and family-friendly atmosphere of the Charlottesville area didn't hurt either! I have learned over the years that family doctors as a group are among the nicest and most dedicated people you can find, and that we are an eclectic group. The discipline allows one to develop in many directions and contribute in so many different ways to the health of families and communities. This has been true for me. First drawn to rural practice in Maine (where I did my residency) and New Hampshire (where I established a new practice with two colleagues), I moved to Cleveland to participate in the Robert Wood Johnson Faculty Development and Research Fellowship at Case Western Reserve University, which introduced me to research and academic family medicine. I have been hooked ever since. Following the fellowship, I fulfilled a life-long dream of working abroad, and spent a year supervising the pediatrics ward in a refugee camp hospital at the Thai-Cambodian border. Deeply affected by my experience in Thailand and travel throughout the area, I became an EIS officer (epidemiology fellow) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, focusing on childhood nutrition issues. I have continued to focus on community health, prevention, and epidemiologic research and maintain an interest in international health and caring for the underserved. My research interests include Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, maternal and child health, domestic violence, and adolescent health risk behaviors. I also love teaching about research methods including design and analysis and helping to diffuse some of the fear many family doctors have about research. I am looking forward to working with the department to develop exciting research projects and a research curriculum that complements its excellent Information Mastery program. |