- Current job title and place of employment:
Chair, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baystate Medical Center, Springfield, MA and
Deputy Chair and Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA
- Briefly, what is it that you do?
Provide clinical care, teach medical students and residents, carry out research and administer a department
of roughly 35 physicians, 20 residents, and 25 midwifes.
- What, if any, obstacles did you face trying to get your first job in this field?
Major obstacle or hurdle was to matriculate into medical school. Once in the last 2 years of medical
school the major "hurdle" was to decide if the field was what interested me the most.
- What advice would you give to students interested in working in your field?
Obviously they need to have an interest in science, ability to work long hours, and most importantly
have an interest in helping people from all walks of life.
- What are some of the activities you were involved in while at SLU?
No major activities due to class work and outside jobs.
- How can students best prepare themselves while at SLU?
Develop good study habits, communication skills, e.g. verbal and written, and also some understanding
of how to relate to the diversity within our country's population through broadened life experiences.
Relative to the latter point, I see many medical students from graduation from high school
until entry into medical school who have concentrated on science even during summers with
very limited life experiences that allow them to relate to the populations they ultimately
will have to treat as physicians.
- In retrospect, is there anything you would have done differently with regard to your
career?
Not really. I got to where I am today through willingness to accept new challenges, hard work,
and at least some talent.
- What are your future plans?
To continue clinical care, teaching and research though I will reduce my administrative role.
- Are you willing to talk with students interested in a career in your field? If so, how may
they best contact you?
Yes:
Ronald T. Burkman, M.D.
Chairman, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Baystate Medical Center
759 Chestnut Street
Springfield, Massachusetts 01199
Phone (413)-794-5457 Fax (413)-794-3354
e-mail rtb@bhs.org
Additional Alumni Profiles:
John Marino, '83 : Vice President for Marketing, Actelion Pharmaceuticals, South San Francisco, CA
Dawn Montanye, '89 : Manager of Conservation Economics, World Wildlife Fund Northern Great Plains Program, Bozeman, Montana
Amanda Valenta '04 : Senior Audit Associate, McGladrey & Pullen, LLP
Moira Collins '84 : Senior Vice President, Product Development, Gartner, Inc.
Bruce E. Seely '75: Professor History and Department Chair, Department of Social Sciences, Michigan Technological University
Mark Tavern '94: Director, A&R Administration at the
RCA Music Group, a unit of SONY BMG Music Entertainment and home of the J, Arista and RCA record labels.
Anthony (Tony) Ross '75, M'78: Vice President for Student
Affairs California State University, Los Angeles
George Ashline '89: Associate Professor of Mathematics, Saint Michael's College, Colchester, VT
Alissa Bibb '03, Program Officer: American Councils for International Education
Rick Persons, '83, Senior Television Producer, PGA TOUR Productions
Ronald T. Burkman, M.D., '65 Chair, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Ken
Dowling ‘84, Executive Vice President, Grey Worldwide
Advertising
David Dusek ’93, Senior Managing Editor
of golfonline.com
Noelle Laing ‘03, Senior Consulting Associate
at Cambridge Associates
Dan Lee 05', Investment Banking Analyst, Cochran,
Caronia & Co.
Armand A. Rapetti ’73, President, CEO:
JBS & Associates, Lakeland, FL
Ken Polk & '91, Major Accounts District
Manager: Automatic Data Processing, Williamsville, NY
Wendy Davidson Freihammer & #8217;94,
Financial Advisor: American Express Financial Advisors, Cambridge, MA
Mayela C. (Calabria) Harris '87, Family
Therapist (Social Worker): Hospice of Wake County, Raleigh, NC
Peter J. Dalton '94, Affiliate Support
Manager: Habitat for Humanity International
