Beth A. Clark, DO
3rd year resident
Chief Resident
Biography
Hi, I am Beth Anne Clark. I was born and raised in Cessna, PA, three miles
from the Bedford exit of the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Our home was situated in the
middle of my maternal grandfather's 150-acre dairy farm. Unfortunately, the farm
is now the site of a Wal-Mart distribution center. Doubly unfortunate is the
fact that we sold out before Wal-Mart bought the farm for big bucks, which could
have paid my medical school loans!
In day care my ambition was to grow up to become a dishwasher since my mother
disliked the task so much. I thought there would be a great demand for
home-to-home dishwashers. Obviously once in the formal education process I
changed my mind. During my high school years I was active in band, chorus, ski
club, cheerleading and student government serving as class president for three
years. While attending Carlow College, in Pittsburgh, PA I remained active in
student government and helped to revive the Biology Club. After three and one
half years in the Honor's program I graduated with a BS in Biology.
From eight to eighteen years of age I was a member of the Friendly Moo Moos
4-H Dairy Club. I cared for and exhibited my Guernsey cattle at the local, state
and national level. My grandfather and I continue to exhibit our cattle with
several of them earning All-American status, the highest honor in the country.
In 1990 I was selected as the National Guernsey Queen at our national convention
in Evansville, Indiana. Yes, a cow queen, real bovine royalty. One of the
highlights of my 4-H career was winning the National Dairy Scholarship Award and
being a Presidential Award Nominee. My 4-H career also included public speaking,
dog obedience and exchange trips including one to Mexico. My first dog,
Kandee, a Shetland Sheepdog, earned her Companion Dog Certificate from the AKC.
After graduating from college, I worked briefly at our local hospital where I
learned much about JCAHO accreditation! My mother was the JCAHO liaison for the
facility and I had the privilege of working in one of her problem departments
while preparing for the survey. Then, as a graduate student at Hood College,
Frederick, MD working toward a Masters in Biomedical Sciences, I was a research
assistant with the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases.
My assignment was working with the Hantavirus. Imagine my surprise (and horror)
the day I walked into the lab and found a styrofoam box labeled
"Ebola" on my lab bench. My acceptance to the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic
Medicine arrived and cut short my graduate studies. Within two weeks the cattle
trailer was loaded with my belongings and we were on our way to the metropolis.
Upon graduation from medical school in June 1999, I "moved up" to a
U-Haul truck for the trip to Duncansville, PA. The cattle trailer was deemed
unfit for a physician (it really was no longer long distance road worthy). After
two years of rotation it is great to have a more permanent home. Now that
I have my own home, I recently purchased two puppies, Gertie, a Golden Retriever
and Gunther, a Yellow Lab. Their obedience training is scheduled to begin upon
completion of my internship year.
I enjoy my new friends made through the residency program. Here teamwork
comes naturally. We work hard caring for our patients and learning together. We
also enjoy the camaraderie and companionship of each other while relaxing.
Facts
Undergraduate - Carlow College, Pittsburgh, PA
Medical School - Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
Previous experience
Research Assistant, U.S. Army Medical Research
Institute of Infectious Disease
Areas of interest
preventive care, women's health
Publications and presentations
Identification and Isolation of Essential
Genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae - National Conference of Undergraduate
Research - 1994
After hours interests
Skiing, artwork, travel, raising and exhibiting Guernsey cattle
