March 15, 2021

My Why: Dr. Jill Amsberry

Central, Clinical Partners

I come from a family of elementary school teachers, so initially I wanted to be a teacher. When I was in first grade, I wanted to teach first grade. When I was a second grader, I wanted to be a second-grade teacher. But as I got older, I became more interested in science. Still, I always enjoyed working with kids. So somewhere in a latter elementary school, I decided that being a pediatrician could combine all of those things.

Then I got to college and so admired my professors and the skill sets they had to teach that I thought, “Well, maybe this is what I want to do.”

Turning Point

I struggled between my desire to be a professor and a physician, so I applied to and was accepted to grad school and med school. Right after graduating from college, though, I was an aide at a hospital and I met a little girl with childhood cancer. She reminded me that medicine combined both of my passions for kids and teaching.

any one of these billions of people have the ability to do amazing things for our planet

I always try to remember that I’m just one of billions of human beings living on this planet, and of no more importance than the others. I truly believe that any one of these billions of people have the ability to do amazing things for our planet and for the people on it. And so, my manifesto is that I’m just trying to do what I can, and medicine and teaching seem to be my path.

Pediatrics
CentraCare Plaza