Alumni
Profiles of Success
Dr. Susan Hartman M.D.
Family practice physician
B.S. 1981
To Dr. Susan Hartman, a career in medicine is a calling. She said, "The
financial rewards of the past are somewhat diminished, and the time commitment
is astronomical at times." And yet Dr. Hartman considers it a privilege
to be a physician. "I am invited in the lives of others and can have
a profound effect on those lives. This is quite a responsibility," she
said. "People are trusting me with their most valued possessions, their
family, and that is a humbling thought."
Dr. Hartman became interested in medicine when she was seeking a career that involved both mathematics and life sciences. Initially she chose medical technology. Dr. Hartman recalls, "Working summer vacations in a hospital lab while attending Purdue, I found the mechanized part of the lab work unfulfilling. I wanted to know more about the disease processes for which I was running the blood work. I also found out that I really enjoyed the patient contact when I was assigned the phlebotomy tasks. The natural progression was to attend medical school."
Now Dr. Hartman has a private practice in Greenwood, Indiana. She cares for the entire family from newborns to the elderly, focusing on preventive care and disease management for acute and chronic health problems. She performs some minor dermatological and gynecological surgeries in the office and sees patients for inpatient care in hospitals. In addition, Dr. Hartman teaches out-patient rotations for third-year medical students and family practice residents.
As a physician, Dr. Hartman addresses the needs of the whole person as well as the whole family. In addition to medical school, she said, "I sought out classes through my local church and the Christian Medical and Dental Association to help minister to the spiritual needs of my patients as well as their physical needs. I also found that serving others both locally and on the mission field to be extremely rewarding." Dr. Hartman has served on a Medical and Dental Mission Team to El Salvador each year since 1990.
Dr. Hartman said that her most valuable experience at Purdue was being a teaching assistant for retired Purdue Biology Professor J. Alfred Chiscon. "In his class I was able to perfect my teaching skills and learn how to explain difficult scientific concepts to non-majors in language that was understandable," she said. "I am now very comfortable teaching students and residents, either one-on-one or in a lecture setting. In my office, I also must educate and equip my patients with useful knowledge to allow them to take charge of their own disease processes. Medical science is complex and at times intimidating. My patients must understand what they can do to help in their own care. It is my job to explain the information needed in a clear and simple way to promote better health care. This is a skill I learned at Purdue."
To current students, Dr. Hartman advises, "Your course work will be challenging and at times all consuming. It is important to make time for things that are important to you in addition to your studies (physical fitness, spiritual health and family). Choose electives to broaden your perspective. Enjoy what a college campus has to offer besides getting to know the inside of every library. Making the grade is important but so is becoming a well-rounded person. Use your summers to investigate career choices and gain practical experience as I did. This provides reassurance you are headed in the right direction."
American Academy of Family Physicians: www.aafp.org
St. Francis Hospitals: www.stfrancishospitals.org
Christian Medical and Dental Associations: www.cmdahome.org