Press Release

The following is the commencement speech delivered to Oglethorpe University graduates at  Commencement on May 8, 2004, by Dr. Janice Galleshaw.

President Large, Provost Ames, Board of Trustees, members of the Commencement Committee, fellow honoree Dr. Garland Pinholster, distinguished members of the faculty, alumni, parents, friends, and most importantly, graduates of the class of 2004:

It is a great honor to be awarded this degree, Doctor of Humane Letters from Oglethorpe University.  I am humbled to learn I share this degree with some very prestigious company.  It’s also a great honor to be asked to address you today on this very special occasion.  As I considered what I might speak about, I reflected back on the wonderful education I had received here at Oglethorpe.  Little did I realize, at that time, that it would be after graduation that I would begin my real education in life. I’ve learned that development of the person you become, what you chose to do professionally and what you contribute to our world, are a series of decisions you will be expected to make. The most powerful story anyone has to tell is their own, so I hope you’ll indulge me as I share with you some of my own story.  I hope some of this may ring true for you and be instrumental in your development as well.

As I look out over this beautiful campus on this lovely Spring Day, I remember vividly this day 29 years ago when I was about to receive my Bachelor of Science degree.  I felt a mixture of emotions ranging from excitement and anticipation, to a restlessness and ambivalence.  I was excited about embarking a new journey into a new part of my life, but was concerned I still wasn’t sure what I wanted to do professionally.  I had always enjoyed the sciences and had considered both graduate school and medical school.  Making my decision more complicated was the fact that I was engaged to be married in just two more months.  I thought I’d share with you today the winding road I took to finally identify the career that not only was meant for me, but the one I was meant for. 

As it turns out, my first big decision was whether to accept the fellowship I had been offered at Georgetown University, one of only two offered that year in Microbiology, or to decline the fellowship at my fiancé’s wishes, and proceed with the planned wedding.  My fiancé was already a dental student at Georgetown University and was concerned that the financial burden for two full-time students would be too much for a young couple.  After much soul-searching I decided to decline the fellowship, get married, and plan to go back to school after his graduation.  I would support him through school, then he would support me through school.  This is what I now consider my first detour on my road to my career.

I was fortunate to get a job at the Food and Drug Administration as a research assistant in Washington, D.C.  Over the next three years I became proficient in the techniques of culturing cells and keeping them alive in petri dishes so we could perform experiments on them.  I learned how to infect normal cells with viruses, to monitor cell death and recovery, and to determine why some cells would die and others would become immortal.  I took some graduate courses at the National Institute of Health to keep my academic goals alive.  After my husband’s graduation, we returned to Georgia with plans to remain here.  As I started to study to retake the GRE (Graduate Record Examination), my husband took his Georgia Dental Board Exam and was unsuccessful in passing it initially.  I then found a job at the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) here in Atlanta.  That’s what I considered my second detour on my road to my career. 

The CDC was a wonderful place to work.  I worked in their Respiratory Virology Lab and assisted in the development of influenza vaccines, which as you probably know, change every year.  I also learned to establish primary cell culture lines.  These are cells that cannot be propagated for generations so you have to go back to the source, the animal.  Than means that twice a week I would “harvest” the kidneys from baby chicks.  This was emotionally difficult to do, but is a necessary step if we want to prevent patients getting, and possibly dying, from influenza.  Meanwhile, my husband joined the Navy as a dentist and off we went to San Diego---otherwise known as detour number three for me.   I was very fortunate to land a job at the prestigious Salk Institute as a research assistant.  Over the next two years, I learned how to clone DNA and insert it into bacterial cells, to sequence DNA which is breaking down DNA into the letters of its alphabet, and ultimately, sequence an entire virus called murine sarcoma virus.  This virus is capable of infecting normal mouse cells and causing them to become cancer cells.  We were one of the only two labs in the country with this technology; now the technique is automated and widely available.  It’s used in criminal trials to link suspects with a crime and used in paternity cases.  More importantly in my field, it is used to identify genes in humans that, when altered, can lead to illnesses such as cancer, cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anemia, and more.  This particular job was by far and away the greatest opportunity I had in basic science research.  As gratifying as it was, I realized I wanted to see the impact of the research in people’s lives.  The world of pure basic science research is far removed from the clinical applications of what is learned.  You work in a laboratory environment with a relatively small group of people.  This would be my world if I chose graduate school.  I felt I needed to be working more directly with people and seeing the benefits of research “hands on”. 

As I came to this realization, we were now a two-income household for the first time.  It was now “my turn” to go back to school.  As it turns out, my husband had grown tired of the student life and was hopeful that we might start to have a family instead.  After all, my “biological clock was ticking.”  I was now facing not a simple detour, but a fork in the road.  This time, my decision was much clearer to me than it had been six years earlier.  I had not only gained some marvelous experiences on each of my “detours”, but I had clarified to myself what I really wanted to do with my life.  I wanted to pursue science in a way I could take new knowledge and use it to help people directly.  The choice was obvious to me; I wanted to go to medical school.  This decision came at the cost of a marriage.  I can now look back and see it was the right choice for both of us.  Our personal and professional goals were never truly aligned---we were just too young and lacked the maturity to see it. 

Once I made that decision the road of my journey became much straighter and much steeper.  I began to study to take the MCAT, the test to apply to medical school.  I contacted some of my previous professors here at Oglethorpe, including Dr. Zinsmeister and Dr. Goslin for letters of recommendation.  I was still living in San Diego and at times, felt like I was going it alone, but would then realize and remember the quiet steady support of my family had always been there.  My parents and sisters had observed my circuitous journey and were my source of constant encouragement when my life became difficult.  Without them, I’m not sure I could have made it through some very challenging times.  As I applied to medical schools, I wanted very much to get back closer to my family.  When I interviewed at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta (MCG) they were very nice and interested in me, but explained that they generally fill their class with Georgia residents.  I was placed in their waiting list.  I had already tried to explain all of my ties to Georgia, but was again told, they prefer Georgia residents.  I then learned a very important lesson---the importance of persistence.  Every two weeks, I either called the Dean of Admissions, or wrote him a note.  Each time I reiterated my background in Georgia and my commitment to return to Georgia.  I figured at the very least every two weeks someone would have to pull my file to document this contact and hopefully my file would end up on the top of the stack.  It worked!  In 1981 I was the only out-of-state resident admitted to the class of 180 medical students. 

I moved from San Diego to Augusta, went from earning a good salary to going into debt, and discovered a whole new, marvelous world.  The first year I felt I was climbing a mountain; given the sheer volume if information to be learned.  It was difficult for all for all of us, but I clearly remember when some of my classmates would question if they had made the right decision to attend medical school, I had no qualms or reservations about my choice.  It’s hard for me to describe the power that I felt to make this work---I felt driven.

At that time, there were very few choices or decisions required of a medical student until the fourth year---it was “pre-programmed”.  I had no idea what kind of doctor I wanted to become.  I initially thought about becoming a General Practitioner like Dr. Marcus Welby, and hang my shingle out in some small town.  During my third year, I did a rotation in Oncology and felt drawn to that field.  There were, and still are, so many unanswered questions about cancer:  What causes it?  Why do some people get it?  How to detect it?  How to treat it or cure it?  How to prevent it? I continued through other rotations in surgery, OB/GYN, Pediatrics, Pathology, Radiology, and Internal Medicine.   

After graduating from medical school, I began my internship and residency training at Bowman Gray University in Winston, Salem, North Carolina.  For the next three years, I did rotations in the subspecialties of Internal Medicine continuing to feel drawn to Medical Oncology.  I applied for and was awarded a fellowship position at the University of Alabama in Birmingham.  As luck would have it, just a month before leaving North Carolina, I met the man who would make my life complete.  Randy was there to visit his two young children, but he actually lived in Atlanta.  Over the next two years, our relationship matured even though we lived hours apart.  He not only accepted my career goals, but has enthusiastically supported them, then and now. 

I completed my fellowship training in 1990 and moved back to Atlanta.  Randy and I married the following year.  I joined a large, private Oncology Practice, Georgia Cancer Specialists.  I’ve recently narrowed the scope of my practice to the treatment of breast cancer.  For the past 5 years, I have been the Principle Investigator in the Atlanta area for the largest breast cancer prevention trial to date.  It’s called the STAR Trial and when we complete enrollment, there will be 19,000 women in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico participating.  It is my belief that during my career, we will be able to prevent or cure most cancers, and I plan to be a part of it. 

I continue to marvel at the intricacies and unexpected turns our lives take.  One of my greatest disappointments in life was learning I could never have children.  I watched with pride as my sisters became mothers and my parents became grandparents.  I had visions of having a child with the opportunity to guide them and hopefully having an influence in their development.  Over the past 15 years, I’ve had the pleasure of watching my stepdaughter, Kelly grow, mature, and ultimately decide to pursue a career as a Physician’s Assistant.  She will complete PA School in one more year.  I could not be more proud if she was my own daughter by birth. 

As I recall my life 29 years ago, the uncertainties I had, and the road that I would take, my ultimate destination was far from clear.  Every detour I took was what now appears to have been a necessary change in my direction.  I’m reminded of a poem by Robert Frost, The Road Not Taken.  He ends with:  “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I … I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.”  I’ve arrived at a wide spot in the road, a chance to deliberate on where my journey will lead next.  I’m no longer anxious about the winding nature of this road because I have a clearer vision of my ultimate destination. 

As I look at all of you, poised to move ahead with your life, your professions, or further education, you will be faced with continued decisions.  I have a few final words of advice: 

1. Identify what your unique talents are and use them.  Don’t try to compare yourself to others because we are all different, with different gifts. 

2. Identify what makes you passionate and pursue it.  This will keep you motivated, enthusiastic, and tireless in your endeavors.

3. Use your talents and passion to make a difference in our world.  You can give back in return for what you’ve been given.  Giving back to your family, your faith, your community, or your country will give meaning to your life. 

If you’re able to do these things, you’ll lead a life of personal satisfaction, abundance, and most of importantly, making a difference.

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