Get to know Wendy Withey
As part of our 50th anniversary celebration, The Pulse has reached out to several long-time employees to share their stories, experiences and memories as NEOMED has continued to grow. Wendy Withey, M.Ed., director of Interprofessional Continuing Education and instructor of Internal Medicine, joined the University in 1993.
What was your first role at the University?
I was a program secretary in the Office of Health Services and Research. It was a new office located in (what was at the time) Community Health Sciences.
My job was abolished and thankfully, I landed on my feet in Internal Medicine as a program assistant. That is where I met the most influential person in not only my career, but who also supported me in so many other ways (George Litman, M.D.). I also made several lifetime friendships there too.
Now I am the director of Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) and I am part of the Provost Team. As part of this team, I have learned so much from Dr. Faison and members of the team. I feel very fortunate to have worked in the areas that I have.
What led you to NEOMED?
I can remember driving by campus many times when I was younger and telling my parents that I was going to work there one day! That is when jobs were posted in the newspaper, and I would scour the Help Wanted section daily. I got the first position that I applied for!
What do you remember about your first day or week or month at NEOMED?
Overwhelmingly confused. So many abbreviations were used in meetings. Who were the carpet people vs the tile people (yes, that was a common term)? The one thing that kept me coming back was the people and how friendly they were. I am still friends with several of our retirees.
What is your favorite NEOMED tradition? Why?
When Dr. Campbell was president and dean, we had a chocolate auction. He loved chocolate and was always one of the judges. Employees made amazing chocolate-based desserts, and they were judged by employees (I did it for a couple of years). After the results were announced, the auctioneer would auction the desserts off. We had a lot of fun activities that I miss.
What is your favorite place on the NEOMED campus that did not exist when you started?
I love the outdoor seating at the main entrance.
Who is one (or some) of your biggest mentors during your time at NEOMED? How did they impact your career?
My mentor is George Litman, M.D. I worked for him when he was chair of Internal Medicine. George encouraged me to finish my bachelor’s degree and then encouraged me to pursue my master’s degree. George has given me support not only professionally but also personally. He gave me the confidence to pursue what I truly love doing and that is continuing education for our faculty on and off campus.
George also gave me the opportunity to meet with our faculty and students while in Internal Medicine. I am still friends with most of my favorite faculty and students to this day.