When Marjorie Stanek was a little girl, she accompanied her physician father on his house visits and hospital rounds. “He loved medicine,” she said, remembering that he inspired many members of the extended family to pursue careers in medicine. And even though she almost passed out while watching him perform surgery when she was a young teen, she became a doc, too.
Stanek is in her 40th year of practice at Einstein Medical Center Philadelphia, where she was the first full-time female cardiologist when she was hired in 1977. Now, she’s been named the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women 2017 Woman of Heart Award.
“I love cardiology and I’m thrilled to be honored by this wonderful organization for my work,” said Dr. Stanek, 70, who lives in Huntingdon Valley.
The award recognizes an “outstanding healthcare professional who has made it their mission to make a difference in the lives of those who have been impacted by heart disease,” according to the American Heart Association.
“I often think about my patients, especially in the middle of the night. You’re never free of that.”
Dr. Stanek was among the women pioneers who broke gender barriers when they became physicians.
Her husband’s class of 160 at Temple Medical School had eight women. She attended Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania—now Drexel—and said she’s “grateful” for the opportunity to pursue the career she loved, rather than bitter at the discrimination that may have kept her out of a coed school.
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