Endocrinology Fellow Profile: Amy Anderson, MD

I grew up in New Hyde Park on Long Island in New York. My first stint in Virginia was as an undergraduate at William and Mary, where I did a BA in Psychology. After medical school at Nova Southeastern University in Davie, Florida, I completed my residency in Internal Medicine with a track in Women’s Health at VCU, and then was thrilled to match into the Endocrine fellowship here at UVA. Virginia had more in store for me than a good education: I met my husband during my intern year in Richmond, and we were married in the second year of my fellowship at a winery in Charlottesville. And in November 2013, we welcomed our first child, Anna Rose.

Why Endocrinology?

Endocrinology is grounded in physiology and logic, which I like; and I value the physician/patient relationship that develops when managing chronic illnesses in the outpatient setting.

Who do you admire most, and why?

The person I most admire is my grandmother. She grew up in a tiny, rural town in Austria and immigrated to this country as a young woman in the late 1920s, leaving behind her family and all that was familiar. She was a happy person who found joy in times spent with her family. She taught me to be optimistic and find goodness in others.

What is the best advice anyone has given you?

When I was trying to decide if I was going to apply to medical school, I was hesitant because by the time I finished training and started my career, I would be in my 30s. A woman I worked with at the time said, “You are going to be in your thirties no matter what. You might as well be in your thirties pursuing the career you want.”