As if the holiday decorations and festive campus lights weren’t enough to lift the students’ spirits, veteran Blair in Kenya leader Dr. Jane Ferry P’11, MD, FACEP, MMM, looks forward to inspiring Skeptics attendees on Tuesday, December 10 with stories of her experiences in healthcare and her work in Kenya. 

Dr. Ferry is an emergency medicine physician who resides in Bucks County, and is affiliated with Grand View Health in Sellersville, Pennsylvania, where she has served as the chief medical officer since 1990. She first became involved with the School and the Blair in Kenya program, an independent nonprofit founded by history teacher Quinten “Q” Clarke ’87, in 2012.

“My son, Ted Peacock ’11, introduced me to the program when he went with Q back in 2010,” shared Dr. Ferry. “Ted is now finishing med school and starting an emergency medicine residency next summer.” 

“Q will tell you what an adventure I had on my first trip to Blair in Kenya,” she shared with a chuckle. What began with an unexpectedly elongated itinerary, by missing a flight that might have made most turn back, quickly turned into 12 years of dedicated service to the program. 

“Blair in Kenya was a gift to me. I was able to see medicine in such a different, unique, beautiful way. I invite students and anyone to join us and see in real time the physical, structural changes and the amazing work that Q and the Kenyans have accomplished. It is truly awe-inspiring to see the infrastructure that is now educating over 800 students.” 

In addition to her work with the program, Dr. Ferry looks forward to sharing her general advice on life and having three children she has been lucky enough to guide through life’s stages and career paths. 

“A variety of adventures is essential for a fulfilling life. Though I took a more straight-forward approach, going to medical school as soon as I graduated from college, others can take different paths to medicine. Major or minor in something other than science, something you are enthusiastic about,” she offered. “And if you think you might be interested in healthcare, I advise getting as much exposure as you can, both to medicine and to life in general. It is never too late or too early to explore this amazing world! The more experiences you have, the more you can relate to people from all walks of life and ultimately, I believe, be a better clinician.”

For Dr. Ferry, her interest was clear early on in her career. “I love caring for people. In medicine, total strangers allow you into the most private and most vulnerable times of their lives. This is truly an honor and a gift.”

All are invited to hear Dr. Ferry speak in the forum of the Chiang-Elghanayan Center next Tuesday at 7 p.m.

History of Skeptics
 
The Society of Skeptics was established as a forum for students and faculty to discuss and debate important global issues; it has grown to become one of the premier high school lecture series in the United States. Each week, speakers from the political, social, scientific, economic and literary arenas share their unique perspectives with students, who are encouraged to engage with presenters, asking questions and debating points of view.

The program, which is funded in part by the Class of 1968 Society of Skeptics Endowment Fund, is an outgrowth of the Blair International Society, begun in 1937. Forty years later, former history department chair Elliott Trommald, PhD, Hon. ’65, established the modern Skeptics program as a regular forum for student discussion and debate; history teacher Martin Miller, PhD, took over in the mid-1980s and molded the program into a weekly lecture series, one that has since continued without interruption. Under the tutelage of Dr. Miller and his successor, history department chair Jason Beck, Skeptics has featured a wide variety of speakers who are thought-provoking, engaging, accomplished in their respective fields and often controversial. For a listing of upcoming Skeptics programs, please visit Blair’s website.