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Medicine couple inspired by 9/11 tragedy
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by Cindy Abole
Public Relations
For the past month, graduates Karin and Robert Taylor have been on
their own family odyssey in a five-week, 5,000-mile family vacation out
west. The trip was planned as the family’s celebration of their recent
completion of medical school and as a recommitment to their call to
medicine.
After the last nine years, the Taylors feel assured and confident in
the direction that their lives are heading. Within that time, they’ve
asked themselves tough questions and challenged themselves to fill a
renewed sense of purpose in their lives—the need to care and serve
others.
 Karin, Devon, Bobby
and Robert Taylor visit the cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde National
Park, Colorado.
A decade ago, Karin and Robert were living the American dream. The
couple, who are originally from Kennett Square, Pa. (outside of
Philadelphia), just moved to Maryland after living abroad in Rome,
Italy. Robert, who received his electrical engineering doctorate
from Princeton University in 1997, was working via a National Science
Foundation Fellowship to conduct optical network research. He was
working in telecommunications for several technology start-up
companies. Meanwhile, Karin, a licensed physical therapist, founded and
was managing a small import and export business working with Italian
manufacturers and suppliers.
Their lives, like scores of other people, were affected by 9/11 and the
failed attempt with United Flight 93, which crashed in Shanksville, Pa.
The Taylors were personal friends of Flight 93 passenger Todd Beamer,
who, along with other passengers, attempted to take back control of
their hijacked plane. He coined the catchphrase, “Let’s roll.”
“9/11 was a difficult time,” said Karin. “We were inspired by Todd and
the life he lived. He was a man of great character, faith and
courage. He led a purposeful life by helping others to change and
improve theirs.”
That became the turning point for Karin and Robert. With the death of
their friend, they felt it was time to honestly assess their own lives,
core values and direction. “We needed to affirm what was important in
our lives and that we were guiding ourselves down the right path,”
Karin said.
Almost immediately, Karin’s thoughts turned to medicine, a dream she
held on to since finishing her undergraduate studies at Cornell in
1993. Consequently, Robert’s job involved constant travel and was
becoming less fulfilling. “We both wanted to focus on helping others,”
Karin said.
They kept asking each other if medical school was really possible at
this point in their lives. Daughter, Devon, was age 1 at the time and
Robert’s parents had just retired to nearby Pawley’s Island. The time
for change couldn’t be riper.
Both interviewed and were accepted among 136 students in COM’s Class of
2010. Not surprisingly, they excelled in their studies and demonstrated
themselves as leaders among their peers. Karin was vice president of
the campus chapter of the American Medical Women’s Association, a
writer for The Crucible, the college’s literary newsletter and both
participated in numerous groups and organizations. Both were nominated
to the MUSC Chapter of the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society,
Arnold P. Gold Foundation Humanism Award Honor Society, and will be
graduating in the top one-sixth of their medical school class (Robert
is ranked No. 2 in the class).
During clinical rotations, Karin explored physical medicine and
rehabilitation (PM&R) within the Department of Neurology and was
drawn to the team approach to care for patients with spinal and brain
injuries and disabling neurologic diseases like multiple sclerosis. In
2007, she founded and led a new PM&R student interest group
along with neurology faculty. The 15-member group met once a month,
organized speakers, shared residency information and conducted
fundraisers.
Meanwhile, Robert focused on research and clinical experiences in
ophthalmology and radiation oncology. He eventually chose radiation
oncology after working a rotation and quickly discovered how the
medical specialty was a perfect fit with his technical background and
love for physics and math. He also collaborated with David T. Marshall,
M.D., associate professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology, to
contribute to a tomotherapy research study testing different treatments
and delivery methods for patients with pancreatic cancer. The research
manuscript has since been submitted for publication.
“It was a pleasure to work with someone of Rob’s caliber and
experience,” said Marshall. “Rob is the owner of 28 patents, so there
really was nothing new to teach him. He’s a natural
self-starter—independent, skillful, knowledgeable and provided
remarkable output with his work and communications skills. Rob’s
interest is to have strong, significant relationships with his
patients. I know he’ll do well integrating patient care and technology
in radiation oncology.”
 Drs. Robert and
Karin Taylor volunteer with Medical Campus Outreach in Masindi, Uganda.
photo
by Josh Drake Photography
Additionally, the couple also found time to serve others through
medical mission work. They are members of the Medical Campus Outreach
(MCO) program at East Cooper Baptist Church in Mount Pleasant, an
interdenominational ministry that involves practitioners and students
from various medical disciplines that provides medical services and
treatment to needy populations throughout the world. Both traveled on
two-week long mission trips to build and support medical clinics in
Romania (2007) and Uganda (2009).
Matt McEvoy, M.D., an MCO volunteer physician and associate professor
in the Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Medicine, said that
the Taylors are terrific people. “They serve with their hands and their
hearts. Both Rob and Karin have a strong commitment to helping others
that clearly shows as medical students, as husband and wife, and within
their family. They firmly embrace a Christian world view and have been
able to live it through a number of areas of their lives,” he said.
Throughout this period, the Taylors made children and family a
priority. Each day, they focused on finding and achieving balance,
which can be difficult for a dual working couple, said Karin. It was
especially a challenge during clinical rotations where they took turns
balancing demanding experiences. “Ultimately, we took it day by day,
and it was God who saw us through,” said Karin.
The Taylors found support through the College of Medicine’s dean’s
office and leaned on the help of friends and both sets of grandparents
when needed.
Still, the couple was able to model and reinforce family activities
like studying and homework. As time progressed, they were able to talk
and relate about mom and dad’s experiences with what the children were
learning in the classroom. Despite their tight schedules, any free time
was spent with the children, ages 8 and 6, according to Karin.
After completing a couples match process, both Karin and Robert matched
their preliminary year at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte and
will later relocate to the University of Alabama in Birmingham (UAB) to
begin their advanced residencies. Karin matched with a three-year
PM&R residency, while Robert will begin a four-year radiation
oncology specialty residency at the new Hazelrig-Salter Radiation
Oncology Center supporting UAB’s Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Karin has fond memories of their time here. “Overall, our medical
school training at MUSC was both excellent and rewarding for Rob and me
thanks to some wonderful support,” she said. “It was such a tremendous
and positive experience, and we have MUSC, our parents and God to
credit for it.”
Friday, May 21, 2010
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