OB-GYN Amy DePuy, MD, Sees Countless Opportunities Available With Jefferson

Some people know exactly what they want to be when they grow up. For others, it’s a journey. From a young age, Amy DePuy, MD, obstetrician-gynecologist (OB-GYN) and Chief Medical Informatics Officer with Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN), wasn’t entirely sure what she wanted to be. What she did know was she wanted to help people and do something that would make an impact. Looking back on her journey to become an OB-GYN, Jefferson Health played a major role as a place of learning and a place for her brother’s health care.

A child of two educators, Dr. DePuy learned the importance of working hard and developed a love for learning, especially math and science. She wanted to pursue a career in one of these fields. However, she also has a love for music. Playing the piano and flute and singing were a focus throughout high school, and she didn’t want to give that up in college. Dr. DePuy thought about becoming a music therapist, which would allow her to combine her love of music and helping people. After her mother received a breast cancer diagnosis, Dr. DePuy’s tune changed, igniting a passion to pursue a medical career.

“Musical therapy combined the clinical with the music, but I recognized I wouldn’t enjoy the music as much if it was a job,” Dr. DePuy says. “I wanted to be a doctor and be the person leading the care and helping patients and families make the best decisions for their health, like clinicians did for my mother and family.”

Dr. DePuy began looking at medical schools while at Moravian University working toward her Bachelor of Science in Biology. At that time, her brother was diagnosed with Meniere’s disease. He was originally seen at LVHN, but because LVHN didn’t have a neuro-otolaryngologist, he was treated at Jefferson. This experience solidified Thomas Jefferson University (TJU) as her top choice.

“TJU was in a location I wanted to be and is highly regarded for clinical training,” Dr. DePuy says. “When I went there for the interview, met the people and saw the opportunities, it seemed to be a really good fit. It turned out to be exactly what I was looking for.”

Dr. DePuy did a pre-med rotation as a class through Moravian in the fall of her junior year of college. OB-GYN was the first rotation she was assigned.

“Surgery is the specialty I wanted to pursue. However, after my rotation in OB-GYN, I changed my mind,” Dr. DePuy says. “Dr. Sandra Thomas, who was a resident at the time – and is now one of my partners in LVPG OB-GYN – invited me to shadow her on an over-night call. She was running from one room to another, delivering babies and going to the OR for C-sections. I absolutely loved it.”

This experience led Dr. DePuy to apply for and be selected as a Pool Scholar at LVHN for the summer between her junior and senior years at Moravian. She was matched with Craig Sobolewski, MD, to assist with research projects in the OB-GYN department, further solidifying she found where she belonged.

“With OB-GYN, I would not be bored,” Dr. DePuy says. “I could do surgery, and I could see patients in the office, and all of that could happen in the same week.”

Other things Dr. DePuy loves about OB-GYN are the opportunities to form long-term relationships with patients and to have the honor of caring for them at their most vulnerable times. “This field allows me to truly have an impact on patients’ lives,” she says. “If I’m going to be up at night, I want to do something that’s happy and bringing life into the world.”

Dr. DePuy began her LVHN career soon after completing her residency in 2009. She credits her training at TJU to her early career success.

“At Jefferson, there is a focus on clinical skills. I entered into my OB-GYN residency at LVHN with an excellent foundation in clinical skills, critical thinking, multitasking and thinking on my feet,” Dr. DePuy says. “Jefferson also provided me with important experiences that are not necessarily clinical. We had small, group classes where we looked at things like the business side of medicine. Even though I didn’t use that right away, it was always in the back of my mind and one reason I pursued my MBA [Master of Business Administration] at DeSales University.”

While Thomas Jefferson University set the foundation for Dr. DePuy’s medical expertise, LVHN fostered her into the caring, compassionate and trusted physician she is today. Pursuing a medical career kept her passion for music alive as she was able to keep her love for singing separate from her day-to-day life. And she will continue to sing the praises of Jefferson and LVHN for what joining forces will do for our community and the future of care.

“Thomas Jefferson University turned out to be exactly what I was looking for in a medical school and prepared me well to deliver outstanding care to my patients,” Dr. DePuy says. “I look forward to the opportunities Jefferson and LVHN will create together, focusing on innovation, technology and clinical trials.”