Photo Courtesy of Guadalupe Sanchez
Family of doctors: Guadalupe Sanchez (far right) with husband Joe Billadello, associate professor of cardiology at Washington University in St. Louis, and daughter Laura Billadello, a radiology resident at Northwestern University. Laura’s husband Michael DeVita (not pictured) is also a doctor.
Firm foundation
It didn’t take long for Sanchez to find success at Berry. Her achievements in the classroom were accompanied by the realization that her greatest aspirations were well within her grasp. “After the first quarter, I realized that medicine could be a reality and not just a dream,” she said. “Doing well academically made me confident in my ability. I surmised if I could get into medical school, I could then work out the financing just like I had in order to attend Berry.” A major piece of her Berry financial puzzle was the Lettie Pate Whitehead Scholarship. Funded by the Lettie Pate Whitehead Foundation, this program has provided critical support for hundreds of female Berry students over the last six decades. “I would not have been able to attend college without financial aid,” she expressed. “The scholarship was my Gate of Opportunity.” Thriving in the “protected environment” of the Berry campus, Sanchez blossomed. In December of her freshman year, she became a U.S. citizen. She also took full advantage of the opportunities available through the student work program, gaining valuable experience and expanding her circle of friends through her work in the cafeteria and later as a lab assistant and student assistant. By her senior year, she was venturing off campus to work as a chemist at a local aluminum plant. A leader among her fellow students, Sanchez served as an SGA vice president her junior year and was class president as a senior. In her final year, she earned inclusion in Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges. “I loved Berry and immersed myself in its culture,” she said, noting participation in varsity volleyball, theatre productions, College Bowl and other activities. “I knew it was incumbent upon me to adjust to my new en vironment and not the other way around. Berry empowered me by providing a challenging but safe environment. I learned to use my freedom and my time wisely. I
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Berry Magazine • Fall 2014
learned about myself and to believe in myself. In medical school, I saw classmates who could not adjust to their new community.” Summing up her experience, Sanchez said, “For four years Berry was my life.” Dream fulfilled
All of these experiences helped to prepare Sanchez when opportunity presented itself in the form of a call from Harvard Medical School. Though she already had been accepted to Baylor Medical School, Sanchez decided to take a chance and apply to Harvard, which was just beginning to actively recruit qualified minority students. She was accepted. Initially, Sanchez worried that Harvard might be too much of a stretch, but she overcame her apprehension and plowed ahead. Her decision, once again, was the correct one; Harvard proved the right fit and provided the right direction. Perhaps prophetically, her medical school advisor was a dermatologist. Sanchez didn’t catch the hint right away, but after considering a number of other specialties, a third-year elective course in dermatology cemented her direction. “It was love at first sight,” she said. “Dermatologists see patients of all ages and both sexes; they perform some surgery but also offer continuity of care. Some dermatological conditions are chronic, but many are curable. And often the skin provides clues for internal diseases.” After earning her degree from Harvard, Sanchez completed her residency in internal medicine at Duke University, where she met cardiology resident and future husband Joe Billadello. The couple married the following year and eventually moved to St. Louis, where Sanchez began private practice in 1985. In the years to come, she expanded her sphere of influence by providing student health services at Washington University in St. Louis, serving immigrant and indigent inner-city populations at free clinics, and treating patients at the local veterans hospital. She also provided pro bono care for uninsured patients within her practice through Volunteers in Medicine. Proud of her Hispanic heritage, Sanchez has kept her maiden name throughout her professional life, even after a well-meaning
colleague suggested that it would be better if she anglicized it. “I know of patients who come to me because of my Mexican name when they want a Spanish-speaking physician,” she stated. “I am not aware of any patient refusing to see me because of my name.” Sanchez is quick to point to the many people who took an interest in her along the way. These include high school mentor Miss Odom, medical school advisor Dr. Irwin Freedburg and others such as then-Berry President John Bertrand, who made sure to have his daughter check on Sanchez at Harvard during a visit to Boston. “The right persons have been there to point me in the right direction, inspire and encour age me,” she said. “I have been very fortunate.” Living legacy
Today, there is little doubt that many would claim to be inspired by Sanchez, especially those who made the decision to pursue their own dreams as a result of her success. Brother Reyes followed her to Berry en route to a pharmacy degree from Mercer University. Other siblings used higher education as a gateway to careers in education and finance. Nine nieces and nephews have college degrees, and daughter Laura has followed in her parents’ footsteps as a physician. She is currently completing radiology training at Northwestern University in Chicago. In 2013, Sanchez turned over her private practice to Washington University and joined the staff of the veterans hospital full time. She finds great satisfaction in her role as an attending physician for Washington University dermatology residents, noting, “I teach them, and they teach me.” She also enjoys working closely with the medical students and staff physicians to provide collaborative treatment of complex dermatological problems. “I provide a service to our veterans, I work with bright, young physicians and medical students, and I admire and respect my colleagues,” she declared. “I am in the right place at the right time.” Fitting words from someone whose life journey exemplifies the Mexican proverb, “He who does not venture has no luck.” B