full time job while going to college at
a lecture to the second year medical
night. She graduated with honors at
students and seeing my daughter
a time when few women shared her
in front of me.”
priorities.” Despite the many moWhile the number of medical spe-
ments of pride and joy
cialties continues to grow, Christine
that have taken place in her
remains devoted to her choice of
career and life, few com-
specialty.
pare to when Christine had the honor of “hooding” her
“Pediatric Cardiology combines many
daughter at the latter’s gradua-
things that I love. I derive great satis-
tion from Albert Einstein Col-
faction from helping children in a way
lege of Medicine. “It is hard to describe
that will influence their entire life. It is
my emotions on the day I had the
a great gift to be able to comfort a fam-
privilege of hooding my daughter,” she
ily and assure them that everything
recalls. “I was, of course, very proud of
possible is being done to help their
her and her willingness to make all the
child. In addition, I find the physiol-
sacrifices it takes to become
ogy of the heart fascinating. If you
a physician when she knew
understand how a normal and abnor-
firsthand what she was getting
mal heart functions, you can listen to
into. “It made me feel that I
a heart and determine what is wrong,
couldn’t have failed miserably
understand how to interpret complex
as a mother if my daugh-
tests and know how to treat life-threat-
ter wanted to follow in my
ening disorders.”
footsteps,” she smiles. “I also felt sadness that my mother
According to Christine, “The most
did not live to see her grand-
rewarding part of my career has been
daughter become a doctor as
diagnosing and treating infants with a
she wanted to be. She would
life-threatening congenital heart defect
have been so happy.”
and then making a difference in their life throughout childhood and adolescence. I become part of the family and receive pictures of graduations and sweet sixteen parties and invitations to weddings. The highlight of my day is getting hugs from my patients. “Another rewarding aspect of my career is teaching medical students. This culminated in the joy of my giving
Top, proud mother, Dr. Christine Kull Walsh, Dr. Kathleen Walsh and brother and uncle, Rev. Martin Kull, Pastor of St. Anselm Parish in Brooklyn, NY, at Kathleen’s graduation from TMLA, Dr. Kathleen Walsh addresses TMLA’s present junior class, Mom proudly hoods daughter at the latter’s graduation from Medical School, and the Walsh family with Dad, Sean and brothers, Sean and Stephen.