Both Jamie and Meredith went Greek.
Jamie rushed Sigma Phi Epsilon while
Meredith rushed Pi Beta Phi. They both
found friends and support that would last
for many years.
DR. WHO
“Being from the northeast, I didn’t com-
pletely understand what Greek life was,”
Meredith said. “I’m so glad I did it. It gave
me a small group of people who supported
me, especially at a huge school like Auburn.”
She went on to join the Medical School
Honor Society, Alpha Omega Alpha, once
the couple was accepted to the University of
South Alabama College of Medicine.
The Loveless’ were engaged at Auburn
and married after their first year of med-
ical school. “For me, planning a wedding
was a good distraction from the day-to-
day studying,” Meredith said. “My mom
was a huge help. When the wedding finally
came, it was such a great day. I remember
saying, ‘Whatever happens, happens.’ I was
determined to just relax and enjoy the day.”
After a honeymoon in Jamaica, their
careers began to take shape. Jamie attend-
ed a lecture on dermatology that piqued
his interest even though he was pursuing
ophthalmology. Meredith delivered her first
baby, not in an obstetrics rotation, but in
family practice.
“I was in rural Alabama,” she said.
“They didn’t have OB’s anywhere nearby
at the time, so the family practice doctors
did deliveries. Being in a small school with
rural connections, I had tons of hands-on
experience that I wouldn’t have otherwise.”
It was during the couple’s residency and internships in Virginia
that their twin boys came along. Meredith, who was chief of resi-
dency, had her babies and went back to work long hours just four
weeks later.
“She was working something like 110 hours a week,” Jamie ex-
plained. “We had a lot of help, but it was tough. She was working
so hard. You don’t know any better when you’re in that moment.
You just do what you have to do.”
“In hindsight, I didn’t need to push myself like that. But, I didn’t
know how to approach the leadership. I’ve tried to mentor residents
since then that… it’s okay. That that time for yourself. If you have
to make it up later, it’s not a big deal.” Meredith would go on to ad-
vocate for maternity rights in the American College of Obstetrics/
Gynecology (ACOG) where she served on the Advisory Council.
Jamie switched to dermatology and found it a much better fit
than ophthalmology. “I absolutely love my practice. I can’t imagine
being in another field,” he said. “I get to see people I know, people
of all ages. It really feels like a part of the community.” The couple
jokes that he went from caring for the smallest organ of the body
to the largest.
“Jamie knew early on that he wanted to see patients in private
practice,” Meredith said. “I liked academia and teaching. I figured
I could take the niche of pediatric gynecology and find a way into
academia somehow. When we encountered them, it seemed no one
knew what to do with these patients.”
Although they were on different career paths, both Jamie and
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