don ’ t understand much , to the end of the week when they understand how to take care of a patient in the ICU is very rewarding . I ’ m only there for a week at a time , but I can still see such a transformation .”
In addition to what she gains from the students , she also credits much of her success to the people she works with . “ I really have such amazing people around me . I would not be where I was if I did not have the support staff from my nurses and X-ray techs that I work side-by-side with every day . It ’ s such an incredible group and we lift each other up in all aspects of life .”
To keep herself healthy , she likes to go to Burn Boot Camp five days a week , as she loves exercise and staying fit . She also likes scrapbooking and hanging out at the pool , and her 5-year-old Great Pyrenees / Labradoodle rescue dogs , Hank and Merle , are always down for some playtime . However , the most important thing she does in her spare time is her second job : chauffeur and mother to two teenage boys .
16-year-old Graham is a sophomore at St . X and the starting center on the varsity basketball team . After a recent college visit to his mom ’ s undergrad alma mater , MSU is already in his top five . Lincoln is 14 years old and is an eighth grader at North Oldham Middle School . He is a runner and is ranked in the top 25 nationally . He has also been invited to the National Youth Olympics three times .
“ It helps that they play different sports , so there ’ s no competition … because there ’ s competition in everything when you have brothers ,” she laughed . “ They ’ re really good at each of their sports but they ’ re also great students . It ’ s fun to have really brilliant athletes as sons . I could talk about my kids all day , I ’ m so proud of them .”
While she said it ’ s hard to think about the future and not just live in the moment , she ’ s focused on making things brighter for those around her . Her biggest goal in the near future is to provide the best education for her kids and do whatever she can to help them achieve their hopes and dreams so they can be a success . She also hopes to expand the interventional nephrology program to take fellows and trainees from outside the university for their formal training program .
This year in the ASDIN , she was elected as a Councilor and was awarded the Distinguished Service Award . This award has only been given to 14 people since the society ’ s creation in 2000 and Dr . Dwyer is the second female recipient . She hopes to spend more time helping further the ASDIN mission in the near future .
From starting college with self-doubts and an unsure future , to founding an innovative , comprehensive program for patients with chronic kidney disease , Dr . Dwyer is a world known interventional nephrologist and is at the top of her game .
Kathryn Vance is the Communication Specialist at the Greater Louisville Medical Society .
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