center profile
Some Degree of Peace
For a person with diverse commitments , Ed Partridge , M . D ., manages an untroubled attitude toward his life and work that seems to allow him to accomplish more rather than less .
Even though he gives 110 percent as a surgeon specializing in gynecologic oncology , teacher , clinical researcher , administrator , husband , and father of five ranging in age from 10 to 21 , he says , “ I really don ’ t get stressed too often . The same problems – or new ones – will still be around years from now when I am long forgotten . I just don ’ t worry about things I can ’ t change . This is the only way to achieve some degree of peace .”
He does , however , spend a lot of time trying to change whatever holds promise for improvement . This quest for making things better drives his approach to treating his patients and his efforts to enhance the quality of cancer screening , diagnosis , and care available to people of all backgrounds over the state .
Having spent a care-free , happy boyhood in the small town of Demopolis , Alabama , Ed Partridge enjoys a special rapport with rural Alabamians . He brings valuable insight to his role as co-principal investigator of the Cancer Center ’ s Rural Cancer Control Program because he grew up in the Black Belt area to be served by this important effort . “ I wouldn ’ t take anything for having grown up in a small town where a child can have enormous independence ,” he reminisces . “ In the ‘ 50s and ‘ 60s , we weren ’ t worried about crime or kidnapping . I can remember at age 7 or 8 leaving home at 6 o ’ clock in the morning and not having to check back in until sunset . We had to be home by dark ; that was the only rule .”
On a typical summer day , he and his younger brother would take off with their friends to the river . They loved to skim along in a wooden boat built by his grandfather and equipped with a two horsepower Johnson motor . “ We would swim and play all day long ,” Dr . Partridge says . “ We also liked to go on hikes in cotton country . I still have vivid memories of catching the school bus Friday afternoons and going to the country to spend the weekends with friends .”
In his view , another valuable experience gained from living in a small town was the opportunity to associate with people of different backgrounds . “ Because there ’ s only one elementary school ,” he says , “ you learn early in life to interact with all types of people and to appreciate their perspective . In a small town , you also have many opportunities for leadership and for doing things that boost your self-confidence .
For him , these opportunities included playing all sports in school and serving as president of the high school student body . “ We had an incredible high school class ,” he says . “ In a class of only 46 , four of us became physicians , two were merit scholars , several became engineers , and one is a brilliant lawyer who practices here in Birmingham .”
The lawyer is Mabry Rogers , one of only two survivors of the tragic commuter plane crash that killed 13 people last year when it went down in an Ensley neighborhood during a severe thunderstorm .
“ Mabry was my best friend in high school , and now we teach an adult Sunday School class together at the Church of the Advent ,” Dr . Partridge says . “ I was raised a Catholic , but my wife Barbara was a Baptist . About 15 years ago we decided to choose a church that would be a compromise both of us would be comfortable with , so we became Episcopalians . Barbara also teaches a Sunday School class at the Advent – for the three- and four-year olds .”
The Partridges met when he was a resident at UAB Hospital and she was a staff nurse in the high-risk nursery . For most of their married life , Barbara Partridge , a native of Hueytown , has dedicated herself to homemaking and rearing a family of five “ super ” children , according to Dr . Partridge . “ Barbara loves children ,” he says with obvious pride . “ She ’ s a born mother and would be delighted to have 100 children . She ’ s incredible – a very loving mother , but also a good disciplinarian .”
It isn ’ t surprising that he credits his family with being the source of his strength . “ Going home to a loving , caring , accepting family gives me a sense of renewal . It keeps life in perspective and allows me to get through the kind of day I typically have ,” he says .
Dr . Partridge ’ s day at UAB begins when many of us are just turning off our alarm clocks and often doesn ’ t end until long after sunset .
“ A day in academic medicine is busy ,” he comments . “ I was in private practice for 10 years before joining the full-time faculty here . Then I had more time just to reflect , read the newspapers , and get involved in the community . In academic medicine , the patient care responsibilities are about the same as in private practice , but added to that are teaching , research , and administrative duties that require a lot of time and effort .”
The opportunity to get into academic medicine came to Ed Partridge at age 43 – earlier than he had anticipated . “ I always thought I ’ d like to retire from private practice at about age 55 to spend more time teaching ,” he says . “ But two years ago , after Dr . Ken Hatch left UAB , Dr . Hugh Shingleton offered me the chance to direct the gynecologic oncology program . After a lot of soulsearching and discussion , we were fortunate to be able to work out a plan that was a win-win situation for me and for my partners , Drs . Max Austin and Larry Kilgore .”
Dr . Partridge answers without hesitation when asked what motivated him to go into medicine . “ I never wanted to be anything but a doctor . My father was a lawyer , but I was always fascinated by the idea of practicing medicine . My first medical mentor was Dr . Dunning , a general practitioner in Demopolis who took out my tonsils when I was 5 and attended to my scrapes and cuts . In those days , it was traditional for the young folks to go barefoot from
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