Continuing our physician spotlight series on the blog, we recently caught up with Dr. Paul Dudley and asked him a few questions.

SRM: Where is your hometown?

I grew up in Douglas, Georgia. It’s a small town about an hour north of the Florida border. There were probably about 15,000 people in the town, and just one high school in the entire county.

SRM: When did you first think about going into medicine?

I thought about it a bit growing up but really didn’t commit until the latter part of college. There are no physicians in my extended family but my parents were eager to support whatever path I chose. I went to college at the engineering school (Georgia Tech) where my dad spent his career. I promptly met a beautiful undergraduate that ultimately became my wife. She was a science major and naturally I took as many classes with her as possible. The more science classes I took, the more interested I became in pursuing medicine as a career. Although I still love science, it’s the human aspect of medicine that I find most rewarding.

SRM: Why did you choose to specialize in Obstetrics/Gynecology and then subspecialize in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility?

I specialized in OB/GYN with the specific intention of pursuing REI. By chance, I heard a lecture during my first weeks of medical school that was about IVF. It was an epiphany moment for me. I thought it was simply incredible and immediately knew it’s what I wanted to do.

SRM: What brought you to Seattle?

My mentor, Dr. Mike Soules, was the REI Division Director at the University of Washington and later the Managing Partner at SRM. He encouraged me to join SRM in its early days. My family and that of my wife are several thousand miles away. Moving was difficult but we haven’t regretted the decision. In fact much of my family has now moved to Seattle.

SRM: What do you do to relax?

First and foremost, I spend time with wife and two daughters. My wife is not in medicine which helps separate work from home. Our favorite thing to do as a family is to take long walks through the city then Uber home! Exercise is a major part of my life – I run, I bike, I cross-country ski, I even do yoga. I exercise before work pretty much every day – running more than anything although I mix it up depending on the time of year. I also read a lot; almost exclusively nonfiction. I spend a small fortune on Amazon. And I keep a journal. I find it to be a major stress reliever and a tool that helps me reflect on what I do and why I do it.

Click here to learn a little more about Dr. Paul Dudley.