BALTIMORE – A father and daughter share a passion for the medical profession and a workplace at the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC).
Dr. Harry W. Johnson Jr. and his daughter, Dr. Molly Johnson, are women’s health physicians with a special story.
It’s like the old saying goes: a daughter’s first love is her father. It is a bond that cannot be broken.
But for Dr. Molly and Dr. Harry, their love and passion is being doctors.
“Seeing him calm, no matter the situation, no matter the complication, that carries over to the rest of the room,” said Dr. Molly Johnson, chief resident at the University of Maryland Medical Center.
Dr. Harry Johnson is a urogynecologist and pelvic reconstruction specialist at the University of Maryland Medical Center and an associate professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
It’s a family affair
Dr. Molly Johnson’s husband, Dr. Joe Clinton, is a gastrointestinal physician.
“Actually, it starts even further back,” Dr. Harry Johnson. “My father was an OB-GYN and he worked at the University of Maryland and I trained with him from 1985 to 1989.”
Dr. Molly Johnson’s paternal grandfather, Dr. Harry W. Johnson Sr., and her mother, Dr. Mary Jo Johnson, also practiced obstetrics and gynecology at UMMC at various points.
Dr. Mary Jo, now retired, and Dr. Harry Jr., met as residents at UMMC.
Dr. Mary Jo specialized in high-risk maternal-fetal medicine at different hospitals and practices and has since retired.
“So with a grandfather, a father and a mother who is an OB-GYN, I think he was probably born that way,” Dr. Harry Johnson said. “To think that your son wants to do what you do and then he wants to train with you, I don’t think there can be anything more satisfying for a father.”
Teacher, student – father, daughter
According to Dr. Molly Johnson, her father is a patient teacher and mentor who puts his residents into action, especially with cutting-edge procedures like robotic surgery.
“He’s very patient and helps you learn different techniques. Calm and collected, collected, pretty unflappable, and I think that’s because of all the experience he has,” Dr. Molly Johnson said. “When we’re here at work, we treat each other as such, you know, students and teachers.”
“I think one of the really fun things is that now I get to teach him some things that my dad taught me, which is really interesting and fun to do,” said Dr. Harry Johnson.
Dr. Molly Johnson said her father has been teaching her her entire life, helping her with her math and science homework, and even coaching her in sports.
“It has been an absolute honor and highlight of my career to be able to learn from him and work with him, and I feel incredibly fortunate,” said Dr. Molly Johnson.
“She has a very calm personality. She is very attentive and listens to people. She is a very caring person, truly a servant’s heart,” said Dr. Harry Johnson.
They share a heart for each other and for medicine.
“Dad, it has been an honor in my career to be able to learn from you and operate with you. And I feel very lucky to have such a good teacher and such a good father. Happy Father’s Day,” said Dr. Molly Johnson.
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