Millennium Magazine_2ndEd

334 MILLENNIUM-SECOND EDITION C hild psychiatrists like Estherina Shems are responsible for diagnosing and treating emotional and behavioral disorders in children. With a dream of becoming a doctor, Dr. Shems earned a Bachelor of Science, cum laude, from Lynchburg College and a Doctor of Medicine from the Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania. In 1958 she began working at the Lankenau Medical Center as a rotating intern before becoming a fellow in adult psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania. She continued to excel in her field, earning positions at the Philadelphia Psychiatric Center, the Irving Schwartz Institute for Children and Youth, and the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. In 2002, she retired from her role of 21 years as an early intervention consultant for Community Council Health Systems. In addition to working one-on-one with children, Dr. Shems has also held numerous consulting and teaching positions, including being a guest lecturer at the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Institute of Pediatrics in Beijing. She served as an executive board member of the Medical College of Pennsylvania Alumni Association, as well as the vice chairman of its trust fund. She also served as vice president of North America for the Medical Women’s International Association. Two major highlights of her career were successfully completing medical school during the 1950s and becoming a Fellow of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, which is the oldest medical society in the United States. Dr. Shems has received many awards and accolades, including a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges and being published in Outstanding Young Women of America and Outstanding Young Women of Pennsylvania. ESTHERINA SHEMS, MD CHILD PSYCHIATRIST (RETIRED) Wynnewood, PA Millennium Magazine Featured Listee