In honor of Stephen Bernard, MD
Dr. Steve Bernard decided to become a physician after having polio when he was seven and a half years old. “The experience of being in a hospital ward with people in iron lungs left me with many memories, not all so pleasant. By becoming a doctor, I wanted to become more knowledgeable in human biology, disease and its management. As an undergraduate at the University of Pennsylvania, I majored in biology and then decided to go into medicine.”
That determination led the High Point native to medical school at UNC. “At first, I was more interested in hematology at the cellular level, but during my fellowship at Washington University at St. Louis, I became more interested in cancer cells and oncology because of the complexity of cell biology manifested by the cancer.”
Dr. Bernard is a member of the GI cancer program and the lead physician for the Supportive Care Consultation Service and Clinic, a service that offers patients and families expert help with managing symptoms, treatment side effects, and co-director of the Palliative Care Program. He is increasingly interested in the impact of treatment on the symptoms, and the complexities of decision-making at the various stages of a cancer diagnosis and treatment.