In medical school, Dr. Krok became interested in gastroenterology and, in particular, liver transplants. She graduated at the top of her class, completed her residency at The University of Pennsylvania, and continued her study of liver transplants at Johns Hopkins Hospital. During this period she spent three months in Barcelona, Spain and credits Shipley with her ability to understand the needs of her patients there and to benefit fully from that experience. Upon returning to Johns Hopkins, Dr. Krok concluded her fellowship program in transplant hepatology. She has recently accepted a position as a clinical researcher at The University of Pennsylvania, fulfilling a goal she has had since her days as a med student at Penn: to be committed to research, while seeing patients and ministering to their medical needs.

Dr. Krok has won awards in addition to her fellowship, and has published a number of articles in medical journals both in print and on the web. She is also a clinical instructor.

Karen Krok has already achieved much and will certainly achieve much more. We look forward to following her career, as we give her The Shipley School Young Alumni Award.

Acceptance Speech

This is such an honor to be awarded this Young Alumni Award. I must admit, that when Mrs. Wampler called me to tell me that I was being honored today, I couldn’t believe that I was old enough to be awarded this, but then when I think about it, a lot has happened in the last 15 years. I spent four years in college at Franklin and Marshall, four years in medical school at the University of Pennsylvania, and then went through some of my more challenging years in residency at Penn and then in a fellowship in gastroenterology and liver diseases at Hopkins.

Not all was too challenging as I did spend three months studying with the world’s experts in liver disease in Barcelona, Spain. (Yes, the Spanish that I started to learn here has taken me twice to studying in Barcelona, Spain.) I also got married, and we are expecting our first child. And now I can finally say that this June I will be done with training. It only took 15 years! It is a long and challenging road, but Shipley was integral in molding me into someone who is capable to meet all of the challenges.

I remember standing on this stage, rehearsing for the Spring Musical. When Dr. Morinelli no longer needed me on the stage, I would be sitting in those chairs trying to get my calculus or Spanish homework done because before coming to rehearsal I was practicing with the softball team. Time management and multi-tasking where keys to success that I learned here at Shipley. I use these skills everyday at work as I am seeing patients and planning the clinical research projects that the patients can participate in. Shipley is a place where everyone has the ability to get involved in multiple activities and organizations and Shipley encourages its students to do this. That is one of the strengths of Shipley.

Now I said that I will be done with training in June. But, actually, an important philosophy that I realized at Shipley, was that learning keeps going even when you are done with the technical training or are out of the classroom. You never stop learning and that is a philosophy that will take you far. I know that in order to be the best transplant liver doctor that I can be, I will need to continue to learn everyday – from not only journals, but also other physicians and my patients. Learning never stops – but at least the tests do!

Thank you again for the award. Thanks so much again for awarding me this award.