June 17, 2014

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What will I be when I grow up? As a young inquisitive child, you’ve probably asked yourself this question numerous times. But, what are the chances of choosing the same career path and working at the same hospital as your father?

Just ask Dr. Jill Roth and Dr. Joey Spinner, whose fathers are long time, well-respected physicians at Texas Children’s. In this video spotlight, Jill and Joey share fond memories of their fathers and express gratitude for the guidance and encouragement they received from their biggest supporters.

Just like their fathers, Dr. Jill Roth and Dr. Joey Spinner share a passion for helping children. So, it was no shock, when these young physicians decided to pursue a career in pediatric medicine.

“I always knew that I would pursue a career as a doctor, even as young as I can remember,” said Dr. Joey Spinner, chief pediatric resident at Texas Children’s.

“As early as middle school, Joey frequently talked about becoming a doctor and he’d always ask questions about what we did,” said Joey’s father, Dr. Stanley Spinner, chief medical officer at Texas Children’s Pediatrics.

Joey recalls one particular moment when he accompanied his father on hospital rounds when he was just a toddler.

“On a couple of Saturday and Sunday mornings, he would take me with him to the hospital to make rounds on infants in the well-baby nursery. I’d get up on my tip toes to stare over the ledge through the window to see him examining babies.”

As years went by, it didn’t surprise his father when Joey applied to medical schools. He ended up attending his number one choice, Baylor College of Medicine, where he received an academic scholarship.

“I never pushed him to go into pediatrics,” said Dr. Spinner. “I just said whatever you do, be sure you love it, because if you love it, you will succeed.”

Just like Dr. Joey Spinner, Dr. Jill Roth followed in her father’s footsteps. She knew at the ripe young age of four, that she wanted to be a doctor.

“I wanted to be a doctor for as young as I can remember,” said Dr. Jill Roth, who recently completed her position as chief pediatric resident at Texas Children’s. “So, when people would ask me when my interest started, I’d say about 4 years old.”

“From the moment she was able to verbalize, she showed an interest in medicine,” said her father, Dr. David Roth, chief of Urology at Texas Children’s.

Dr. Roth remembers his teenage daughter participating in a Texas Children’s program called “Bring Your Daughter to Work Day,” where Jill got her first experience in an operating room.

“I remember dressing up in scrubs and walking around with my dad and having fun at the hospital with him,” recalls Jill. “I think just observing him in the hospital setting and getting to see what his life was like at Texas Children’s made me want to be a doctor.”

After years of rigorous work and training, Jill is pursuing a profession she thoroughly enjoys, and grateful every day for her father’s support.

“He’s just been there for me throughout my whole life, and I am very fortunate to have his support.”