TEMPLE, Texas (October 30, 2008) - Patricia J. Sulak, M.D., professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Scott & White, was named the inaugural Dudley P. Baker Endowed Professor of Research and Education in Obstetrics and Gynecology at a ceremony held Friday, October 24 in the Mayborn Auditorium.

In addition to her clinical practice, Dr. Sulak is the Medical Director of the Division of Departmental Research and Director of the Adolescent Sex Education Program in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Scott & White.

Dr. Sulak received her B.S. in pharmacy from the University of Houston College of Pharmacy in 1975 and her M.D. degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio in 1980. She completed her residency in OB/GYN at Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) in Washington, D.C. in 1985 where she was named the Outstanding Resident of the Year among all WRAMC residency training programs and received the Armed Forces District Award for "Best Scientific Research Paper." She served as a major in the U.S. Army Medical Corps until 1987 and was awarded their Meritorious Service Medal and the Army Achievement Medal.

Dr. Sulak is certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ABOG) and is also a Board Examiner for ABOG. She was named the 2006 Distinguished Alumnus at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio School of Medicine.

Dr. Sulak is actively involved in clinical research, conducting numerous studies on women's health issues, hormone therapy and contraception. The Scott & White OB/GYN Resident Research Awards were renamed "The Patricia Sulak Award for Excellence in Resident Research" in honor of her work in creating the residency research program in 1987. Her current research emphasis is in contraceptive redesign to eliminate monthly menses and hormone withdrawal symptoms including menstrual headaches, pain and premenstrual symptoms.

She has published and lectured extensively throughout the U.S. and beyond on her research on the redesign of contraception to manage common menstrual disorders. Her research has been published in numerous peer reviewed medical journals including Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fertility and Sterility, Contraception and American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. She recently was awarded the 2008 North American Menopause Society Perimenopause Award.

Dr. Sulak is also extensively involved in medical education. She is past chairman of the Scott & White Continuing Medical Education (CME) Committee and continues to serve as a member. She served as Chairman of the ACOG Committee on Gynecology Practice Bulletins, Course Director for the ACOG postgraduate course on Office Gynecology and served on the ACOG PROLOG Office Practice Committee. Dr. Sulak directs several state and national CME programs and is very active in community education addressing a wide array of women's healthcare topics. She has been interviewed and quoted by many national media sources including CNN, Wall Street Journal, Time, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, US News & World Report, and Newsweek. She has been included in "Best Doctors in America" for several years and was selected Outstanding Clinical Instructor in OB/GYN by the College of Medicine's 2005 graduating class.

Dr. Sulak continues to develop, implement and research sex education programs for adolescents. Her work in this area began in 1996 when she began implementation of a program based solely on medical, legal and socioeconomic issues. She founded and directs the award winning Scott & White Sex Education Program "Worth the Wait" (www.worththewait.org), which has been adopted by numerous school districts in Texas and beyond. Dr. Sulak was given a "Heroes for Children" award by the Texas State Board of Education in 1999 and attorneys involved in the legal component of the program received awards from the Texas Young Lawyers Association and the American Bar Association. In May 2004, Dr. Sulak received the ACOG Community Service Award for her work with sex education.

The Dudley P. Baker Endowed Professor of Research and Education in Obstetrics and Gynecology was created in honor of Dr. Baker, who has been on staff at Scott & White for 37 years. He has been well-respected and loved by his students, residents, colleagues and patients since he first arrived in 1971. Many of these same people gave generously to create the professorship to honor him.

Courtesy of the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, S&W