The Untold Story of... Suzie Barry, DO

1. I grew up in 29 palms, California, the town at the main entrance to JTNP. I am the youngest of four kids. Some of my favorite memories are if going to the park (what we call the monument since it wasn't a national park yet!) with friends and cousins and challenging each other with climbing boulders. If you ever visit, go say hi to my sisters who own Rocky's Pizza!
2. I studied abroad for a full year as an undergrad biochemisty major at McGill in Montreal. I'm a HUGE supporter of study abroad! That year was the first time I saw falling snow and is also when I met my now husband, Shawn.
3. Being a mom is hands-down the coolest thing I've ever done! I have twins boys who are 15, a daughter who is 10, and another son who is seven. They amaze me every day and are my favorite people to be around!!
4. I love summer camp! I never went as a kid so am trying to maximize my camp time as an adult. I have volunteered throughout medical training at various camps and continue to volunteer at Double H Ranch (join our club!). I even went to a surf camp in Nicaragua a few years ago and have my eye on a women's summer camp in France.
5. I love being active (but am not particularly athletic). I was a jr. jazzercise instructor as a kid, played just about every sport, won the women's division of a race walk marathon as a teenager, did triathlons through medical school, and now love to lift weights and anything peloton. I'm also the co-captain of a Double H pickleball team.
6. I LOVE coffee and was a barista from the ages of 15-24. I used to work on a coffee shop in Greenville, Delaware where I would occasionally serve Joe Biden.
7. I am a Scouts unit reserve leader for my older boys' troop. It's been a lot of fun! We are working on the Adirondack 46'ers and most recently summited Mt. Marcy. My favorite is our annual canoe trek, which was in Algonquin Provincial Park this past summer where we canoed and portaged a metric century (62 miles) in five days!!
8. I have driven across the US five times and love to visit national parks. This past summer my family visited Alaska, which was my 50th state and is now my favorite! I got to live out my childhood dream of seeing bears in the wild when we hung out in the open with grizzlies grazing in the fields and playing on the beach at Lake Clark National Park. Totally surreal!
9. One of my favorite things to do is watch Broadway musicals. I'm a huge fan of anything done by Lin Manuel Miranda. I am so grateful to have the city and Proctors so nearby. Also, my twins have been in their school musicals since middle school and if you've had the chance to see Bethlehem's MS and HS productions… Wow! If anyone ever needs a show buddy, let me know!
10. I am a physician board certified in pediatrics and pediatric critical care. After 12 years in pediatric ICU medicine, I now work with children with complex medical conditions and technology dependence. Every year we bring children on ventilators to a special session at Double H Ranch where they swim, zip line, and just play! It's an amazing opportunity handed to me by my great friend, colleague, and previous Siena-AMC Director Dr. Ray Walsh who started the session. He's also the reason I'm at Siena! Ray changed my life and the life of so many others.

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