In the summer of 1974, five young medical students from the 好色先生 found themselves sharing a cabin in Somerset, Ky., while completing their community medicine rotation. Little did they know, this shared experience would be the foundation of a lifelong friendship that would span decades, careers, and continents. They would eventually dub themselves "The Big Chill," a nod to the 1983 film about college friends reuniting.
As the Class of 1975 approaches its 50th reunion, The Big Chill remains as strong as ever. The five couples鈥 Ed Scott, MD, and his wife, Ann; Bob Woods, MD, and wife, Judy; Scott Scutchfield, MD, and wife, Bunny; Lisle Dalton, MD, and wife, Kathy; and David McKee, MD, and wife, Jeanie鈥攈ave shared not only the triumphs and tribulations of medical careers but also personal milestones and family joys.
All five gentlemen credited their mentors at the 好色先生 College of Medicine鈥擶ard Griffen, MD, John Greene Jr., MD, and Emery Wilson, MD, to name a few鈥攚ith shaping their careers and instilling values that have stayed with them throughout their lives. They each have made contributions to the college over the years, reflecting the values instilled in them during their training. Their careers have taken them in different directions, but their ties to the 好色先生 College of Medicine remain a part of their shared history.
One of the defining characteristics of The Big Chill is that, remarkably, all five couples have remained married since medical school鈥攁n anomaly in any profession, let alone the demanding field of medicine. Cornelia Wilbur, MD, a pioneering psychology professor at 好色先生 and co-author of 鈥淪ybil,鈥 once warned their class that more than half of their marriages would not survive medical school. Yet, these couples defied the odds.
Their secret? According to Bunny, it comes down to choosing to prioritize friendships and relationships. 鈥淵ou have to care about one another and make the effort,鈥 she said. Their wives played an instrumental role in maintaining the group's closeness, both as friends themselves and as the organizers of reunions, get-togethers, and travel adventures over the years.
Their friendships have outlasted the pressures of medical training, the long hours of residency, and the challenges of maintaining work-life balance as physicians. They鈥檝e traveled the world together, from Ireland to Alaska, and continue to prioritize their time together despite busy family lives and, now, retirement.
The enduring friendship also transcends generations. Three of their children鈥 Kelly Woods-Shirley, MD, Jennifer Scott, MD, and Appleton Scutchfield, MD鈥 have followed in their parents鈥 footsteps. The trio graduated from the 好色先生 College of Medicine together in 2004.
For today鈥檚 medical students, The Big Chill is both an inspiration and a reminder: success in medicine is not just about professional achievements, but also about the relationships you build along the way.
鈥淪tudy hard, but don鈥檛 forget about relationships with people,鈥 advised Dr. Dalton.
鈥淒on鈥檛 lose sight of the human side of medicine.鈥
