[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 19 (Tuesday, March 3, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E269-E270]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                   CONGRATULATIONS TO DR. NANCY DICKEY

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, March 3, 1998

  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I would like to 
briefly express my congratulations, encouragement and best wishes to 
Dr. Nancy Dickey of College Station, Texas, who in June, will take 
office as the first female president of the American Medical 
Association. The AMA is this country's most active, notable and 
influential group of physicians, a group that lends its expertise and 
experience to America's state and federal legislators, as well as our 
doctors and the families that they care for. I have always said that 
when shaping public policy dealing with medicine and health care 
reform, well-intentioned Members of Congress must hear the vital voices 
of our medical practitioners.
  Mr. Speaker, Dr. Nancy Dickey has a long history with Congress of 
lending her expertise and experience to us as we have considered and 
deliberated on the important health care issues of the day. In addition 
to giving over 200 speeches addressing women's issues and encouraging 
more young women to pursue a career in medicine, she has testified at 
Congressional hearings at least 10 times.
  She has traveled to the nation's capital to speak on the many various 
issues of health insurance and medical ethics, while maintaining a busy 
practice as a family physician and program director for the Brazos 
Valley Family Practice Program at Texas A&M University. Mr. Speaker, 
Dr. Dickey has displayed conviction and concern for the practicing of 
medicine, expending tremendous energy on every endeavor she undertakes. 
That is why I believe it is truly fitting that she will soon be sworn 
in as president of the AMA, since she will be able to use that energy 
to lead an organization of more than 700,000 of our country's most 
gifted and influential doctors.
  Dr. Dickey hails from Watertown, South Dakota and is a resident of 
College Station, but her vision and passion encompass the entire 
country and reflects her commitment to represent all of America's 
doctors and address the problems and challenges that both doctors and 
patients face.

[[Page E270]]

  Mr. Speaker, in her youth, she faced the problems and challenges of a 
time when women were not encouraged to pursue the goal of entering 
medical school. She was once told by a high school counselor that she 
could not be both a doctor and a mother. I experienced the same subtle 
discouragement which actually steered me toward a nursing degree and 
not into medical school. However, Dr. Dickey chose to ignore the 
discouragement and focused even more on her goal and task at hand; 
entering medical school and successfully pursue a career in medicine. 
Those times for both of us have changed for the better, but she 
continues today to inspire other young women to enter the field.
  Mr. Speaker, as a Registered Nurse who encourages young women to 
pursue a career in medicine, I am appreciative of Dr. Dickey's efforts 
in heightening the self-esteem of young women and encouraging them to 
pursue careers as doctors or any other profession.
  Mr. Speaker, I believe her future as president, as well as the AMA's 
future, will be bright and successful. As she assumes leadership of the 
AMA, I am convinced that her tenacity, energy, expertise and sincere 
concern for her profession will benefit that organization, America's 
doctors and their patients. I congratulate her in advance as she 
prepares to take office in June, and I wish her the best of luck.

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