Peggy Jewell, MD

I am honored to be the first alumnus highlighted on our new website. My story goes something like this: I graduated from OU College of Medicine in 1983 following my first career as a medical technologist. Three weeks after graduation, I delivered my twin sons who were children numbers three and four. At that point, feeling a little overwhelmed, I took the next year and a half off. My best friend, Dr. Nancy Curry, had entered the Griffin Memorial (Central State) Hospital Residency Program, six months earlier and gave it such high marks that I was persuaded to apply. That was most definitely the best career decision I have made.

I found the staff of the residency program and those of the facilities where I rotated to be different from my previous experiences. There was a respect and appreciation for my services from the beginning in a program where I was treated not only as a resident but also as a physician leader. I had autonomy in terms of my treatment team and planning but had a myriad of supportive professionals available to assist me when I had questions or patients with difficult presentations. These consultations occurred in a supportive environment for which I was extremely grateful.

Being the mother of four children, I also found support when family issues surfaced. The State of Oklahoma benefits, the support of my residency director, Dr. Ernest Shadid, and the program’s lenient call schedule allowed me to traverse my four years of residency practically painlessly.  

Following graduation, I began a private psychiatric practice, psychotherapy and psychopharmacology, while I remained a half time staff psychiatrist for the psychosocial rehabilitation program at Griffin Memorial Hospital (GMH). Over the next year my private practice required more of my time resulting in my leaving the state system.

I enjoyed my private practice immensely, starting a program called Women’s Way which involved women’s workshops, dream interpretation groups, and other groups focused on women’s issues. During that time, I studied for periods with a Jungian analyst, the director of the Milton Erickson Foundation, and representatives from the Menninger Foundation Family Therapy Program to further develop my psychotherapy skills.

In 1995 an opportunity became available for me to rejoin the staff of GMH as the Medical Director for the acute care unit. It was an opportunity that I could not pass up, partly because it also involved a large teaching component with the responsibility for supervising the residents on the unit.

Subsequently, for the State, I have served as Clinical Director of GMH, Medical Director of the Norman facilities, Medical Director of the Oklahoma Youth Center , Carl Albert Community Mental Health Center Ada PACT Team psychiatrist, Interim Residency Training Director, and my current position as Medical Director of the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.

I continue to teach in the residency program and to be involved in numerous initiatives which are in progress to improve services in the state. It has been a rewarding, challenging career, thus far. I don’t believe that I could have started at a better place!