Page 25 - Education Issue

Women of Distinction

Dr. Tess & Dr. James thrown together as lab partners.
They worked side by side over a
cadaver, which was hardly a ro-
mantic setting, but the two prom-
BUILDING BLOCKS TO BRAIN HEALTH ising young medical students
soon fell in love. James laughs as
he recalls that time in their life,
By Judith A. Habert “My joke about how we met was
that I guess I looked and smelled
better than the cadaver, so I got
her attention.” Tess adds, “James
single-handedly support the fam- had a habit of humming while
ily and keep things going through he was dissecting. I love to sing,
these tough times. I think this is so I knew we had something in
where I get my drive.” common, plus I thought he was
Dr. James Lee was born in cute.” Music was a big part of her
Cleveland, Ohio, the son of two life and helped to hold her family
physicians; his father, an OB-GYN together during tough times,
and his mother, a family practi- which led her to organize the first
tioner. From an early age, James Stanford Medical School talent
knew he wanted to go to medical show and she asked James to sing
school – he grew up listening to a duet with her.
his parents discuss their profes- Their duet led to dating and
sions around the dinner table the couple married while still in
and quickly developed his own medical school. At the comple-
passion for medicine. In pursuit tion of his training, Dr. James
of his dream to be a doctor, he became a prominent anesthesiol-
chose to spend his undergraduate ogist in San Diego, and Dr. Tess
years at Yale University, where he pursued dermatology, becoming
earned his Bachelor of Science de- known as “America’s Favorite
gree in molecular biophysics and Dermatologist” with multiple
biochemistry and confirmed his locations of M Beauty Clinic
aptitude and love for science. Tak- throughout San Diego and on
ing his education to the next level, Rodeo Drive in Los Angeles.
James attended Stanford Universi- Life was good. They started to
ty School of Medicine from 1994 grow their family with the birth
to 1999 where he met Tess. of their daughter Jana, now a
Tess, on the other hand, was student at Stanford, and son Mi-
awarded a scholarship from NCR chael, who is only 12 but already
Photos by Dawn Nicoli/Nicoli Productions (National Cash Register) and well-advanced for his age. Little
decided to attend UCSD to study did they know that their story-
HEIR BACKGROUNDS electrical engineering. During book life would soon come to a
couldn’t have been more this time she realized her true crashing halt.
Tdifferent. Dr. Tess Mauricio love of medicine and drummed One Sunday in March 2010,
came from humble beginnings. up the courage to tell NCR that Dr. James was finishing a case
Born in the Philippines and the she wanted to be a doctor instead – the surgeon was preparing to
oldest of four children, her family of an engineer. To her surprise, close up and finish and asked Dr.
immigrated to the United States they agreed to honor her scholar- James to give the patient appro-
when she was 12. “My mother ship – Tess excelled and gradu- priate medication. Dr. James
and father worked night and day ated Summa Cum Laude. Like picked up the bottle and inspect-
to try to make ends meet, and I James, Tess decided that Stanford ed it to ensure it was the correct
took on the role of caretaker to University’s medical program was medication, and suddenly he felt
my three younger siblings. My the right choice, and NCR sup- a pop behind his left eye, followed
father had a heart attack in his ported her studies there as well. by sudden vision impairment. He
40s and then sustained a back During their first year at saw only purple and the faded
injury, and I watched my mom Stanford, Tess and James were images of the physician whose

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