Dr. Nita Gerig, a Mishawaka native, has been a pathologist for South Bend Medical Foundation since 1996. We were excited to sit down with Dr. Gerig to discuss the field of pathology, her career, and what she enjoys most working for South Bend Medical Foundation. Let’s see what she had to say:
What is Your Role at South Bend Medical Foundation?
I have been with SBMF for 25 years, even though it feels like 10. It goes so fast! A majority of my career has been focused on general surgical pathology which is diagnosis of disease and cancer on tissue using my light microscope. I am also the Medical Director for several hospital laboratories in the area. In that position, I am responsible for helping maintain quality standards and lead inspections of other labs to ensure standard of care and compliance is met.
Where Did you Go to School?
I attended Goshen College for my Bachelor’s and Indiana University School of Medicine for medical school. I completed my 5-year residency in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology for the Indiana University Hospitals. After training, I began to work for South Bend Medical Foundation.
What Made you Decide to Pursue Pathology?
In elementary school, I told my friends that I was going to become a doctor, a forest ranger, or marry a farmer. I decided to take the medical route and it was destined from the start since my father and brothers are surgeons. I didn’t really decide on pathology until my last year of medical school when I began my forensic pathology rotation.
After completing two months of rotations in forensic and surgical pathology – it was clear that this was the path I wanted to take. What I always have enjoyed about this field is that making a diagnosis can feel like solving a mystery and I like to find the answers. Every case is different which makes it even more exciting.
Why Did you Decide to Practice in South Bend?
Easy – It was coming back home, I grew up in Mishawaka and went to Mishawaka High School. My dad has worked with SBMF throughout his career with caring for his patients and I knew some of the staff from medical school since some of the pathologists here were the ones teaching my course. South Bend Medical Foundation is a quality practice and offered numerous growth opportunities to jumpstart my career.
What do you Enjoy Doing for Fun?
I live outside of South Bend on a farm, where my husband, kids and I currently raise free-range chickens along with our cats and dogs. Outside of work, I enjoy spending time outside working on landscaping, walking, hiking, reading, and binging the latest season of The British Baking Show on Netflix.
