William C. 'Billy' Andrews, Jr., T'76, MD'80, HS'82-'86 |
by Bernadette Gillis
When William C. “Billy” Andrews, Jr., T'76, MD'80, HS'82-'86, was first asked to get involved with the Medical Alumni Council eight years ago, he admits it wasn't something that he had given much thought to before. Not that he didn't want to give back to his alma mater— like many alumni, he just had gotten busy with life.
“But once I heard about it, I was more than happy to join the council,” he says.
Andrews recognizes that this may be the case with many Duke Medicine alumni, and as the Medical Alumni Association's new president he sees it as his job to remind alumni of the many ways to get involved.
In particular, he plans to encourage fellow alumni to get involved with the MAA programs that already exist to help connect alumni with current students, such as the Alumni-Student Link Program. (Learn more at: http://medalum.duke.edu/ volunteer.htm.)
“A lot of us get busy in our own world of work and family,” says Andrews, who was tapped as the MAA president during Medical Alumni Weekend in October. “Most of us got a lot out of our Duke Medicine education and are willing to help students. It's just a matter of getting people to think about it.”
Andrews says another one of his goals is to make the MAA a resource for students and alumni interested in medical mission trips. Several Duke Medicine alumni, students, and house staff take trips every year to treat patients in third world countries, and many more want to know how to get involved. Andrews says the MAA could help alumni share their experiences or recruit other volunteers for trips.
“I would like the association to serve as a central clearing house,” he says.
An orthopedic surgeon, Andrews has a special interest in providing care for children in third world countries. Since 1995 he has traveled to countries in Central and South America with Kids First, a nonprofit organization founded by Gregory Mencio, T'77, MD'80, HS'83-'87, from Vanderbilt University. Each year Andrews travels with Mencio and a team made up of 20 other surgeons, nurses, and staff. The team usually spends about 10 days in a town or city, treating children with conditions such as clubfeet and cerebral palsy. Earlier this year the team journeyed to San Miguel, Mexico , and performed 105 orthopedic surgeries on 72 children.
Andrews says his experience with Kids First is “hard to put into words.” He adds, “All the smiles, the hugs, it's a very pure form of medicine. The people are so appreciative. The feeling you get is overwhelming.”
His mission trips have turned into a family affair. Andrew's daughter Margaret, T'06,traveled with him to the Dominican Republic right before her freshman year at Duke in 2002. His son Will, 20, also went with him to the Dominican Republic a few years ago. Andrews plans to take his 16-year-old son Charlie with him on next year's trip to San Miguel.
A fourth generation doctor, Andrews is a native of Norfolk , Va. He earned both a bachelor's degree in French literature and a medical degree from Duke. He completed his internship and general surgery residency at University of Virginia Hospital. After going back to Duke to complete an orthopedic surgery residency, he went into private practice in 1986 at Piedmont Orthopaedic Surgery in Lynchburg, Va. He has been with the practice ever since.
In addition to serving on the board for Kids First, Andrews is a board member of the Piedmont Orthopaedic Society and the Southern Orthopaedic Society. He is chair of the Jubilee Family Development Center board.
Andrews is married to Peggy, T'76, G'77, whose career in education has included working as an assistant to the provost at Duke in the 1980s. While spending timewith Peggy and their children is Andrews' biggest hobby, he says he also enjoys running, playing tennis, and skiing.
