Martha J. Shirley, DO

I grew up in Upper Black Eddy, Pennsylvania. In high school, I was in choir, musical theater, and ran track and field. In college, I continued to participate in choir and I also played rugby.

My husband and I share our home with five very energetic dogs! I am also very lucky to have four sisters, two brothers, and ten nieces and nephews spread all over the country.

I’m a big movie buff. I also enjoy spending time with friends, playing with the dogs, and reading.

I would love to go to Scotland.

I was an accident-prone kid who spent a lot of time in the doctor’s office. My family physician was incredibly nice and helpful, and I wanted to be like him.

On our first resident retreat, we rented a cabin in Brown County and stayed overnight. This was the first time all of the residents and our program director got to really relax, kick back, and spend time together. We had an amazing time and ended the weekend with some great stories.

I really enjoy getting to know my patients and their families, and that every day can be completely different.

An older gentleman that I had been seeing for around eight months was finally doing really well, so I told him that he did not need to come in for another six months. He turned to me and said, ‘But I really like coming to see you. You help me.’ It was the first time it really hit me that I was actually doing good for my patients and making a difference for them.

I was very impressed with the reputation of the hospital, but even more so with the people that work here. Everyone is very friendly, welcoming, and really seem to enjoy working for Schneck.