Stephanie M. Mason, MD
Specialty: General Practice, Integrative Medicine, General Surgery
Practicing Since: 1980
At a very young age, Dr. Mason’s mother was very influential in exposing her to the field of medicine. Her mother studied medicine at Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic and then came to the United States after World War II as the bride of a U.S. army soldier. Her mother continued her pursuit of medicine, however utilizing a more alternative approach. Dr. Mason was skeptical of this at a young age.
Dr. Mason became interested in pursuing medicine as a career, but she was met with much discouragement at the time by her peers, as she was a woman. This made her more determined to approach medical training “her own way.” Upon completing her pre-med requirements for medical school in two years, she entered nursing school and obtained a B.S. degree in nursing. This served to get her involved in patient care earlier, provided her with a broader background, and also served as a means to support herself through medical school.
Dr. Mason then entered the Navy and served in the Nurse Corps at the U.S. Naval Hospital in Bethesda, MD. After this she entered medical school and completed five years of residency training specializing in general surgery. Subsequently, she completed fellowships in trauma surgery/critical care (four years) and advanced laparascopic surgery training (one year). While at the apex of her medical career, she made some very dramatic life-changing decisions. Dr. Mason left the practice of surgery. She decided to pursue a more holistic, integrative approach to the healing art of medicine. Finally, after those extensive years of training and experience, she came to the realization that she was no longer skeptical about what her mother was trying to teach her, because she finally opened her eyes and saw for herself the truth.
Dr. Mason believes the world needs more physicians with the caring attention, healing touch, and support to help patients in their prevention of disease. The “Band-Aid” approach no longer works. As a result, Dr. Mason practices integrative medicine which is a stimulating, exciting, and fulfilling area of medicine (the specialized art of combining conventional with alternative medicine). It has been most rewarding insofar as she has been able to see the healing results in her patients.