Dr. Paul Scheinberg

Dr. Paul Scheinberg Retired Chief Medical Officer – St. Joseph’s Hospital

If you want to know about medicine in Atlanta, Dr. Paul Scheinberg is a great person to get to know. Originally from Brooklyn, NY, he came to Emory University (knowing no one here) for his Internship and Residency to get away from New York and hasn’t left. He is an advocate for physician autonomy and patient choice.

What inspired you or led to your current career? My father was a doctor and from an early age I knew that was what I wanted to be. From the start (around age 4-6) I used to accompany him on his rounds.

How long have you lived or worked here? My next door neighbor was a doctor who went to Emory and when I applied to schools for my residency, I made Atlanta my first, second and third choice. At that time I moved into an apartment near Emory for $150 a month furnished. I met my wife at Grady hospital, started my practice in Sandy Springs and we bought a home in Sandy Springs in 1979. When we needed more space for our family – we stayed in Sandy Springs.

What is something unique about you? While on a plane recently flying to Israel, I started experiencing symptoms of a heart attack. I had the option to divert the plane but instead chose to take my chances and go on to Israel where I knew I would get excellent medical care at a hospital I had just been consulting with 2 months earlier. Thankfully I made the right decision.

Choosing anyone alive or past – who would you like to have lunch with? Bernie Marcus because he has dedicated his fortune and his time to repairing the world for others.

If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would it be? I would like to go back to the Middle East. After two years of medical school which was during the Vietnam War, I chose to do my military service by joining the Navy in the Flight Surgeon program. After 6 months of training we were deployed to Egypt to the Suez Canal area during the Suez Canal Crisis. I would like to go back – more to understand the geopolitics of the world – not as a tourist.

What advice would you give to people? Seek mentors who are significantly older – they have so much wisdom to impart. Everyone has something to tell you – have the humility to listen.

What is something on your bucket list? I want to spend my time being a people connector – bringing people together and now that I have the time I look forward to taking classes and learning new things that I missed by working so much. Participating in the Leadership Sandy Springs program has opened my eyes to the inner workings of the community.

What words come to mind when you think of the word home? Warm, Comfortable, Family & Tradition

Debbie Soneshine of The Sonenshine Teamwould love your Faces nominations.

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