A “Philly girl through and through,” Jaclyn Davolos, MD, of St. Luke’s OB/GYN Associates, thought she would live in Philadelphia and work in an inner-city emergency room when she entered medical school. She never dreamed that 13 years later, she would be living happily in Schnecksville while practicing obstetrics and gynecology in Palmerton and Tamaqua.

Dr. Davolos describes her role as a specialist and primary care physician. She sees patients for their yearly checkups and health maintenance.

For some patients, she is their only physician. Also, she provides specialty care for patients with menstrual cycle and gynecologic organ disorders, educates teenagers about safe sex and the basics of GYN care, provides contraception, screens for typical gynecologic cancers and performs surgery at St. Luke’s Carbon Campus in Lehighton, providing access to surgical services close to home.

As an obstetrician, she manages both normal and abnormal pregnancies.

Becoming a doctor wasn’t a straightforward path, however. She earned undergraduate degrees in biochemistry and medical biology to earn a doctorate and pursue a research career.

As part of her studies, she worked in a research lab. She worked part-time as an emergency medical technician (EMT) to pay the bills.

“It wasn’t until I spent time in the lab that I realized,” she said, “that I crave the interpersonal relations you can only get through direct clinical practice. Curing cancer is a lofty goal, but ultimately, I’d rather hold my patient’s hand and talk about how we’re going to cure her cancer.”

When she applied to medical school, she was not thinking of an OB/GYN career, but later during her OB/GYN rotation she found her calling. Looking back, she realized she should have seen it coming.

“My entire life, I’ve been a huge advocate of reproductive equality and women’s health care,” she said. “I’ve always been into demystifying taboo topics. I find it rewarding to discuss topics with my patients that they wouldn’t feel comfortable talking about with other people. Together, we break down their concerns and normalize things that others have made seem abnormal their entire lives.”

About 10 years ago, during her residency at St. Luke’s, Dr. Davolos spent time in Carbon County.

A hiker, she was drawn to the area and found she loved the rural environment. When she finished, she joined St. Luke’s OB/GYN Associates and works regularly in Palmerton and sometimes Tamaqua. When a patient sees her OB/GYN regularly over the years, the pair get to know each other well and build mutual trust.

For example, Dr. Davolos shared the story of a patient experiencing her first pregnancy, which turned out to be ectopic. A life-threatening condition, ectopic pregnancies occur outside of the uterus, where the baby cannot survive.

“Her pregnancy hormone levels were not rising appropriately. I sent her for an ultrasound, and when the results confirmed she had an ectopic pregnancy, I called her and sent her to the hospital for emergency surgery. I met her personally at the door and did the procedure myself, removing her fallopian tube.”

Over the following weeks, the patient had multiple follow-up visits during which they discussed the risks of recurrent ectopic pregnancies and fears related to her fertility.

Dr. Davolos eventually determined it was safe for her patient to have another pregnancy. About a year later, Dr. Davolos delivered her healthy baby, followed by the unexpected diagnosis of twins a year after that.

While she loves all the aspects of her job, she said, “the coolest thing” she gets to do is deliver babies.

“I always get a little kick out of seeing the dads see their baby born for the first time. Seeing these big tough guys break down and start to cry a little bit and that just never gets old to me.” She adds that she has seen more than one father faint.

“I tell dads that if you hit the ground, you go to the ER, so please sit down.”

To schedule an appointment with Dr. Davolos, call 272-639-5400 in Palmerton and 484-426-2520 in Tamaqua.