OCTOBER 3 • 2019 | 17

questions,” George said.
“They just trust us,”
Robert said.
Natalie, while serving a
residency at St. John’
s Hospital
on Moross in Detroit, said she
saw children who experienced
seizures, lots of premature
babies because mothers did
not receive prenatal care and
non-accidental childhood
injuries
. She also has spent
six weeks treating children at
a hospital in Malawi and has
taken three medical mission
trips to South America with
her father. While there, the
whole team of doctors visited
schools and treated between
1,800 and 2,500 children a day.
She added that though her
father and grandfather are
pediatricians and taught her
bedside manners, medical
terminology and transcribing
notes into a patient’
s medical
chart, medical school was still
challenging.
“It’
s a lot to live up to, but
it’
s really nice to have 60 years
of experience and someone I
can call on,
” she said about her
elders in the office. “I learned
how to talk to patients way
before I became a doctor. The
three of us have the same kind
of sense of humor.
”

STILL PASSIONATE
Today, George and Robert
Blum say they still enjoy the
practice of pediatrics, even
though George is nearing
60 years in the business and
Robert, 25 years. George, a
member of Congregation
Shaarey Zedek, said he not
only still loves interacting with
children, he also relishes the
challenge of making an accu-
rate medical diagnosis, and
loves reading medical journals.
He mentioned that some of
his former patients are now

grandparents bringing their
grandkids in for care.
“It’
s important that I stay up
to date and that I teach med-
ical school students,
” George
said. “Our family believes in
doing what we can to the best
of our ability.
”
Robert, who is married to
Tracye and a member of Adat
Shalom Synagogue, said he
feels he has made the right
career choice.
“Twenty-five years in, I like
being a pediatrician more than
when I started,
” he said.
Natalie, also a member of
Adat Shalom, said she has her
own path to forge as a young
pediatrician.
“My goal is to make health-
ier kids,
” she said so that they
can enjoy school. She enjoys
watching the children she
treats grow as well as working
with families.
Joyce Blum, George’
s wife,
said she is incredibly proud
her family contains three
generations of pediatric doc-
tors.
“It’
s hard to express the
pride I feel knowing the
three of them want to make
a difference and help people,
”
she said. “To this day, we will
run into people who say, ‘
Dr.
Blum, do you remember when
you made that house call and
I had a cake coming out of the
oven and I gave it to you?’
I
really felt like I knew all these
people and they would talk to
me about their difficulties.
”
As for George, is retirement
in the cards?
“No,” he said. “Not until
they tell me (to retire).
Fortunately, I have a good
memory and pretty good
health. I work full time. I
can’
t picture myself sitting at
home, watching stupid televi-
sion shows.”

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