We all think our parents are superheroes. But to me, my mother is a superhero.

From a young age, Janet Wolfe-Medovic wanted to be a nurse. But not just any nurse, a labor and delivery nurse.

“That’s all I ever remember wanting to do. I loved babies and birth fascinated me from a young age, so becoming a labor and delivery nurse was always a part of my life plan,” Medovic says.

On top of becoming a nurse, education was always a close second. If not a nurse, Janet would have found herself as a schoolteacher. But, she then discovered she could combine her two favorite things.

“I am fortunate that I have been able to combine my love for education and birth by teaching prenatal education classes to parents and working as a nursing instructor teaching the next generation of nurses,” stated Medovic.

Becoming a nurse doesn’t mean you stop working off the clock. Your career becomes your life. To Medovic, her job defines her life.

After completing her education at Wheeling Jesuit, she became a nurse. And 20 years later, Janet returned and got her master’s degree. But in 2021, a colleague and close friend convinced her to go for the last degree to finish her education. Her doctorate.

“I always considered completing my education as I advanced my career away from bedside nursing. The return to school seemed right while I was teaching full-time. It was so helpful to have a friend to go through the program with me so we could keep each other on track even when we wanted to quit,” Medovic says.

In May of 2023, Doctor Janet Wolfe-Medovic graduated from Carlow University with her doctorate of nursing practice.

“I don’t think I realized how much I wanted to complete my education until I started back to school. I’m proud that I was able to complete my research and earn my DNP so I have more opportunities available to me in the future,” Medovic stated.

On top of feeling accomplished about getting her degree, she became the third person to earn a doctoral degree in her family.

Even becoming a doctor didn’t stop her from going back to her roots of being a nurse. Even today, you can find her as one of the nursing managers at WVU Reynold’s Memorial Hospital. Going back to her roots, Medovic truly realized how much she missed the childbirth part of her career.

“Every birth is a miracle! It is an honor to be a part of such a special time in these family’s lives,” says Medovic.

All in all, Doctor Medovic’s job is very rewarding. Since becoming a nurse in the early 90s, she has taken care of a multitude of patients. She enjoys helping take care of families after their babies are born. She also loves hearing their birth stories and how she was able to make a difference in their experience. She’s even had some familiar adult faces, and even baby faces, in her delivery room.

“I have learned over the years that I was the nurse to some of my children’s friends and even a couple of my nursing students! I have also been the labor nurse for two patients whom I was present for their births! It is good to know that I made a difference in their lives,” Medovic states.

Childbirth has always been, and will continue to be a significant part of Dr. Janet Wolfe-Medovic’s life. She started as just a young girl with a dream of becoming a nurse or maybe a schoolteacher, to becoming a nurse in labor delivery, to then becoming a teacher of what she loves to do, to lastly getting her doctorate in what she loves most.

Dr. Wolfe-Medovic’s accomplishments will never fail to amaze everyone, especially her family members. I am proud to call her my mother!