Alumni Spotlight: Anna Jack, MD, Assistant Professor of Clinical Family Medicine and Pediatrics

Following undergraduate studies at McGill University and medical school at Boston University, Anna “Annie” Jack, M.D., had three items on her wish list for a residency program: 1) that it was a high-quality program; 2) that it included a community hospital; and 3) that it was part of an academic medical center.

Many colleagues told her to think about Rochester. She barely knew where Rochester was on a map. Her mother joked (and still does) that Rochester is in the Midwest, far away from where the family primarily lives on the East Coast.

However, her 2013 visit to the Flower City to interview with Stephen Schultz, M.D., then University of Rochester/ Highland Hospital Family Medicine Residency Program Director, made the decision an easy one. The interview was in December, and it was snowing. Some people are turned off by Rochester’s weather. Not Dr. Jack.

“Our visit was magical,” she said. “We walked along East Avenue and saw the George Eastman House and other mansions, and the snow was coming down – it was beautiful.”
Her interview sealed the deal. “Dr. Schultz knew my nickname and even my husband’s name. It meant a lot that he took the time to get to know me. Plus, my husband is from the Adirondacks, and we wanted to be in a smaller city that was more affordable to live in.”

Dr. Jack began her three-year Family Medicine residency in 2014, and she took on a chief resident fourth year in 2017. “I loved my residency, and it was a no brainer to stay on as a fourth-year chief resident,” Dr. Jack added. “I had my two children during my residency, so I spent much of the time pregnant, on maternity leave, and with infants at home. I was a bit nervous to tell the residency director that I was expecting my second child. But, showing just how supportive everyone in the program was, he was so happy for me that he teared up and gave me a big hug.”

Primary care and breastfeeding medicine

Dr. Jack trained in Breastfeeding and Lactation Medicine by spending one day a week in the Breastfeeding Medicine clinic as a chief resident and became an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) in 2020.

After her chief residency year, Dr. Jack decided to make the move to East Ridge Family Medicine. At the time, two of her partners in the practice were delivering babies, so she could start providing breastfeeding medicine to patients right away.

In 2022 she took a secondary appointment in Pediatrics, working with the new Division of Breastfeeding and Lactation Medicine, primarily developing a Telelactation program and working on other research projects.

“Being able to work in Breastfeeding and Lactation Medicine has been a great outlet for me, and it has made me love primary care even more because it enhances how I can assist young families,” she added.

A nontraditional role

Between her primary care work at East Ridge Family Medicine and her clinical and research work with Breastfeeding Medicine, Dr. Jack finds herself in a nontraditional role. But she is where she wants to be.

“Ultimately, being able to carve out my own path has been highly rewarding,” Dr. Jack said. “I am glad that I pursued my interests and my passions. It took some time, but I have found my place.”
She – and her mother – can also find Rochester on a map

4/3/2025