Why does this doctor carry a bottle of holy water in the pocket of her white coat?

She’s known since childhood that she wanted to be a doctor. Now, Dr. Jessica Parker Metter is learning a few things from her patients.

By TJ Banes, IU Health Senior Journalist, tfender1@iuhealth.org

She attends the funerals of her patients; hugs their family members; and keeps mementos nearby to carry on their memory.

She never forgets.

Dr. Jessica Parker Metter joined IU Health in 2021 after completing her fellowship training at the University of Texas Northwestern. Originally from Pennsylvania, Metter grew up in Florida and completed undergraduate and medical school at the University of Florida. She completed her OB/GYN residency at Stony Brook University, New York.

Her academic training prepared her for her role at IU Health Simon Cancer Center; her patients and personal experiences have enhanced that role.

When she was in elementary school her father was diagnosed with brain cancer. He developed a baseball-size tumor and died less than a year after diagnosis. That loss set Metter’s course into gynecological oncology. At Simon Cancer Center she pursues a special interest in ovarian cancer research-specifically clinical trials and musculoskeletal health in the survivorship period. She is a committee member of NRG Oncology's Ovarian Cancer Subcommittee. The “NRG” is part of the National Cancer Institute. It is composed of three groups: The National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project, the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group, and the Gynecological Oncology Group. The purpose is to improve the lives of patients with ovarian cancer. Part of that includes conducting clinical trails and research.

Another part of Metter’s experience came with the birth of her first child, a 2-year-old boy.

“While I have knowledge in obstetrics because I trained in that area, being a patient is a whole new ballgame,” said Metter. “I recognized how important good doctor-patient communication is. A lot of times, we as practitioners don’t know what a patient might be thinking if they don’t hear from us. My OB/GYN was great and I felt like I could ask anything without judgement.”

Metter’s patients share her sentiments.

After Cathy Austin passed, her husband, Tom said: “We never worried if we were running late for an appointment because we knew Dr. Metter was taking extra time with another patient and that meant she was going to do the same with us. She always listened to us and helped us understand.” Cathy Austin, 67, was diagnosed and treated for ovarian cancer. She died on August 15 and Metter attended her funeral. She later met with Austin’s family who presented a homemade gift to Simon Cancer Center in Cathy’s memory.

In Metter’s office, she has a photo of Austin and some of her other patients. She greets them each day with a warm, “Good Morning.”

“I keep small mementos from patients such as cards or notes of the ones I connected with the most,” said Metter. In her white coat, she still carries a small bottle of holy water gifted to her from the family of the first gynecological oncology patient she cared for during her residency. Many of her patients also know that she wears a special pair of socks into surgery with a message expressing her thoughts on cancer. “They help me, and sometimes the patients I show, put on a warrior attitude,” said Metter.

To help unwind at the end of a tough shift, Metter enjoys spending time with her son and husband, Chris Metter. She enjoys reading, traveling, running and salsa dancing.