Jerry Wydro, M.D. - Cool, Calm, and Grateful
In April 1986, Levittown, PA native Jerry Wydro ‘90, M.D., then a senior at Bishop Egan High School, parked his car next to the Campus Center at Holy Family University. A woman parked in the spot next to his, and both were there to select their initial classes for the upcoming freshman year. This serendipitous meeting, as Wydro, now the Chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Jefferson Health Northeast, describes, was guided by fate.
“I ultimately ended up marrying that woman who pulled in next to me,” Wydro said of his wife, Theresa Toohey Wydro ’90, who has had a successful nursing career. “She thought my corny sense of humor was cute, and the rest is history.”
This chance encounter was one of many fortuitous events that shaped Wydro’s remarkable career. As an only child and a first-generation college student, he had a dream of becoming a doctor, but lacked direction on how to achieve it. Enrolling at Holy Family University as a chemistry major, Wydro was drawn to the school’s affordability and the comfort of commuting.
“I realize now how lucky I was,” Wydro said. “I knew I wanted to go to medical school, but a pre-med major didn’t exist at the time. Early on, I joined a group of friends with diverse strengths, and together we figured out the path to med school. Meeting Dr. Linda Micikas was pivotal; she provided guidance on how to pursue medicine. I naively chose chemistry as my major, which involved a lot of physics and chemistry, but it prepared me well for the MCATs.”
Wydro’s preparation paid off when he was accepted into Temple University School of Medicine. “I had an amazing experience at Temple and then went on to my residency in emergency medicine at the Medical Hospital of Pennsylvania,” he recalled. “I’ve always lived along the I-95 Corridor—grew up off Route 1, went to Holy Family, got off at Bridge Street for Temple, and then off the Schuylkill for the Medical College of Philadelphia.”
Throughout his journey, Wydro was supported by his parents, who instilled values of hard work, family, and faith. “I was blessed to grow up in a faith-based household,” he said. “My father was a methodical, logical thinker, a self-taught engineer who brought order to chaos. My mother instilled family values and provided the moral compass and humor I cherish. They raised me with fundamental principles: be good to others, listen more than you talk, and have faith. My goal has always been to make my parents proud.” Wydro has achieved this goal and more, impacting countless lives through over three decades in medicine and 38 years as a volunteer in emergency medical services. He served on the Holy Family President’s Council and now sits on the Board of Trustees. Along with friends Keith Lafferty ’89, Vince Frascatore ’90, and Prem Rabindranauth ’90, he helped establish an endowed scholarship in memory of their classmate Dr. Susan Nowak, who passed away in 2009. Wydro was a recipient of Holy Family University’s Alumni Achievement Award in 2021.
In his role as an emergency room doctor, Wydro often encounters the worst of humanity. “Our job is to remain calm amid chaos,” he said. “We deal with challenging situations daily, from substance abuse to traumatic injuries. My faith helps me cope with the stress and complexity of this work.”
Wydro expressed his gratitude for Holy Family University’s role in his life. “Holy Family took a kid from Levittown and gave him the tools to be successful,” he said. “They helped me meet my wife, who made me a ‘girl dad’ to three amazing daughters. I thank Holy Family and my parents every day for the incredible experiences I’ve had.”