Breaking down barriers as the first female surgeon in Oklahoma City
Displaying the notorious unconquerable Chickasaw spirit, Teresa Shavney is a barrier breaker in the field of medicine – not only was she the first female surgeon in Oklahoma City, but she was only the second female surgeon to practice in all of Oklahoma.
Teresa received a civil engineering degree from the University of Oklahoma and was one of the first female graduates from its environmental sciences program. After spending time working for the Environmental Protection Agency, she soon realized her true calling in life was medicine.
While in medical school at OU, she decided surgery was her favorite specialty. Perhaps it all came back to her Chickasaw heritage – her grandmother, famed Chickasaw elder Beaulah Marie Shavney, always worked with her hands and taught her how to knit, and her mother taught her the art of sewing.
Teresa considers herself an "instrument of the Great Spirit" in her quest to take care of people. She has more than 31 years of experience in her field and currently serves as a general and pediatric surgeon at INTEGRIS Baptist Medical Center in Oklahoma City.
Accomplishments
- 2009 Chickasaw Dynamic Woman of the Year
- First woman elected to the state’s physician-owned medical insurance group, Physicians Liability Income Company
- Named as one of America’s Top Surgeons by The Consumer Research Council of America
- Served as president of the Oklahoma Medical Women’s Association, the Oklahoma Surgical Society and the Oklahoma County Medical Society
One Tribe One Mission
"Our mission to enhance the overall quality of life of the Chickasaw people will continue to serve as our guidepost as we work together to build an even brighter future"
Bill Anoatubby, Governor
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