Memorial Scholarship Honors Dr. Julie Raymond
Dr. Raymond was a general surgeon at Monument Health from 1997 until her passing and also served as a staff surgeon for the United States Air Force from 1994-1997. After completing medical school and residency in general surgery at Hahnemann University Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, she was stationed at Ellsworth Air Force Base. After the end of that commitment, she and her husband, who is also a physician, made Rapid City their home.
As a subspecialist in breast and breast cancer surgery, Dr. Raymond had a flourishing medical practice in the Rapid City area for 28 years. Her focus was on providing comprehensive care to her patients, dedicated primarily to breast conditions. She created BeYOUtiful Bratique (boutique), which provided tailored solutions to help restore the physical confidence of breast cancer survivors.
Dr. Raymond joined the SSOM faculty in 2001 as clinical assistant professor; she was promoted to clinical associate professor in 2009 and to clinical professor in 2019. Dr. Raymond was named the recipient of the SSOM Anton Hyden Teaching Award in 2010. She made a major impact as a surgeon, educator and leader in the community. She will be remembered by the USD Sanford School of Medicine Rapid City campus community as a dedicated surgeon and exemplary professional.
“We are grateful for the many years Dr. Raymond provided education and mentoring for the Rapid City-based medical students,” said Dr. Matt Simmons, associate dean of the SSOM Rapid City campus. “In recent years, she led the way in establishing a center for breast care which provided an additional excellent educational experience for the medical students. As a role model, she demonstrated integrity, leadership and courage in the face of personal adversity. We can only imagine how many lives have been touched and improved because of her efforts. We will miss her.”
A scholarship has been established with the USD Foundation in Dr. Raymond’s memory, and the first recipient is Megan (Wattenhofer) Torve, a Rapid City native and fourth-year medical student at the SSOM Rapid City campus. Torve says that the relief of the financial burden of medical training cannot be overemphasized.
“Each and every scholarship recipient is profoundly grateful for this aid as we prepare to step into our careers as future physicians,” she said. “More than that, though, it is a vote of confidence in who we are as students and who we will be as providers. This investment in the next generation of medical professionals is greatly appreciated.”
Although Torve didn’t personally know Dr. Raymond, she did care for many of her patients. “Each one of them talked about what a caring, compassionate and good physician she had been for them,” Torve said.
“When these scholarships are offered in memory of physicians that many of us have worked with, there is a personal connection to that encouragement and investment,” she continued. “We strive to be like those physicians who have come before us, who are giving their time to train us and who choose to financially support us through our education.”
