At Salve, Libby Baldwin '22 got a solid start to her medical career

Dr. Elizabeth (Libby) Baldwin, DO, '22 came to Salve Regina University from Saugerties, New York knowing more than most 18-year-olds do about the medical philosophy of treating the "whole person." The daughter of a doctor of osteopathic medicine, Baldwin was inspired by her dad's profession, entering Salve's biology program with an eye on medical school.

"I loved that Salve had small class sizes. It was a great learning environment for me where our professors really knew us," Baldwin said.  

One of those professors, lecturer Dr. Kimberly Curesky, had recently become Salve's health advisor, guiding students and alumni embarking on careers as doctors, dentists, veterinarians, physician assistants/associates, physical therapists and in other medical professions. "Dr. Curesky was our rock," Baldwin said. "She helped us with all that goes into getting ready and applying for graduate health care programs."

Learning teamwork and discipline in the lab and on the field

At Salve, in addition to required courses, Baldwin took electives in immunology, pharmacology, chemistry and other areas, which she believes gave her a wide base of knowledge that made her a strong candidate for graduate schools. An internship with former Salve associate professor of biology, Dr. Heather Axen, gave her hands-on experience doing environmental research. "Even though that research wasn't in the medical field, I got exposure to working in a lab, on a manuscript and with a team," Baldwin said.

Baldwin was also a student-athlete at Salve, playing women's lacrosse for four years and leading the team as captain as a senior. The discipline and accountability instilled by coach Bill Villareal – now also senior associate athletic director – had a significant impact on Baldwin.

"He taught us to always show up for your team," she said, explaining, "The dynamic of working as part of a team has a lot of parallels to medicine. Everything in hospitals relies on teamwork – doctors, nurses, techs – the experience of being accountable on a team directly translates to medicine."

As she went into her senior year, she knew she wanted to be a doctor, and, modeling her father's journey, applied to several Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) programs. She was accepted into four and chose to study at Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Denver, Colorado.

Four moves in five years, with steady support

After two years of studying in Denver, Baldwin began her rotations in Colorado Springs, participating in all aspects of patient care across many specialties; including delivering her first baby. As she went into her senior year of medical school, she had determined that obstetrics and gynecology (OB-GYN) would be her focus. "Women's health felt like the right focus for my personality and interests. It is a field that constantly needs improvement as well as caring doctors who really listen to their patient' concerns. I also really like surgery and seeing patients in a primary care role. OB-GYN n has all of that."

Baldwin credits Dr. John Baer with inspiring her choice of specialty while at Rocky Vista University. "Dr. Baer is an incredible OB-GYN who taught me so much about the field and was a very important mentor to me. I was with him this summer when he delivered his 10,000th baby! I would not have gotten where I am without his teaching," she said.  

Baldwin did her fourth-year rotations in Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, bringing her back to the East Coast. In May 2026 she graduated, earning her DO, and learned that she had been matched with Rochester Regional Health at Rochester General Hospital in New York for a residency in OB-GYN, her first choice. She will begin in July 2026.

Explaining her day-to-day work, Baldwin anticipated, "In my first year as an intern, I'll be on the labor and delivery floor for obstetrics, working on inductions, delivering babies and seeing triage patients coming in with obstetric emergencies. I'll also work in a clinic seeing patients and doing visits, follow-up and postpartum care. For gynecology, there will be office visits, annual exams, minor surgeries like hysteroscopies, D&Cs and salpingectomies."

Throughout her schooling and training, Baldwin has stayed in touch with Curesky, even coming back to Salve to participate in a panel discussion for pre-health students. She has been supported in her journey by a wide network of family, friends, colleagues and Salve classmates and teammates, most notably, her fiancée, Steven DeVoe '22, whom Baldwin met in a general chemistry class on their first day at Salve.  

She calls DeVoe, a biochemistry graduate, "the most supportive person ever," explaining, "Medical training means lots of moving. For us it was four times in five years – and we're moving to Rochester at the beginning of June."

DeVoe changed jobs several times as the couple moved around the country, working in a pharmacy lab, then a brewing lab, where he was able to combine his biochemistry background with a personal passion. He followed that path, working for a craft brewer in New London, Connecticut, and is seeking to continue his career in brewing in the couple's next move to Rochester.  

A Salve wedding to kick off the next chapter

In the fall of 2026, Baldwin and DeVoe will come back to Salve to get married in Our Lady of Mercy Chapel and celebrate with a reception in Ochre Court. "Salve is mutually one of our favorite places," Baldwin said. "The friends we made here are still our closest, and we spent some of the best years of both of our lives at Salve. It means so much for us to get married here. About half of the guests at our wedding are members of the Class of '22."