Lessons Learned On The Tennis Court Translated Into Success In Life and Medical Career For Seiverling
8/17/2020 1:30:00 PM | Women's Tennis
AMY MERCER
University Communications
Dr. Elizabeth "Vinny" Seiverling ('01) says the tennis court is a sacred space.
"It's a life-long sport," she said. "One where you practice, so you can be a better player and a better person."
Skills like self-control and time management were honed during Seiverling's time on the courts at the College of Charleston and continue to serve her well as the Director of Dermatology at Maine Medical Center in Portland, Maine.
She recently received the "Innovation in Teaching Award" for teaching dermoscopy to primary care physicians. Her work aims to improve early detection of skin cancer in the primary care setting, with the ultimate goal of reducing melanoma death rates (sixth highest in the nation) in Maine.
At 38 years old, the former women's tennis student-athlete is the youngest division director at the medical center and credits much of her success in medicine to her playing career at The College.
From a young age, Seiverling knew she wanted to be a doctor. She also wanted to play professional tennis – two careers that don't seem to have much in common. But, according to Seiverling, they do.
"Sports build confidence," she said. "Tennis taught me to have short-term memory, because you have to learn to lose a point and keep going. That confidence is invaluable in life."
After graduating from high school two years early, she was recruited by the University of Tennessee, one of the top NCAA Division I women's tennis programs in the country, and a university where sports are embedded in the culture.
"I wanted to be a pro player and a doctor, but it wasn't possible at UT (where students practiced six hours a day, which left little time to study)," Seiverling said.
Prior to her junior year, she transferred to CofC, where she found that, "you are treated as a student first, and then an athlete."
Director of Tennis and Women's Tennis Head Coach Angelo Anastopoulo takes pride in his players being as successful in the classroom, as they are on the court. The team's average grade-point average was a 3.5 in Seiverling's first year with the Cougars.
Serving as team captain, she played No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles for two years and earned All-Southern Conference First Team honors in 2000 and 2001. She was the top-ranked sociology student at The College in 2001 and was inducted into Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, before graduating summa cum laude.
"(Coach) Angelo cultivated a sense of being a whole person," she said. "What's great about college athletics is that they don't take the joy out of the sport. They care about you as a person. The passion, drive and determination you learn, will make you successful in any future career."
After graduating at the top of her class from the Penn State University College of Medicine, Seiverling was accepted into the competitive internal medicine internship program at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. From there, she was accepted into one of dermatology's top residency programs at the University of California, San Francisco.
After her time in the Bay Area, she worked as a physician and professor in Washington state and Pennsylvania, before moving to Maine. Seiverling also worked abroad to improve access to dermatology services for patients in in Mexico, South Africa, Guatemala and Myanmar.
"Vinny was the epitome of the perfect recruit," Anastopoulo said. "A great athlete, fierce competitor, strong student, she strived to make an impact on the world. She played our top singles position and was always a source of inspiration for her teammates. I often think of her wicked sense of humor, too. Although she was one of the most talented players in the country, she always kept herself humble and was down-to-earth from Day One. Her successful medical career is certainly not a surprise."
Despite her busy schedule, Seiverling still makes time to get out on the courts. In 2012, she won the 30-and-over United States Tennis Association (USTA) National Hard Court Singles Championship and finished the year as one of the Top 3 singles players in the U.S.
She has also been teaching her 6-year-old son, Aster, and 4-year-old daughter, Linden, to play on the red clay court at the family farm in Pennsylvania – making sure she imparts the invaluable lessons she learned from Coach Anastopoulo at The College.
Your support helps to mold and develop the lives of our student-athletes, so they can achieve success and make a difference in their communities after graduation. For more information, log onto: https://cofccougarclub.com or contact The Charleston Athletic Fund by phone at: (843)953-8255 or e-mail at: cougarclub@cofc.edu
University Communications
Dr. Elizabeth "Vinny" Seiverling ('01) says the tennis court is a sacred space.
"It's a life-long sport," she said. "One where you practice, so you can be a better player and a better person."
Skills like self-control and time management were honed during Seiverling's time on the courts at the College of Charleston and continue to serve her well as the Director of Dermatology at Maine Medical Center in Portland, Maine.
She recently received the "Innovation in Teaching Award" for teaching dermoscopy to primary care physicians. Her work aims to improve early detection of skin cancer in the primary care setting, with the ultimate goal of reducing melanoma death rates (sixth highest in the nation) in Maine.
At 38 years old, the former women's tennis student-athlete is the youngest division director at the medical center and credits much of her success in medicine to her playing career at The College.
From a young age, Seiverling knew she wanted to be a doctor. She also wanted to play professional tennis – two careers that don't seem to have much in common. But, according to Seiverling, they do."Sports build confidence," she said. "Tennis taught me to have short-term memory, because you have to learn to lose a point and keep going. That confidence is invaluable in life."
After graduating from high school two years early, she was recruited by the University of Tennessee, one of the top NCAA Division I women's tennis programs in the country, and a university where sports are embedded in the culture.
"I wanted to be a pro player and a doctor, but it wasn't possible at UT (where students practiced six hours a day, which left little time to study)," Seiverling said.
Prior to her junior year, she transferred to CofC, where she found that, "you are treated as a student first, and then an athlete."
Director of Tennis and Women's Tennis Head Coach Angelo Anastopoulo takes pride in his players being as successful in the classroom, as they are on the court. The team's average grade-point average was a 3.5 in Seiverling's first year with the Cougars.
Serving as team captain, she played No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles for two years and earned All-Southern Conference First Team honors in 2000 and 2001. She was the top-ranked sociology student at The College in 2001 and was inducted into Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, before graduating summa cum laude.
"(Coach) Angelo cultivated a sense of being a whole person," she said. "What's great about college athletics is that they don't take the joy out of the sport. They care about you as a person. The passion, drive and determination you learn, will make you successful in any future career."
After graduating at the top of her class from the Penn State University College of Medicine, Seiverling was accepted into the competitive internal medicine internship program at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. From there, she was accepted into one of dermatology's top residency programs at the University of California, San Francisco.
After her time in the Bay Area, she worked as a physician and professor in Washington state and Pennsylvania, before moving to Maine. Seiverling also worked abroad to improve access to dermatology services for patients in in Mexico, South Africa, Guatemala and Myanmar.
"Vinny was the epitome of the perfect recruit," Anastopoulo said. "A great athlete, fierce competitor, strong student, she strived to make an impact on the world. She played our top singles position and was always a source of inspiration for her teammates. I often think of her wicked sense of humor, too. Although she was one of the most talented players in the country, she always kept herself humble and was down-to-earth from Day One. Her successful medical career is certainly not a surprise."
Despite her busy schedule, Seiverling still makes time to get out on the courts. In 2012, she won the 30-and-over United States Tennis Association (USTA) National Hard Court Singles Championship and finished the year as one of the Top 3 singles players in the U.S.
She has also been teaching her 6-year-old son, Aster, and 4-year-old daughter, Linden, to play on the red clay court at the family farm in Pennsylvania – making sure she imparts the invaluable lessons she learned from Coach Anastopoulo at The College.
Your support helps to mold and develop the lives of our student-athletes, so they can achieve success and make a difference in their communities after graduation. For more information, log onto: https://cofccougarclub.com or contact The Charleston Athletic Fund by phone at: (843)953-8255 or e-mail at: cougarclub@cofc.edu
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