HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Susan A. Terry, M.D., did not take a traditional path to medicine—and that experience is at the heart of a new scholarship she has established at the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine. 

After beginning her career as a nurse and spending years away from the classroom, Terry returned to academia to pursue a long-held dream of becoming a physician. Her husband, the late John R. Shannon, M.D., was on a parallel journey of his own. Already a practicing physician, he returned to Marshall during Terry’s medical school years to pursue a master’s degree, driven by a lifelong love of learning. 

Those shared experiences—and the opportunities Marshall provided at a pivotal moment in their lives—ultimately inspired the creation of the Drs. Terry & Shannon Scholarship, a renewable scholarship that supports entering first-year medical students who enter medical school after an alternate career. 

“John and I have always felt a deep sense of gratitude to Marshall University and the School of Medicine,” said Terry, who graduated from Marshall’s medical school in 1984. “Our time there truly changed our lives. We were both returning students who had been away from the academic world for several years. For me, the chance to fulfill a dream of becoming a physician after a career in nursing was an unbelievable gift. For John, already a medical doctor but with an insatiable interest in education, the opportunity to earn a master’s degree from Marshall while I attended medical school was an opportunity he never anticipated but cherished.” 

Following graduation and an internal medicine residency in Florida, Terry spent ten years in private practice. The couple’s journey took them to Salt Lake City, Utah, following graduation. Terry’s career reflected the same commitment to growth and service that defined her return to medicine. She practiced clinically and later held senior leadership roles, including serving as executive medical director of the University of Utah’s Primary Care Group, where she led innovative, team-based approaches to patient care. 

Shannon, meanwhile, spent decades practicing medicine before returning to Marshall University to study English literature. A lifelong learner, he continued taking courses well into his later years until his passing in October 2024. 

For more information or to make a gift to support the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, please visit give.marshall.edu/project/31785 contact Linda Holmes, associate dean for development and alumni affairs, at 304.691.1711 or holmes@marshall.edu. 

Date Posted: Thursday, February 12, 2026