Smith Scholar Spotlight

Regina M. Milteer, M.D.

Regina M. Milteer, M.D. started earning teacher of the year awards in 1994 when she won the Golden Stethoscope Award from District of Columbia General Hospital. Since then the Fairfax County pediatrician has earned similar accolades from Virginia Commonwealth University of Medicine, Dewitt Army Hospital and Inova Fairfax Hospital for Children.

“The main thing I enjoy in my career is teaching students,” Milteer says. The Suffolk native and Hampton University graduate, earned her M.D. in 1979 from the VCU School of Medicine. She is medical director of general pediatric inpatient service at Inova Fairfax Hospital for Children and director of the pediatric clerkship at VCU’s Inova Campus of School of Medicine. She also is an associate professor of pediatrics at VCU School of Medicine, University of Virginia School of Medicine and Howard University College of Medicine.

Milteer attended medical school with help from a Florence L. Smith Medical Scholarship, which “took away the load of worrying about paying for medical school... Having the scholarship made me feel special.” Milteer recalls earning $5 each for giving physicals at a Richmond-area hospital. Having the scholarship let her “cut back on my hours and concentrate on my studies.”

While in a pediatric residency at Howard University, Milteer discovered her passion – working with abused and disadvantaged children. “My love and desire is to work with those who cannot help themselves.” In that role she has testified before Congress, worked on committees, written articles and made countless presentations. All her volunteer activities center on children’s health issues ranging from asthma to immunization and child neglect.