Dr. Barbara K. Estes went to medical school and did her Internship at George Washington University and completed her Residency at George Washington University Medical Center, finishing in 1997. She came directly to Calvert and opened Calvert OB/GYN Associates of Southern Maryland, eventually being joined by classmate Dr. Michelle Johnson.
They closed Calvert OB/GYN in November, 2016 and joined Calvert Physician Associates’ Calvert Women’s Center, now CalvertHealth OB/GYN. “I know how to run a practice, but I really wanted to focus on patient care. With CalvertHealth OB/GYN, I can turn over the administrative piece and spend my time taking care of my patients. That’s why I went into medicine in the first place.”
Dr. Estes always knew she wanted to be a doctor, but didn’t decide on obstetrics and gynecology until medical school. “I knew I liked taking care of people, especially women, and I liked doing complex and challenging things. OB/GYN was a perfect combination of surgery, and medicine. And I get to deliver babies!”
Dr. Estes and her husband have enjoyed their time here in Calvert. “We chose Calvert because I wanted to go where they needed doctors. In Montgomery County and DC, there are doctors everywhere. In Calvert, there was a real need.
“It doesn’t hurt that it is surrounded by water and is a great place to raise a family. My son is in college now, but he is still friends with the kids he met in kindergarten. To live and practice medicine in Calvert, you have to be comfortable running into people you know, including your patients. I really like people, so I’m ok with that.”
In addition to her busy patient schedule, Dr. Estes is the current Chair of the Obstetrics department at CalvertHealth Medical Center. She completed her MBA from Johns Hopkins in 2010 and has become a key proponent for the Project Lead the Way Biomedical Sciences program, a collaboration between Calvert Memorial Hospital and Calvert Public Schools. The program gives local high school students an opportunity to get hands-on experience working in healthcare, progressing through rotations in biology, general medicine, surgery and obstetrics and gynecology and shadowing doctors and other medical professionals at the hospital. “Our goal is to connect students to real-world experiences and people, giving them a chance to find out about jobs that may be interesting to them.”
Dr. Estes sees both obstetric and gynecologic patients in her office in Prince Frederick. “With my gynecologic patients, we focus on overall wellness and lifestyle – diet and sleep, for example. And I love working with my OB patients. It’s such a happy time, whether it’s the first or the fourth time.”