Jewish News: Where were you educated?
Edward Karotkin: I earned my Bachelor of Science degree at Union College, Schenectady, New York; and attended medical school at Wake Forest, formerly Bowman Gray School of Medicine.
JN: What was your work history?
EK: I have been on the faculty of EVMS since 1978 in the department of pediatrics and division of Neonatal/Perinatal Medicine.
JN: What brought you to Tidewater?
EK: The opportunity to join a relatively new medical school and participate in its growth. Also, the weather and Jewish community.
JN: When did you retire?
EK: I stopped seeing patients actively this past July 2022. I’m still teaching, interviewing prospective pediatric residents, and doing some medico-legal consulting.
JN: What convinced you to take the leap?
EK: It was time, I will be 80 in a few weeks.
JN: Did you have a plan for what you would do with your time?
EK: I do have a plan: pursuing more time sailing, working in my metal studio at home, and spending more leisure time with family.
JN: Do you plan to spend more time with your grandchildren and did they impact your decision?
EK: Spending more time with grandchildren did impact my decision to some degree.
JN: Even when you worked full-time, you did a lot of volunteer work…both fascinating medical trips and general assistance with local organizations…Jewish, medical, and others. Do you plan to continue?
EK: I do plan to continue volunteer work, but probably not as much as I did a few years ago.
JN: Do you have any days just to relax? If so, what do you do?
EK: No real days set aside to relax. I like being busy. A few hours a day to read is great.
JN: You’re a sailor. Do you plan to take more and longer trips?
EK: We do plan to take more trips. We have a 46-foot sailboat and plan to take a few 10–14 day trips up the Chesapeake Bay this summer.
JN: What about travel? Do you and Betsy hope to travel more often?
EK: We do hope to travel a bit more, although we are perfectly happy to be home. Often the best part of a trip is coming back to our home.
JN: What has been a favorite destination?
EK: We have probably two favorite destinations: Skiing out west in Aspen or Park City—although we have “hung up the skis.”
I will give my relatively new ski boots to my son. Not sure he wants the one-piece outfits, although they will probably come back in style.
JN: In general, are you glad you retired? Do you miss working?
EK: I am happy I retired. I had a great career and think retiring at age 79 represents a pretty good run. I enjoyed my time as a neonatologist but can’t say that I am sad or miss getting up in the middle of the night to see a sick baby.
JN: Do you feel any healthier? Less stressed?
EK:I feel great and never really felt stressed in my job as a physician.
JN: Do you have any advice for someone considering retirement?
EK: My only advice would be to make sure you have interests to keep you occupied during your retirement years and have enough savings to enjoy this period in your life.
JN: Last comments?
EK: One of the best choices Betsy and I made was to move to Tidewater in 1978 and start a career here and become involved in our Jewish community. The area has proven to have just about everything we could wish for in a community.