The Power of Saying Yes: A Journey of Performing Surgeries on All Seven Continents
A trailblazer in the medical field, Dr. Jane Arbuckle Petro is the 2025 Thomas B. Hagen Dignitas Award recipient. Now a plastic surgeon and educator with over 20 years of practice, two books, 73 peer-reviewed publications, and a plethora of international medical missions under her belt, Petro got her start in Pennsylvania, gaining her master's degree in the second graduating class of the new medical school at the time, Penn State University at Hershey in 1973. From her humble beginnings, she knew the meaning of hard work, using scholarships and loans to pay for school and working as an antiques dealer for
extra cash.
It's her humility and empathy that drives her work as her career spans across the public and community service sectors, serving otherwise underserved communities. A distinguished plastic surgeon, she used her skills to volunteer at Blythedale Children's Hosptial, providing care to cleft lip and palate patients on Medicaid. She also was a champion for HIV-positive patients during the AIDS crisis, advocating for their care.
She has held various leadership positions and numerous firsts: the first woman plastic surgery resident at Hershey in 1978, the first microsurgical hand reattachment in Pennsylvania in 1978, the first woman professor of surgery at New York Medical Center in 1996, and was on the first all-women crew in the Marion to Bermuda Race on the vessel Cassiopeia. Harboring a passion for sailing, Petro captained or crewed sailboats from 1970 to 2025 on national and international trips. Outside of her retirement from surgery, she's taken on the position of historian and educator, highlighting the work of often unidentified women doctors in the 19th century. Her achievements and continued drive to serve others are what earned her the Thomas B. Hagen Dignitas Award, which is awarded to individuals with ties to the region who have achieved greatness in their fieldand made a lasting impact on society.
Date/Time: Tuesday, October 14, 2025 7:00-8:30PM
Location: Jefferson Educational Society, 3207 State St, Erie, PA 16508
Admission:
- General Admission (Early Bird Pricing) $25
- Preferred Seating (Early Bird Pricing) $50 (Closest Section Near the Stage)
Additional Fees: Amusement Tax, Processing Fee
Parking: TBD
Dr. Jane Arbuckle Petro graduated from Florida Presbyterian College (now Eckerd College) in 1968 with a strong foundation in both science and critical thinking. Though initially focused on becoming a “philosopher scientist,” a challenge from a former classmate led her to pursue—and succeed in—medical school at Penn State, launching a distinguished 40-year career in academic plastic surgery.
As one of the few female surgeons of her time and an out lesbian in a conservative profession, Jane overcame widespread sexism and societal expectations. Her internal strength, deeply rooted in the values and community she found at Eckerd, helped her navigate medical training and a changing personal life, including coming out during the early AIDS epidemic. This pivotal moment led her to care for patients others rejected, becoming the AIDS general surgeon at a Catholic hospital in New York.
Throughout her career, she remained committed to healing, whether reattaching limbs in emergency settings or teaching others the history and human impact of the AIDS crisis. Jane credits her well-rounded liberal arts education—including literature and history—for helping her understand the complexities of life and medicine.
Now retired, she remains engaged with Eckerd College through philanthropy, mentorship, and teaching. Jane's enduring message to students: embrace the power of community—and the freedom to be yourself.
