Article Feature: Molly Schuler
I grew up in a very Irish family in Peoria and I’m the younger of two children. My brother is only 11 months older and we have always been very close. My dad owned and operated a pharmaceutical manufacturing company while my mom held down the fort at home. I grew up within biking distance of my paternal grandparents and 20 of my first cousins so there was a lot of family around. I also spent a lot of time at my maternal grandparents' farm in Tiskilwa, Illinois, about an hour north of Peoria. It was that farm and charming small town that made me realize I wanted to move out of the city someday.
Thankfully, that was a goal also held by my husband of 21 years, Rick. Having grown up on a dairy farm in Wisconsin, he too, preferred the country. We now live about 10 miles outside Peoria and have found it to be the perfect place to raise our 17-year-old twins, Kaitlin and Connor, our 15-year-old son, Brendan, and our 11-year-old daughter, Bridget.
Growing up, I was most influenced by my dad. He stressed the importance of hard work and definitely taught that lesson by example. Although he worked long hours, he always made it clear that family came first. His family values, ability to remain calm in a crisis and his personal mantra, “don’t be average,” have always been an inspiration.
I started my employment at QJHPC in June of 1996 after almost a decade of working as an RN and charge nurse in intensive care units in both Springfield and Peoria. At first, I did a little medical-legal consulting for QJHPC on the side at home while working in ICU; but with 3-year-old twins and a 1-year-old at home, my available time became scarce. It was a tough decision to leave the hospital entirely, but I couldn’t be happier that I decided to focus on my work as a medical-legal consultant. I thoroughly enjoy the in-depth case analysis, research and medical variety thrown my way on a day-to-day basis. The attorneys I have been privileged to work with were very patient in realizing that, although I knew my way around the medical issues, I was relatively naïve when it came to the legal process and terminology. Their mentoring, especially that of Murv Pretorius, has allowed me to gain the knowledge and understanding necessary to accurately evaluate medical issues within the context of building a solid legal defense.
If I was not working at QJHPC, I would be… designing home furnishings and interiors (probably further supported by working in an ICU somewhere).
Some things you may not know about me:
~ I paid for half of my high school tuition at Spalding mowing lawns and teaching swimming lessons.
~ I love snow, waterskiing and I still play basketball (and occasionally soccer) every chance I get.
~ I really wanted to be a journalism major but opted for job security.
