by Shanon Weaver
“I feel like a room without a roof,” said Dr. Terre Quinn, her voice alive with energy and purpose.
At 63 years old, some might say she’s just getting warmed up. A celebrated oncologist specializing in breast cancer, she’s touched thousands of lives, blending precision and compassion in ways that inspire those around her.
Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Terre never imagined herself as a doctor, let alone a surgeon. But she attended Drake University, where she majored in biology – influenced by an older sister who was a nurse anesthetist. “She told me, ‘If you’re going into medicine, you’re going to be a doctor, not a nurse,’” Terre said.
Her path then led to Meharry Medical College in Nashville - a historically Black institution – rather than the University of Iowa.
“I chose Meharry over Iowa because, honestly, it wasn’t freezing,” she joked...but more importantly, Meharry had a history of shaping Black physicians, and Terre was drawn to its sense of mission.
Her interest in surgery blossomed in anatomy class, where her talent earned her a coveted teaching assistant position. Competition also played a role. Her boyfriend (at the time) and lab partner, destined to be a heart surgeon himself, ignited her competitive spirit.
“The athlete in me thought, ‘Oh, you think you’re better than me? Watch this.’”
But eventually landing as the first African-American woman in the University of Louisville’s general surgery program, Terre faced an unrelenting environment. “It was like Marine boot camp there,” she said. “They almost beat the kindness out of me.”
She remembers struggling to keep up, standing on her tiptoes to see over surgical tables raised to accommodate her much taller colleagues.
“Eventually, I became chief resident,” she said, “and then I got to decide how high the table went.”
During her residency, she met a mentor who steered her toward breast cancer surgery. The field was evolving rapidly, and Terre was intrigued. She joined Baylor Dallas’s fellowship program, the only one of its kind in the country at the time, and moved to Texas in 1994.
“I thought I’d stay a year. Thirty years later, here I am,” she said.
In Plano, she built a practice rooted in empathy and education. Influenced by her deep spiritual beliefs, her approach is equal parts science and soul. “People want compassion,” she said. “They want authenticity. I’m perfectly suited to be a vessel for that.”
Breast cancer awareness became her life’s mission. She advises patients to incorporate exercise into their routines, emphasizing the importance of enjoying it.
“It has to be something you love,” Terre said. “Otherwise, it’s just a chore.”
Terre credits her lifelong commitment to fitness for sustaining her through two pregnancies, career demands, and personal challenges.
Her advocacy extends beyond her practice. A sought-after speaker, Terre has delivered keynotes across the country, from Pennsylvania to Mississippi.
“I feel like I should be reaching the whole country, not just DFW,” she said. “I’ve always wanted my own show. I think I could pull it off.”
Her professional success is matched only by her personal growth. Whether learning to play the violin or stepping into the spotlight as a performer, Terre embraces reinvention.
“As long as you have breath in your body and a reasonable portion of health, there’s nothing stopping you,” she said.
Terre’s resilience stems, in part, from her belief in overcoming fear. As a young girl, her mother’s offhand comment that she had no talent planted a seed of self-doubt that lingered for decades. Today, she sees that moment differently and offers it as valuable advice to our readers.
“Talent isn’t something you’re born with—it’s something you craft,” she said. “Fear of failure and ridicule holds so many of us back. Let go of it, and you’ll be free to explore what’s inside you.”
Dr. Terre Quinn’s life shows the power of perseverance and reinvention. Whether lowering surgical tables, raising awareness, or learning a new skill, she’s living proof that life at any age is full of possibilities. “What’s next?” she said, pausing for a moment. “I don’t even know. But I feel like there’s no ceiling to what I can do. I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be, and the best is yet to come.”
We can’t wait to see what she does next!
Comments