By: Decker Lavely and Dillon Mastromarino

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In 2015, Dr. Marylin Fudge was attending at Bayfront Baby Place when a woman began experiencing labor complications. The baby began to stress due to a constricted birth canal and although residents administered an epidural injection, the woman was still suffering through delivery pains. After 18 hours of labor and an impending C-Section, Dr. Fudge entered the delivery room with the competency of a seasoned professional. With nearly two decades of medical experience behind her, Fudge took immediate control of the room and remained a pillar of support for the mother-to-be, resulting in the laborious, successful, birth of a baby girl.

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Dr. Marilyn W. Fudge is the first African-American female obstetrician-gynecologist to open a private practice in St. Petersburg. The St. Petersburg native graduated from Lakewood High School in 1985. During high school, Dr. Fudge joined the marching band and became a member of the National Honor Society among other academic organizations. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida in microbiology followed by a Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Florida College of Medicine in 1998. 

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After graduation, Dr. Fudge was recognized as an outstanding resident of the year during her obstetrics and gynecology residency at Bayfront Health. In 2002, she started working in private practice and later accepted a position as the assistant medical director for women's services at the Community Health Centers of Pinellas Inc. and worked with the not-for-profit for seven years. In 2012, Dr. Fudge became the assistant program director for the OB-GYN residency at Bayfront Health and received a master’s of health administration from the University of South Florida. She is currently the director of the obstetrician-gynecologist residency at Bayfront Health and an examiner for the American Board of OB-GYN. Dr. Fudge is also an active member of the Zeta Upsilon Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, a sorority for college-educated African American women who organize various community programs in St. Petersburg.  

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Sources:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/marilyn-fudge-08963689

https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1998/08/02/fudge-finishes-uf-medical-school/ 

https://www.tampabay.com/archive/2004/10/24/good-for-you/

https://www.healthgrades.com/physician/dr-marilyn-fudge-yhv75