Their pathway to the Gorge was a journey shaped by the pursuit of clinical
excellence, service to humanity and love. As a youngster who grew up in
Oregon, Timothy Gobble could never imagine he would meet his future wife,
Claire in medical school. But that is exactly what happened when both
were studying to be physicians at Loma Linda University (LLU) School of Medicine.
“She was in her third year and I was in my second, and we worked
on some projects together,” Tim recalls. The couple realized they
had much more in common than just a shared quest to become physicians,
and soon were engaged. Claire finished one year ahead of Tim but spent
an additional year studying. They married the day after they graduated
medical school.
After graduation, they completed residencies—Claire at Family Medicine
of Southwest Washington in Vancouver, and Tim at Providence Portland Medical
Center. But they were inspired by the medical missions that first Tim,
and then Claire, performed overseas while still in medical school.
“When I was in pre-med, I did a mission in Nigeria with Loma Linda
doctors and was very impressed,” he says. “I was inspired
by that.” After his first year of medical school, he was given the
opportunity to do another mission and went to Papua New Guinea. “I
thought, with all the opportunity that I have been given, I wanted to
give back to do something similar if given the chance.” Then he
met Claire, and by the time they were finishing medical school and about
to marry, they both went to Malawi and completed a month-long rotation
at Malamulo Adventist Hospital before graduating and enjoyed it. Claire
thought, “It would be great if there was an opportunity for us to
do a longer commitment in Malawi.” They put themselves on a list
of physicians who were willing to spend five years abroad, caring for
those less fortunate in third world countries.
Before finishing his residency, Tim got a call from the head of LLU. “He
asked if we wanted to go to Malawi,” he recounts. “It was
very appealing because we could go do some teaching, as well as hands-on
care. Claire wasn’t interested in doing surgery and would only be
doing clinic work and consults in the hospital, which is what she prefers.”
The couple arrived in Malamulo, Malawi in May 2016.
“It was a challenge working in such a small busy hospital,”
notes Claire. Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world and
while there, the couple saw many patients with HIV, tuberculosis, malaria,
typhoid, parasites, hypertension and diabetes. Heart problems were particularly
common, and the country’s only cardiologist had left three months
before their arrival. In response, Tim opened a heart clinic. “There
was only a handful of internal medicine doctors in the country, and local
physicians were not trained in using heart medications properly. I was
able to teach them ultrasound and medications to manage many heart conditions.
That was very rewarding.” Claire worked primarily providing women’s
health services and pediatrics, and oversaw the renovation of the hospital’s
neonatal ICU. As their five-year commitment was ending, it was time for
the couple to decide on the next chapter in their life together.
“I remember when we were dating, Tim used to tell me how amazing
Oregon was and I would just roll my eyes,” says Claire, who was
raised in Redding, CA. “When I finally did come to visit, I had
to agree with him. Having been so hands-on during their medical mission
in Malawi, the couple knew that when they returned to the U.S., they wanted
to do more than juggling consultations on cases. “That meant we
should be in a more rural setting,” Tim notes. When Tim’s
brother moved to the river and the Gobbles visited him, the couple agreed
the Gorge would be a great place to live. “When I saw the opportunity
at Mid-Columbia Medical Center, we felt it would be a good fit for us.”
That was in February 2021 and the couple has since moved here to begin
their new lives together. Tim is joining MCMC as a hospitalist, and Claire
will be joining MCMC Family Medicine Clinic.
“We are excited to bring our unique experiences to the MCMC medical
community,” Tim states. “We know from experience that when
you are in a smaller community, you rely on each other. We are pleased
to take ownership of our new roles and to be part of the MCMC team.”
Claire adds, “We like to connect with our patients and see the value
of long-standing relationships. Medical conditions are often driven by
social or psychological aspects that need to be addressed, along with
any underlying medical issues. We are enthusiastic about getting to know
our patients and working with them to find solutions to their health problems.”