Alumnus Appreciates Westminster Education That Prepared Him for Medical Field

Phil became a pilot of a Cirrus SR22 in 2016, initially to commute to WVU and now for Phil and Amy to fly all around, including the Grand Canyon.

Like many Wildcats, Dr. Phil Saul '74 is recognized as a pioneer in his field. A highly respected pediatric cardiologist, Phil broke new ground in the '80s and '90s in the treatment of irregular heartbeats in children-he was the first physician to perform several minimally invasive cardiac procedures that are commonplace today. He's also a prolific author and innovator credited with more than 300 publications and eight patents. Now he's training the next generation of pediatric physicians as a professor at West Virginia University School of Medicine and an adjunct professor at Medical University of South Carolina near his home outside Charleston. When he has a moment to reflect on his more than four decades of medical research, teaching, and practice, Phil can see clearly how formative his time at Westminster was, and he credits the School with laying the foundation for his career.

"Westminster was a critical and integral part of my educational experience that allowed me to do the things in life that I wanted to do," Phil says. "My early exposure to science led to my interest in the science of medicine. Getting into a good college, succeeding there, getting into med school, getting into a science-oriented part of medicine, and being able to do research-all of that started at Westminster."

Phil enrolled at Westminster in sixth grade because his parents believed a more challenging course of study would keep him engaged in class-and they were right. Phil quickly recognized the difference in the level of rigor and resources available to him at Westminster and began to explore computers and other technology. When he enrolled at Duke as a physics major, Phil was able to finish his undergraduate degree in just three years thanks to the head start he got through Westminster's many Advanced Placement classes.

Alongside his formal education, Phil learned from his parents' example the importance of giving back. He saw his parents contributing their time and resources to support their community and the causes that were important to them, even when they had little to give. Today, Phil and his wife, Amy Davis, take a similar approach to planned giving, supporting the organizations that have touched their lives most: their synagogue and their schools. The couple set up a will bequest to Westminster in appreciation for how Phil's time at the School helped shape his life and career.

The advantage of a planned gift is you can do the things that you want to do when you're not quite ready to hand over assets, but once you're gone, it's a good way to make an impact," Phil says. "We chose to support the general needs of the School because the School has the best idea of what the needs are."

With direct experience in fundraising, both Amy and Phil know the impact planned gifts can have. Amy spent her career in fundraising development and worked to build a culture of philanthropy at their children's school through various leadership roles on the board. Phil has also taken on fundraising duties through the years, helping to raise $65 million for a new children's hospital at WVU and working with the fundraising board at MUSC to open a new pediatric facility.

In 2003, Phil received Westminster's Distinguished Alumni Award. Then, four years later, he was honored as a 2007 Thompson Science Hall of Fame inductee. During his visit to campus for the Thompson Science Hall of Fame ceremony, Phil had the opportunity to lead a few Upper School science classes through interactive sessions on heart disease. He was struck by how bright and engaged the students were and remembers that they weren't just interested in what they could do inside the classroom but focused on how they could apply their knowledge in the real world.

"Westminster was such a great challenge and opportunity for me, and today it has the same focus and the same intensity," Phil says. "We know our gift will provide ongoing resources for a school that continues to do great work."