With a longstanding desire to help others, Terri Ellen Bigler, MD, briefly considered entering the field of law before settling on pursuing a career path in health care. She felt that being a doctor would allow her the greatest amount of opportunities to help others. In 1992, she graduated from the School of Medicine at the University of Nevada, Reno with a Doctor of Medicine and went on to be licensed to practice medicine in the state of California in 1994. Since 2000, Dr. Bigler has been an internal medicine specialist and pediatric doctor with Dignity Health and the Dignity Health Medical Foundation. As a hospital doctor, she works on a rotating schedule that sees her working from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days in a row before having 10 to 16 days off.
With Dignity Health, Dr. Bigler has brought her expertise in internal medicine, pediatrics, gastroenterology and women’s health to several different hospitals, including Mercy General Hospital, Mercy Hospital of Folsom and Mercy San Juan Medical Center. She has also spent time as the medical group coordinator for the Dignity Health Medical Foundation. Between the years 2000 and 2016, Dr. Bigler provided outpatient internal medicine services in the city of Roseville, California, and upon the conclusion of this tenure, the town newspaper, The Roseville Press Tribune, voted her the Best Doctor of 2016, something she cites as the highlight of her career.
In addition, Dr. Bigler was the recipient of a “Distinguished Doctor” recognition in 2016 and had previously been named to the Top 10 Internal Medicine Doctors in Roseville, California, by Vitals Consumer Services, LLC in 2014. Between 2005 and 2012, she was featured in America’s Top Doctors by the American Registry and was also honored with a Most Compassionate Doctor award in 2009, 2011 and 2012. A distinguished Marquis listee, Dr. Bigler has been named both a Marquis Who’s Who Top Professional and a Marquis Who’s Who Industry Leader, as well as presented with the Marquis Who’s Who Humanitarian Award.
In order to keep abreast of new developments in her field, Dr. Bigler maintains affiliation with a number of professional organizations. These include the American Board of Internal Medicine, the American College of Physicians and the Sierra Sacramento Valley Medical Society. Furthermore, she donates her expertise to future generations of medical students as a member of the advisory committee for the physician assistant program at the University of the Pacific. Dr. Bigler notes that the most important lesson she has learned throughout her career is to listen to her patients, and she would advise young and aspiring professionals to do the same, as patients will always tell you what they need.
Dr. Bigler attributes much of her success to her religion and faith, which have buoyed her during difficult times. She is also deeply grateful to have had the support of her late husband, a political adviser in the United States Department of State who directly advised several presidents, and her business mentor, Thomas Cinque, a former chief executive officer. As she looks toward the future, Dr. Bigler intends to remain active in the field of medicine but to transition into roles that will allow her to have a less demanding schedule.
Above everything, Dr. Bigler loves her patients and knows that her patients can feel that. Genuine care and compassion make all the difference when it comes to providing quality health care. When she is not working, Dr. Bigler enjoys spending her free time reading, playing the piano and traveling.
