By JANET STOICA

This is the second in a series of articles about local immigrants and their lives in the United States, why they came, how they lived, and what their outlook is about this country.

In 1992, after winning a green card lottery held by the Polish government, medical students Beata Stancel-Grabias and her husband, Piotr Grabias, took those green cards and made their way to the United States of America. Their destination was Atlanta, Georgia. Their newborn son, Michael, was their most precious carry-on parcel when they boarded their jet to America. Their goals were to become medical doctors in the United States.

“In Poland, at the time, becoming a doctor was certainly not as comparable as it was in America,” said Dr. Stancel-Grabias. “Medical students were assigned via contacts made in the governmental bureaucracy. It was very difficult and career advancement was very challenging. The economy was not in good shape. My husband and I decided to try to make it here in America. If we failed then we would return to Poland.”

The couple found jobs as medical assistants in an Atlanta medical practice. As English grammar was taught to them since elementary school in their native country, they did have a basic start on their new country’s language, which improved during their employment and patient interactions.

“We always seemed to become acquainted with Americans who helped us along the way. We felt so very fortunate. We decided to take our medical boards, passed those boards, and were accepted into the medical residency program at UMass Medical School in Worcester. We had to prove ourselves and felt that more doors would be open to us if we studied hard and applied ourselves to our ultimate goal. This is the only country in the world where you can do this. If you work hard and focus on your objective, you can do anything and be anything,” Dr. Stancel-Grabias said.

“It was a very long and challenging road but we did it. We were very privileged to have the help of our parents who came to the U.S. to help with caring for our children. They took care of our children while we studied at the local library. We were in that library on a daily basis, we persisted. We knew what we wanted and we wanted to be a success.” 

In 2000, Dr. Stancel-Grabias and Dr. Piotr Grabias became U.S. citizens. Dr. Stancel-Grabias related that knowing the English language was most important to passing the 120-question test. She also mentioned that since medicine’s universal language is Latin-based, it was a defining factor in their medical education classes. When some days became frustrating and they were weary, the couple coped by lifting each other’s spirits and just kept going. They certainly persevered.

“If it weren’t for communism, we’d never be here,” said Dr. Stancel-Grabias. “The land of opportunity, America, welcomed us. I’ve always tried to be an optimist but sometimes life can be demanding. We’re glad that we took the chance to come to this country as we couldn’t be happier.”

After their graduation from UMass Medical, Dr. Piotr Grabias was offered a practice in Framingham. Then, word came that Hubbard Hospital (now known as UMass Memorial Health/Harrington Hospital) in Webster was searching for a Polish-speaking physician. 

Dr. Grabias visited the hospital, toured the town of Webster, liked the environs, and told his wife that this location would be a good choice. Even though Atlanta was calling them back, they opted to stay in New England. After Dr. Stancel-Grabias completed her schooling one year after her husband’s graduation, Hubbard Hospital also offered her a position to take over a retiring doctor’s practice. It was a daunting situation to be in but she was able to transition and make it all a success.

In 2004, Dr. Beata Stancel-Grabias and her husband, Dr. Piotr Grabias, established their internal medicine practice in Webster and have become well-known and revered by their patients. Their practice is very busy but they do accept new patients. Because of their superior academic achievements while at UMass Medical School, both doctors were offered professorships at UMass Medical School where they still teach students about internal medicine to this day. 

“I always see many young patients and young students everywhere,” said Dr. Stancel-Grabias, “and it’s so difficult to even get into medical school. I tell them that if you put your heart and hard work into something, you will always succeed. Anything is possible. It might not happen right away but it will happen. Never stop dreaming and reaching towards your goal. I always worked hard and was never easy on myself. I do always see the glass as half-full. Life can be hard but when we overcome we can appreciate when life is good.”

"Remember, remember always, that all of us, and you and I especially, are descended from immigrants." –Franklin D. Roosevelt