Ethel Finck


Ethel Jean Finck, M.D., was an American interventional radiologist, credited as one of three women founders of the Society of Interventional Radiology in 1973. She was also the inventor of the Finck cardiac catheter.

Early life

Born in Los Angeles, Ethel Jean Eng had congenital heart disease and underwent surgical repair as a teenager by Dr. John Kirklin at the Mayo Clinic. Her experience launched her interest in cardiovascular disease and medicine from an early age.

Career

Finck spent her entire career, from internship through professorship, at the University of Southern California (USC) Medical Center, and eventually spent four decades on the USC faculty.
In 1973, she joined 56 other founding members to establish the Society of Interventional Radiology. She was one of three women among the founding members, along with Helen Redman and Renate Soulen.

Selected publications