Gov. Ivey Declares March 30 “Doctors Day” in Alabama, Doctors Share Stories of Why They Became Physicians

Gov. Kay Ivey has proclaimed March 30 as “Doctors Day” in Alabama and doctors are celebrating the occasion by sharing personal stories about why they chose medicine for their profession.

In a video released by the Medical Association of the State of Alabama, several doctors say as they were growing up it was their own doctors who inspired them.

Dr. Hernando Carter, a doctor of internal medicine in Birmingham: “I was a preemie when I was born and spent a lot of time at the doctor with asthma and bronchitis. I know when I went to the doctor she would give me a breathing treatment, help me feel better and she’d give me a lollipop. So when I was 4 years old I said, ‘That’s a cool job. You get to help people feel better and give them candy’…I give my patients a lollipop at the end of every visit just as kind of an homage to her.”

Dr. Tonya Bradley, a primary care doctor in Auburn: “I grew up in a rural area of Alabama where our family doctor is the person who took care of us. When I was around five my dad was diagnosed with cancer and spent a whole summer in the hospital and I was there a lot, and I was really just touched by the physicians and the way they cared for our family.”

Dr. Brittney Anderson, a family medicine physician in Demopolis: “My parents say that I’ve been saying I wanted to be a doctor since I was six years old and I never changed my mind…Really the desire to help people and to make people feel well and be well is at the core of why I practice medicine and I think why I’ve always wanted to practice medicine.”

For these and other Alabama physicians, caring for patients is at their core. Physicians entered the practice of medicine to care for patients, to be their patients’ strongest ally, and to give personal attention to those they are honored to treat. 

Doctors Day is observed annually as a time to honor and recognize the physicians who care for Alabamians every day of the year.

Gov. Ivey’s proclamation notes that about 17,000 physicians are licensed to practice medicine in the state, and “those who have chosen the medical profession serve their communities with reverence for human life and individual dignity.” 

To read the Governor’s proclamation, click here.

To watch the video, click here.