HealthLinks Charleston Jan/Feb 2023

MEN WI N HEALTH www. Char l es tonPhys i c i ans . com | www.Hea l thL i nksChar l es ton . com | 35 As a child, did you think you’d be where you are today professionally? Throughout most of my early life, I planned on being a veterinarian. Growing up, I had cats, frogs, hamsters and even a hedgehog that I wound up taking to medical school. In my studies, I eventually realized that there would be times that people couldn’t afford to do something for a pet, so it would have to be put down, or a pet would have to go through an intense chemo treatment, and it couldn’t understand what was happening. I didn’t see those limitations in human medicine to the same degree. How would you describe your journey to becoming the doctor you are today? I never thought of going into gastroenterology. In fact, I struggled with GI tract issues when I was younger, and I remember thinking, “Why would anyone go into this field? Who goes into a field that deals with poop?” But I really wanted to go into a field that helps women, and it became clear that the best way to do this was to go into a field that doesn’t have many women. Describe the moment or time of life you decided to have a career in medicine. As part of my internal medicine training, I rotated in gastroenterology. I loved the mix between getting to see patients and using my procedural skills. Females on average have longer colons, which tend to be packed into a smaller body cavity. This creates more twists and turns and a longer procedure. You have to be very efficient. Describe a moment you felt like giving up. Why didn’t you? This is a field with a lot of sacrifice, and you need to be passionate about it. I’m fortunate that I love what I do, and I can’t imagine doing anything else. Even if I had the chance to go back in time and choose a different career, I would keep choosing gastroenterology again and again. Dr. Lori Robbins PALMETTO DIGESTIVE Charleston 843-571-0643 palmettodigestive.com Photo by Jenn Cady.

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