Every physician’s journey begins with a profound “why” — a driving sense of purpose behind years of rigorous training and dedication to the field of medicine. For many medical residents, this purpose is shaped by personal experiences, a desire to heal, or a commitment to serve underserved populations. Physicians and medical students who attended the SCMA’s annual meeting in April shared the “why” that defines their career path and fuels their pursuit of excellence in patient care.
Kathryn Ann Potter, MD
Medical College of Georgia, satellite site in Aiken
Chair, SCMA Young Physician Section
My “why” is I love taking care of patients and getting up every morning, knowing I will remove some skin cancers and take care of those and treat those for the patients. Also, I work with residents and medical students; teaching those learners is part of my job that really gives me joy.
Marion R. McMillan III, MD
The Synergy Spine Center, Seneca, S.C.
My “why” is to give glory to God for the skills that He has given me to care for His people. Without the calling, there are plenty of ways to make a living. I love being a diagnostician; I love having an answer; I love extending myself on behalf of others.
Alina Smoleva
Medical University of South Carolina (AnMed Health)
I grew up in a small town in Russia, and the closest doctor to us was 30 minutes away by bus… I moved to the U.S. and went to college where I developed an interest in the human body and pathologies. I had the privilege to apply to medical school, where it became my passion for helping rural communities and lower income communities. That is why I took the AmMed route with MUSC. I get to work in Anderson and more rural communities. This work and the free clinic is what I want to continue doing after med school.
Adarsh Shidhaye
USC School of Medicine, Greenville
I knew I wanted to be a doctor since I was a child. My mom did primary care with a small practice in Greer, South Carolina; now I go to medical school in Greenville, which is 10 to 15 minutes from where she practiced. Seeing her interact with patients and knowing the tangible impact that she had on our community’s health every day inspired me. … I wanted to pursue a dermatology residency because I’ve always been a visual learner. To see someone’s skin, examine it, come to diagnosis, and then treat a patient right there in in office — or long term — with chronic medical management is something that appeals to me.
Shelby Smith
USC School of Medicine, Columbia
My “why” in medicine has developed over the years, but it boils down to patients and the interactions with them. I get to know them every day; it’s fun being in clinic, seeing the same patients every three months, six weeks, six months and getting to know them and their families. I like being able to make a difference in their everyday lives and making it easier for them, helping them on their journey.
Cecily Kauffman
USC School of Medicine, Columbia
My “why” goes back to me being a nurse previously and wanting to be able to effect change with patients and have the entire scope of care. I want to be able to have the ablility to open my own free clinics, or other types of clinics, so I wanted to expand my scope. Being a doctor is exactly what I want to do.
Jeff Cashman, DO
Family Medicine, VCOM – Carolinas Associate Dean for Pre-Clinical Medical Education
President-elect, SCMA BOT
Two of my “whys” are standing next to me because I’m in medical education. Doctors Miles Scott and Mark Jones are offering wonderful care and training other physicians to be family physicians who offer care in rural areas. Another “why”: I once heard a speaker say, “Think about someone, the last person you came across — not a family member or friend, but someone at a gas station or someone who served you food. Understand that each one of those people need health care. Everyone you come across needs health care, and we need to be able to have the physicians in our state to offer that care.”
Matthew Germroth
USC School of Medicine, Columbia
My purpose for medicine really comes from where I grew up; I grew up in rural South Carolina. I lived in a very small town where there were not a lot of resources or opportunities. The greatest impact came from family physicians who moved to that area, worked there, and took care of the people there.
Lawson Logue
USC School of Medicine, Greenville
I want to be a physician because I want to give back to my community in the same way that physicians gave back to me throughout my life.
Ryan Garbalosa, DO
Cardiologist, Grand Strand Medical Center of Cardiology
District 11 Trustee, SCMA
My “get out of bed” is that I just love the field of cardiology, and I love teaching and explaining things to my students, residents, and my patients. I love taking something that is really important — even scary for people — and just breaking it down to more simple terms that they can understand, put them at ease, and get them better the best that I can.
