Governor Kay Ivey has issued a proclamation recognizing March 30 as “Doctors Day” in Alabama. The day is observed annually as a time to honor and recognize the physicians who care for their fellow citizens every day.

“The practice of medicine is a special calling, and those who have chosen the medical profession serve their communities with reverence for human life and individual dignity,” read the proclamation. “Physicians, from the specialist to the general practitioner to those who served in the Armed Forces, engage in years of study and training, endure long and unpredictable hours and often cope with the conflicting demands of work and family to serve the needs of their patients and communities.”

In honor of the day, some of Alabama’s doctors explained what drove them to pursue the field of medicine.

“I was a preemie when I was born and spent a lot of time at the doctor with asthma and bronchitis,” said Dr. Hernando Carter, a doctor of internal medicine in Birmingham. “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, chose medicine for a deeply personal reason.

“I grew up in a rural area of Alabama where our family doctor is the person who took care of us,” said Bradley. “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, said that she was certain from a young age that she wanted to be in the medical field.

“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.”

Austen Shipley is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News.