ContentsCover Story<strong>Anna</strong> <strong>Kay</strong> <strong>Duckworth</strong>, M.D.Home is Where the Heart isDr. <strong>Anna</strong> <strong>Kay</strong> <strong>Duckworth</strong> considers ita privilege to instruct her hometowncommunity on the importance of skinhealth.3Departments8 Practice Management10 Augusta History16 Travel19 News, Events,OpportunitiesShould We Stay or ShouldWe Move?By Roger W. Davis, RegisteredLandscape Architect,Davis Design GroupCaring for theClaustrophobic Patient714By Sherri HallumsPresident Barack Obama’s Prescriptionfor Health Care Reform:Not What the Doctor OrderedBy: Rep Paul Broun, M.D. (GA-10)13
<strong>Anna</strong> <strong>Kay</strong> <strong>Duckworth</strong>, M.D.Home is Where the Heart isMentoring NeighborsWhen <strong>Anna</strong> <strong>Kay</strong> Wiggins was enrolled at the University ofGeorgia she relied on resources of the people she had grownup around to help guide her path further in life. <strong>Anna</strong> <strong>Kay</strong>,entertaining medicine as her career path, wanted to makesure her dream of developing into a knowledgeable physiciancould balance out with her dreams of also one day becoming agreat wife and mother. Before committing to medicine <strong>Anna</strong><strong>Kay</strong> arranged to shadow Dr. William Byars, ob/gyn, and Dr.Charles Shaefer, internal medicine. She had known themboth for several years at First Baptist Church Augusta throughher involvement in the youth department. As Dr.’s Byars andShaefer mentored <strong>Anna</strong> <strong>Kay</strong> Wiggins her medical world beganto form more concretely. She became aware of the fact thatpracticing medicine would allow her to care for people in a waythat demonstrates God’s love. In some way, even small, shecould make an impact to better their lives.Being completely confident in her medical career choice,<strong>Anna</strong> <strong>Kay</strong> also wanted a female perspective on a medical career.She enlisted the advice of Dr. Cheryl Newman who works as aphysician in infectious disease. After shadowing Dr. Byars andShaefer, and through many talks with Dr. Newman, <strong>Anna</strong> <strong>Kay</strong>Wiggins’ sights were set and medicine became her goal.It only seemed natural for <strong>Anna</strong> <strong>Kay</strong> to enroll in her hometownmedical school because of its exemplary reputation; she appliedto the Medical College of Georgia and was accepted for August2000.Third year is the charm<strong>Anna</strong> <strong>Kay</strong>, in her third year of medical school, knew sheloved her chosen field of medicine, but her specialty wasstill one of indecision as she worked through the rotationsrequired. One day while working with Dr. Frank Carter, afamily practitioner in Waynesboro, Georgia, he suggestedto <strong>Anna</strong> <strong>Kay</strong> the field of dermatology because of her interestin a procedural field and her desire to work with patients ofall ages.<strong>Anna</strong> <strong>Kay</strong> began to investigate dermatology. In her research,she discovered dermatology would be an avenue to work allfacets she envisioned for her medical choice. It offered her theopportunity to meet her strong desire towards pediatrics, oncea career consideration. She would be able to see patients, bothadult and children, for general check-ups in the office and stillbe able to perform procedures and basic skin surgery. The fieldlends itself to variety and each day brings new patients withvery different diagnoses. Interacting with patients in a personalway was important to her. Visually seeing the improvementin a patient’s condition was gratifying. <strong>Anna</strong> <strong>Kay</strong>’s mind wasmade up and she knew being a dermatologist was exactly herright choice.It had been while <strong>Anna</strong> <strong>Kay</strong> was at Georgia, her senior year,she happened to meet Patrick <strong>Duckworth</strong>. Patrick, a youngman from Starkville, Mississippi, was employed in Atlanta.They dated in her early years of medical school, but it was inher third year that they became engaged. They were marriedin her forth year of medical school in March 2004. In March2008, their first child, Ella Reyn, was born.May/June 2010 CSRA <strong>MD</strong> Journal • Page 3
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