Hometown Brandon - Fall 2015

A Lifetime
Commitment
Melanie McMillan
Dr. Richard Randolph
has been practicing medicine
in Brandon for 30 years–
and has no intentions of
quitting any time soon. . .
Please tell us about where you grew up and your
childhood in Mississippi.
I grew up on a Panola County cotton farm in North Mississippi.
My dad is a retired engineer who worked at Tallahatchie Valley
Electric Power Association in Batesville, and my late mom taught
science and home economics classes at the junior high and high
school level. My identity was shaped by a viable rural community
with enviable simplicity and camaraderie, led by men and women of
faith. I was gainfully employed in my early years by my uncle on the
farm. It was understood that I would ultimately run my grandfather’s
farm which he started in the 1930’s along the edge of the
Delta in the Yocona River lowlands. That all began to change
during my junior year in high school when I contracted pneumonia
and spent a considerable amount of time with Dr. Edward Steward,
our family doctor in Batesville. He suggested that I would find his
vocation both challenging and rewarding, and he asked me to give it
some serious thought.
Why did you decide to become a physician?
This was an insidious process that required a great deal of
transformation from my childhood aspirations. While I dearly
loved working with the soil, I couldn’t help but appreciate what my
doctor did for me in high school. I began to think of the great
privilege it would be for me to be able to help people in such
situations. As I began my undergraduate work at Mississippi State, I
discovered that I actually enjoyed the challenge to understand the
complexities of biology and chemistry. It was during those years that
my relationship with my God began to take center stage, and the
intrigue and privilege became a calling.
What are some of the common illnesses you treat?
I’ve been a family doctor in Brandon for all of my 30 years in
practice. As a result, I’ve walked many long roads with quite a few
folks. We treat patients who have a wide variety of acute and chronic
diseases. We do lots of wellness exams and routine immunizations.
We treat patients from school age to geriatrics. A big story in our
community over the years has been Merit Health Rankin (known as
Rankin General Hospital in 1985 when I moved to Brandon) and
its valuable contribution to our community. In addition, the Jackson
metro area has continually provided a wide array of consultants.
Hometown Brandon • 15