March 30 is National Doctors Day, and it’s the perfect time to show our appreciation for the doctors who treat us.

On March 27, Gov. Kay Ivey signed a proclamation declaring March 30, 2019, the Fourth Annual Doctors’ Day in Alabama. This day formally recognizes Alabama’s nearly 17,000 licensed physicians serving millions of residents through private practice, in hospitals, in research, and in other health care facilities.

Doctors’ Day in Alabama is a project sponsored by the Medical Association of the State of Alabama, the Alabama Department of Public Health and the Alabama Hospital Association to celebrate physicians serving in our communities.

Doctors spend years learning, training and sacrificing to obtain a medical degree. For all of them, it’s more than a job; it’s a vocation. But for some of them, it goes beyond that to a selfless calling. I can think of no better example of this “selfless calling” than Dr. Barry Collins.

Dr. Collins says he was an Air Force “brat,” who was born at Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines. Because his Dad was in the Air Force, they have lived in several other places before finally settling here in Alabama.

Collins graduated from Pell City High School and went on to get his undergraduate degree at University of Alabama. He then continued his education at the UAB School of Medicine, which is also where he did his residency, specializing in Internal Medicine.

Dr. Collins said he chose Internal Medicine because, “I love knowing how the whole body interacts, how one part of the body affects the other. I want to see the whole picture.”

When asked what he loves most about being a doctor, he said, “I love the long-term relationships that include the patient’s family because one person’s medical condition affects the entire family.” He also said, “I prefer quality to quantity. Rather than trying to see more patients every day, I’d rather spend more time with each patient, getting to know them and developing that relationship.”

He added, “being a doctor isn’t what I do. It’s what and who I am. I really believe if you’re doing what you love, it’s not ‘work,’ it’s pleasure. And I love coming to the office every day. For me, the very best thing is knowing I’ve made a difference in someone’s life.”

The thing he likes least about being a doctor is the financial stress involved for both the patient and the doctor. He said, “some patient needs are postponed or not met at all because of that. It’s frustrating to know there are financial restraints for both patients and their doctors.”

When their new facility adjacent to the Publix shopping center is completed, Pell City Internal and Family Medicine will be able to do more diagnostic testing in the office. They will have their own lab and will be able to do some nuclear testing, like stress tests.

Dr. Collins stated three things he wishes all his patients would do:

• “Educate yourself on health and wellness. I want you to be proactive in your health care, to understand how your body works and how and why I’m treating a condition you have.”
• “Realize the importance of taking care of yourself. That includes eating properly, getting some exercise, getting enough sleep, getting your routine checkups.”
• “Be honest with you doctor. I can’t treat you effectively if you’re not telling me the ‘whole story.’”