Dr . Dixon is ready to practice
By Keegan Harris
Dr . Blake Dixon is a young doctor with a few years of experience and a lot of years of inspiration . Planning to operate family medicine , the eastern Kentucky native finally finished his residency in June and had been enjoying a break .
Finally filling in as a full-fledged physician , Dixon says he looks forward to taking charge and helping those in need , and the autonomy granted by finishing one ’ s resume .
“ The last seven years , I ’ ve either been in a classroom or I ’ ve always had somebody kind of looking over my shoulder with everything ,” he said . “ I ’ m finally starting to learn my own way of practicing .”
However , he admitted that was also part of what he was dreading . “ Now that I don ’ t have anybody looking over my shoulder ...” he said and laughed . The load would be a lot bigger , and the responsibility would be his .
Medical science moves fast , and laypeople can often feel fear of the unknown when heading into the doctor ’ s office . Elderly patients in particular have trouble trusting a young doctor .
“ Medicine ’ s always evolving ,” said Dixon . “ I just reassure them that I ’ m definitely trained . And I will always have their best interest at heart . Anyone can make a mistake . But if I ever make a mistake , I let them know .” Dixon can also relate to people when it comes to fast-changing science . Starting his residency just a few months before the pandemic took its grip , he remembered how it felt for everything to suddenly change . “ When I started , these masks weren ’ t a thing ,” he said . “ Everything ’ s changed due to COVID . It hit right when I started my first year of residency and training . I got about a half a year of seeing what it used to be like , and now it ’ s completely changed the game , and at this point I don ’ t know if it ’ s ever going to change back .”
Dixon said that the new regulations and wearing masks gave everything a different “ feel .” However , Dixon feels he ’ s prepared for what lies ahead and he feels he can thank his inspiration for that .
Dixon ’ s mother was an LPN working long hours at a psych ward .
“ Watching her get up and help people everyday , that was definitely my biggest inspiration ,” Dixon said . “ She ’ s a saint . I don ’ t know how she did some of the things she did .”
Dixon also remarked on his time growing up . He always felt he had a knack for the subject of biology — anatomy in particular .
“ Math would feel like homework , but biology wouldn ’ t . I ’ d actually really enjoy reading it , and I ’ d pass the whole day by ,” he said . “ In grade school and college , I always really leaned more towards science and biology . It kinda fell in place that this would be the right field for me .
“ And I wanted to be somewhere where I could help people . I know it ’ s kind of a clichéd answer ,” he said with a laugh . “ At the end of my life when I look back , I would want a job where I can say ‘ I really made an impact on people ’ s lives .’”
Dixon said he loves the community and could not have thought of a better place in which to pursue a career in medicine .
“ This place reminds me of home . The people here are so genuine . They ’ d give you the shirt off your back . That ’ s kind of one thing that really drove me to Lake Cumberland ,” he said . “ A lot of the older physicians that especially worked in the residency , they ’ ve almost become mentors to me . They ’ ve definitely made the process a lot easier .”
However , Dixon may have his work cut out for him working in Lake Cumberland . Dixon is one of two Dr . Dixons and has to explain to patients that there is no relation . “ I get that question three or four times a day ,” he said .
24 • SEKY - Life in Southeast Kentucky September 2022