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WHY I BECAME
A DOCTOR
‘Understanding why things happened
and how I could improve them’
By Brent Jackson, DO
“Why did you become a doctor?” is a question I receive much that medicine offered the opportunity I was looking for, with the
more often than I expected. Most commonly, the underlying added benefit of making a meaningful difference in people’s lives.
inquiry relates to changes in medicine and whether I think prac-
ticing medicine is worth all the “red tape.” I appreciate the ques- But what about all the changes in medicine? While more of
tion because it causes me to reflect upon why I undertook the my time is spent dealing with insurance companies and regula-
years of training and effort to become an orthopaedic surgeon. tions on how to run my practice, I still see my job as embracing
the same simple concept: help people meet their goals of a
I’ve always believed a job or profession is something to be en- healthy and active lifestyle. Although the main focus of their
joyed and appreciated. Growing up, I learned from my father, a treatment is the art and science of medicine, I see these additional
geologist, what it meant to love a job. I never recall hearing him changes and hurdles physicians must conquer as pieces of one
complain about his job, the long hours, or problems with clients. connected puzzle in treating a patient. I am emotionally moved,
It was obvious he looked forward to work each day and relished sometimes almost visibly, when I see my patients recover and
what he did. I never let myself imagine the possibility of not en- able to get back to the life and activities that they love. It’s like
joying my profession, whatever that might be. a runner’s high; it keeps me coming back for more.
As a young adult, my passions and interests fueled my vision And, now, I am at that point I envisioned many years ago.
for any future job. I considered ideas as varied as being a marine Each day I wake up with my three wonderful kids, who see me
biologist saving coral reefs, to coaching basketball, teaching kids enjoy my job and look forward to each day of work. It is then
to love a game that meant so much to me. Then, as I headed to that I truly realize that all is right, and the years of training were
college, a theme emerged in my search for a profession as I found worth the effort, as my kids see what it means to be passionate
myself constantly curious about how things work. While this about a profession.
initially led me to engineering, which may seem very different
from medicine, I believe the common thread for me was to un- Brent Jackson, DO, is an orthopaedic surgeon at his
derstand why things happened and how I could improve them. practice in orthopaedic hand and upper extremity sur-
During college, I took a job with St. Joseph’s Health System as a gery, Jackson Orthopaedics in San Antonio.
physical therapy tech and wound care specialist and discovered
20 San Antonio Medicine • May 2015
