In this inspiring episode of Why I Teach, Dr. Christy Lawson, a trauma, critical care, and acute care surgeon at ETSU’s Quillen College of Medicine, reflects on her journey from a rural community in Georgia to the operating room and classroom. Blending stories of family, mentorship, and personal growth, Dr. Lawson reveals how formative experiences—from learning through storytelling with her grandfather to assisting in surgery during a mission trip in Honduras—ignited her passion for medicine and teaching. She discusses the emotional complexities of surgical training, the power of individualized mentorship, and the importance of nurturing students as whole people.ETSU Quillen College of Medicine: https://www.etsu.edu/com/ETSU Health: www.etsuhealth.orgETSU Department of Surgery: https://www.etsu.edu/com/surgery/ETSU Great Lecture Series: https://www.etsu.edu/etsu-news/2025/01-january/great-lectures-feature-handy-herrmann-lawson.php Transcript: Dr. Christy LawsonJust knowing people is one of the most important parts of teaching. When you know them as an individual, you can help them tap into the things that renew them.Provost Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkleHi, I'm Kimberly McCorkle, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at East Tennessee State University. From the moment I arrived on this campus, I have been inspired by our faculty, their passion for what they do, their belief in the power of higher education, and the way they are transforming the lives of their students. This podcast is dedicated to them, our incredible faculty at ETSU. Hear their stories as they tell us "Why I Teach."In this episode, we will talk with Dr. Christy Lawson. Dr. Lawson is a trauma, critical care, and acute care surgeon and professor of surgery at ETSU Quillen College of Medicine. She was born in Ringgold, Georgia, and grew up learning the values of faith, integrity, hard work, drive, passion, and service to others from her family. Her mother went back to nursing school when she was in high school, and she remembers doing her homework during night school anatomy classes. This influence, a few key teachers, and a strategically placed surgical mission project in Honduras inspired her to work hard and open the horizon of medical school.Dr. Lawson obtained her college degree at Berry College, and then attended the Medical College of Georgia before landing in surgical residency at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. She trained there for residency and fellowship, and spent the first several years of her surgical practice there prior to moving to Johnson City and finding her home at ETSU in 2018.She was recently part of the ETSU Great Lecture Series, which is a celebration of our amazing faculty who have recently been promoted to full professor. Her lecture was inspirational, and I really look forward to my conversation with her today. Enjoy the show!Dr. Lawson, welcome to the show. I start my podcast with the same question for every guest. Take me back to your first day of teaching at ETSU as a faculty member. Looking back on that day, what's one piece of advice that you would have given yourself?Dr. Christy Lawson That first day was so different than anything that I'd really experienced before. And I was nervous because I'd never really left the place that I trained. And I think I would have told myself to just be myself and to not compare, because I think that was the hardest part for me, was coming in, not knowing what to expect and sort of comparing it to what I had done in the past. The students are different. The environment was different. The patients were different. The people that I worked with were different. And so I think that would have probably been what I would have told myself. Just take a breath. Don't compare and be yourself.Provost Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkleYeah. Great advice. Let's start with your story. You grew up in Ringgold, Georgia, with a powerful example of service in your family. Ca