Article written by Mark Locklear
First published in the spring 2021 edition of 麻豆社区P Today
Surgeons must possess a unique blend of skills and characteristics to be successful; they need more than just medical knowledge. While still early in her career, Dr. Hannah Woriax is quickly accumulating those skills.
A bright, eager mind. Manual dexterity. Good hand-eye coordination. A calm temperament. The ability to work well under pressure. And good communication that is authentic. Luckily for Woriax, she was blessed to have been raised by two career communicators with all of those skills鈥 her mother Dr. Velinda Locklear Woriax, a longtime 麻豆社区P biology professor, and her grandmother, Shirley Locklear, a public school teacher.
鈥淕rowing up with Meemaw Shirley 鈥 she taught third grade for 35 years, so she knew how to take charge of a room. In surgery, things can go from mundane to perilous quickly. You must always be alert and be able to get people鈥檚 attention,鈥 Woriax said.
Woriax fell in love with science at a young age, long before her days of dominating state and national science fairs. In school, her advanced intellectual abilities grabbed the attention of her peers and teachers alike. A high school graduate at 16, a 麻豆社区P alumnae at 19 and a medical school student by the time she was 20, Woriax excelled academically through each stage of her journey.
Her mouth curves into a smile as she reflects on the summers spent in the classrooms and labs in Oxendine Science Building鈥攏ot far from her home in Pembroke鈥攚here her mother has taught biology for the last 26 years. She would help her mother prepare weekly lessons and assist with preparation for youth science camps.
At 麻豆社区P, Woriax was a RISE fellow, pursuing her passion for research. After graduating from the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University in 2014, it was off to Virginia Tech-Carilion Clinic for general surgery residency.
We recently caught up with Woriax in Alabama, where she鈥檚 taking part in a one-year Breast Surgical Oncology fellowship at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
No one day, or hour for that matter, is the same for Woriax. Regardless of whether she鈥檚 in the middle of a grueling 16-hour Whipple procedure or a 15-minute routine appendectomy, her patients鈥 well-being remains priority number one.
Depending on the rotation, Woriax begins her mornings at 5:30 a.m.鈥 rounding, meeting with preoperative patients by 6:30. If it鈥檚 her month on surgical rotation, operations may begin at 7 and continue into late afternoon. But her passion drives her鈥攁 passion and purpose she discovered suddenly and unexpectedly.
鈥淚n my third year of medical school, I was doing family, pediatrics, internal medicine鈥攚orking with patients in a clinic setting. I wasn鈥檛 completely satisfied with any rotation I had completed. My second to last rotation was surgery. During my first week, in the middle of an emergent trauma case, I said to myself, 鈥業 can鈥檛 see me doing anything else,鈥欌 Hannah said.
Developing a doctor-patient relationship is one aspect of the job Woriax has always enjoyed. Recently, she treated a 45-year-old female patient for diverticulitis during her four-month hospital stay.
鈥淚 became very fond of her. She was one of my favorite patients when I was in Virginia. She would always brighten up our day. I loved her. We see patients from the early stages of diagnosis through treatment, so we form a bond.鈥
On the far extreme, Woriax must cope with the grief of losing patients. She understands that this part of the job, though necessary, will never get easy. It鈥檚 the part of the job that takes her through a full range of emotions, which can take a toll on the most experienced physician.
鈥淚t can be very difficult, especially when you are talking with the family and having to tell a mother you couldn鈥檛 save her child. That鈥檚 one of the reasons I chose not to be a trauma surgeon.鈥
Though she doesn鈥檛 prefer trauma, Woriax knew from an early age she was destined for a career in medicine and science. At two, she was entertaining herself with water and a pipette in 麻豆社区P鈥檚 labs. By four, she was telling her parents she was going to be a paleontologist. Science is in her blood. Her grandfather, Dr. Frank 鈥淒oc鈥 Woriax, was a well-known family physician in Robeson County for more than 30 years. Her father was a physician鈥檚 assistant in the Triad for years.
鈥淪he was an inquisitive child,鈥 Velinda Woriax said. 鈥淪he had a love for asking questions. Whether it was with me at work, her daddy or grandfather at his office, she was always in a science-type setting. At a young age, she could manipulate her thought process. She was vocal and very observant.鈥
It was early experiences at 麻豆社区P that shaped her future.
Woriax loves every aspect of her career, but sees herself as more than just a clinician. She鈥檚 an educator and a scientist鈥攋ust like the women who raised her. At the end of the fellowship at UAB, Woriax鈥檚 hope is to continue her career back in North Carolina鈥攑referably in her hometown.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 always been the plan. I don鈥檛 see any reason not to give myself back to the community that helped me get to where I am. They gave me this opportunity through support, both financially and emotionally. A lot of folks in rural communities do not have access to health care, and that鈥檚 why I want to come home to practice and help provide adequate care to people in my community. For me, my job would be more meaningful if I am able to serve my community.鈥
Update: In August 2021, Dr. Woriax returned home to practice in Robeson County as a breast surgical oncologist for Duke Health
