Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Randy Hines II.
Hi Dr. Hines II, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Growing up in Port Arthur, TX being a physician was never at the forefront of my mind. As a young adolescent, I had interests that ranged from being an FBI agent to working for NASA. However, there was one thing that my mind never wandered away from. The sciences. There is something in the beauty and art of science that has always peaked my interest and amazed me. Being a physician allows me to see this beauty on a daily basis along with the combination of helping people. I witnessed this firsthand when I attended my HBCU Prairie View A&M University. During the summer of my freshman year my school was able to take a tour of three Texas medical schools and with that exposure, I was able to see a world of science I hadn’t been exposed to before. Consequently, I decided to pursue a career in medicine that eventually lead me to the University of Louisville School of Medicine after completing my Master’s program in Biology. After completing medical school, I matriculated to residency and completed my family medicine training at Atlanta Medical Center. Without the influence of my professors at my HBCU and my parents I know that I wouldn’t have been able to achieve the goal of becoming a physician.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The road to becoming a physician was not an easy one to say the least. It is common knowledge that it takes a tremendous amount of time and energy to have the letters DR in front of your name. However, you don’t know much it takes until you are actually in the fire and trust me the fire is lava hot! Becoming a physician takes a lot out of you mentally and physically. I have known individuals in medical school who have been diagnosed with depression, anxiety, and hypertension all because of being in medical school. The mental toll for me included the challenge of studying for long hours, failing tests, and finding a way to not only understand but also memorize the vast amount of information that was thrown at us on a daily basis. Medical school is often described as drinking out of a fire hose that is turned all the way up. You either drink the water or choke on it. Items that would take us two weeks to learn in undergrad we were reviewing in two days and moving on to the next topic. It’s a sink or swim environment. Your body and how you feel overall also changes. Physically medical school affected me by creating muscle tension, a sense of unrelenting fatigue, and the addition of a few extra pounds. At times I could literally feel the weight of the world on my shoulders. However, this made me realize the importance of exercise which helped me to release this tension. It also helped me to shed those future extra pounds that were sadly replaced with extra pounds of student loans.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I have always had a knack for finding a way to get out my creative juices. Along my journey of to becoming a physician, I have found two ways to accomplish this. The first way was to write an educational medical thriller entitled Appendicitis. The book aims to entertain and educate the reader while they are on an exciting journey with the protagonist of the story. During the pandemic, I turned my attention away from writing and turned it towards podcasting. I started my podcast called On Call with Dr. Randy. The goal of the podcast is to provide individuals with health information and stories that they can use in their everyday lives. Topics have included colon cancer screening, erectile dysfunction, eating a plant-based diet, and skin care treatments. Recently, I started a mini-series entitled “I”m Too Young for This Ish.” In the series, I interview individuals who have been diagnosed with conditions early in life that made them say I’m too young for this ish. I aim to be the trusted source that people can count on to educate them about common medical topics.
What’s next?
My eventual goal is to find a way to get more of my creative juices. This includes screenwriting, more books, and possibly trying my hand in comedy. Items such as these take me on a path away from medicine and allow me to get a break from health care as well as a different type of fun.
Contact Info:
- Website: drrandymd.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_drrandy/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HinesEntertainment
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-randy-hines-ii-37a58320b/
- Linktree: https://linktr.ee/HinesEnt
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/_DrRandy
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5mNitudf0S1NvvlthzoHzA
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@_drrandy
Image Credits
Keith Saunders
