March Physician Spotlight: Hannah Flory, MD

Who or what inspired you to become a physician?

I was always interested in science from very early on. I was fortunate enough to be at a school that offered anatomy classes with dissection in high school. That really got me interested in anatomy and physiology. Through college, I shadowed physicians, particularly surgeons, where I was able to apply the anatomy and physiology I had learned to help out people in times of need. I was always interested in that perspective, which helped me be interested in surgery. One of my grandfathers was a small-town pathologist who was also a source of inspiration. He taught me how rewarding it could be to help your community.

Briefly describe a "peak experience" from your career: interaction with a mentor, memorable patient, etc.

Most surgeries I do are a one-time interaction with the patient, sometimes meeting them in the emergency room. I operate on them, then send the patient on their way. There is a recent one that is more memorable. A young woman in her forties was diagnosed with colon cancer in the emergency room. She didn’t know about it until she came in with a bowel obstruction. I got to know her and her family during that hospital stay, which required surgery and several conversations about the future treatment of her cancer. I placed the port for her chemotherapy and saw her several times throughout her treatments. I was able to recently remove her port, which was an amazing moment for her. That was a recent great experience.  

What led you to become involved in the El Paso County Medical Society?

My husband and I moved here a little over two years ago and didn’t know anybody in the medical community. I had been previously practicing in the city where I had done my medical training, and I had a community to network with and seek advice from. We were looking for the same kind of community here in C/S. One of his partners worked very closely with EPCMS and got us involved. We have been able to meet a lot of people through it.  

What led you to become involved in the EPCMS Membership Engagement Sub-committee?  

It had to do with just starting to go to the meetings. I didn’t recognize many people at the social events—a lot of the people from my own hospital were not there. Talking to my colleagues, many did not know that it was a part of our medical community. I think it is a good way to get people involved who would not otherwise know about these networking or educational opportunities in our town.

What advice would you give to physicians-in-training who are just starting their careers?

The biggest piece of advice is to pick something you really enjoy doing. It takes a lot of your time and can be a frustrating job at times. Often, it is worth all that frustration, but you need to be excited to go to work every day when you may have a tough or long day. It takes you away from your other obligations, family, or hobbies. It can be hard to push through if you are not loving what you are doing.  

What do you enjoy doing outside of medicine?

Right now, I have a two-year-old who keeps me very busy. Besides that, I like to read fiction. I like to do yoga and explore the Colorado Springs hiking trails with my family.