Celebrating Black History Month with Dr. Kendale Dixon
February 23, 2023In celebration of Black History Month, we are spotlighting a handful of our Black physicians who have chosen to share their healthcare journeys with us.
Dr. Kendale Dixon is a hospitalist with Internal Medicine Associates in Opelika. In this profile, he talks about why he pursued the medical field, what he learned from his mom, and what Black people can do to take better control of their health.
Dr. Dixon earned his B.S. in Biology from Georgia Southern University in 2015 and his M.D. degree from the Medical College of Georgia in 2019. He then completed his internal medicine residency at the Morehouse School of Medicine in 2022 before joining IMA as a hospitalist at EAMC.
On the motivating factor to become a physician:
The thing that initially drew me to medicine was the problem-solving aspect of it. Being able to use the knowledge that I gained in order to make a positive impact in the lives of my patients is something that I am thankful for every day.
On who inspired him along the way:
The person who inspired me the most in my life is my mother. She’s the hardest working person I know.
On the challenges that African Americans face because of being at higher risks for conditions such as heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes:
I definitely feel as though we can take better measures to control these risk factors such as regular follow-up with a primary care physician, changes in diet, and taking prescription medications as prescribed. I do realize that socioeconomic and genetic factors do play a role in the disparities that we see, but I believe it is important to do all that we can to minimize this.
