The following is an excerpt of an interview with Dr. Cynthia Shepherd from local “Neighbors of Oconee Magazine.”
No matter where life has taken me, Oconee County has and will always be home. As a physician, I can’t think of a better place to treat those in need.
My parents, Wayne and Cindy Lester, raised me and my twin sister, Elizabeth Johnson, in Watkinsville. I attended Oconee County High School, which first sparked my interest in becoming a doctor. My AP Biology teacher, Betty Jo Wallace, was phenomenal and really helped establish my interest in the human body and medicine.
Around that same time, my grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s dementia. Visiting her frequently and seeing the excellent care she received really solidified my desire to want to help others. I wasn’t sure what my specialty would be, but I knew I wanted to be a physician.
After graduating from the University of Georgia with a degree in microbiology and marrying Brad Shepherd, my high school sweetheart, I attended medical school at Medical College of Georgia. My first inpatient rotation was internal medicine, and I was able to see all the different subspecialties firsthand. That’s when I realized my passion was in the field of Hematology/Oncology. This subspeciality allows me the opportunity to really get to know not only the patients but their entire family. It also is a field that is exploding with cutting-edge research and targeted treatment that allows me to offer patients more personalized treatment instead of a one-size-fits-all all approach.
It’s really a commitment when you’re taking care of these patients. It’s not just one visit. You see them through a course of treatment and beyond into survivorship. For months and years to come, you’re their doctor, and they trust you to drive the ship. It’s definitely a long-term relationship that I cherish tremendously.
My husband, Brad, and I completed our Internal Medicine residencies and fellowships, respectively in Advanced Gastroenterology and Hematology/Oncology, at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee. This is where we started our family, but Oconee County is a very special place to both of us, and we chose to move back home, practice medicine here, and raise our kids in the community. Today, I’m able to practice my passion for Oncology at University Cancer & Blood Center at both the Oconee and Athens locations.
The Comprehensive Cancer Center in Athens is definitely a dream come true for the practice. A lot of people in the community think if they get a cancer diagnosis, they need to go to an academic center in Atlanta or MD Anderson in Texas. At our Comprehensive Cancer Center, they can receive best-in-class care and a breadth of services all in one place. UCBC offers Medical Oncology, Radiation Oncology, Breast Oncology, Surgical Oncology, Colorectal Surgery, Gastroenterology, palliative care physicians’ services, social work support services, primary care, and a multidisciplinary approach with surgeons including breast, colorectal, and surgical oncology. Additionally, imaging, cutting-edge research, and clinical trial options are available for our patients. We have a pharmacy in-house where patients have the convenience of getting all of their medications before they go home. Our comprehensive cancer care management team helps manage a patient’s physical and emotional needs. And there’s so much more.
It was a wonderful opportunity for me to move back home and practice at a community practice, University Cancer and Blood Center, that provides almost all the same services as a larger academic medical center without needing to drive or fly a far distance.
Breast cancer can affect one in eight women. As I get older, I see family, friends, and members of the community facing breast cancer. Some are even diagnosed at a young age. For me, it’s important to let everyone in the community know how simple it is to get a mammogram. Screening mammograms can catch the disease early and lead to a cure, hopefully preventing the long-term repercussions of a late diagnosis.
Another quality I love about University Cancer & Blood Center is the fact we continue to grow with the community. In addition to our locations in Athens, we have eight satellite locations throughout Northeast Georgia. One of the reasons we’re experiencing such growth is that we have more patients in need of care. We haven’t found a cure for cancer, but treatments are improving! Patients are living longer with cancer. We are turning it into a chronic disease that patients can live well with. Thus, the need for more space to treat cancer patients comfortably and this is a good need to have.
Treating and caring for members of my hometown is truly an honor. I’ve grown up with many of these patients and families and have known them from a young age. The Oconee community is like a family. When I’m not seeing them as patients, I’m cheering alongside them at Georgia football games, playing tennis, golf, pickleball, and working out at the gym.
I’m grateful my extended family resides here, too. We live in the North Oconee School District. Our children, Emory and John Parker, are blessed to have both sets of grandparents nearby. My sister, Dr. Elizabeth Johnson, practices internal medicine in the area, and we’re fortunate to have a close relationship with her and her family.
Yes, Oconee County is home, and home is where the heart is. It’s a privilege to put my heart into my profession and experience such a wonderful life in this truly remarkable place.
