By Pat Lawrence
Lori Hawkins |
For such a petite person, Lori Hawkins takes life in big bites. A
high school scheduling error put her into journalism class.
She turned it into a career. She worked on the newspapers in high
school and college. During her junior year at Bethany College, she
interned at the Williamson Daily News in Mingo county, accepting the
scholarship they offered if she would come back as a reporter. Three
years after graduation, she was city editor.
“We had dental insurance there, and I had jaw surgery and got
braces to improve my bite. I was fascinated by what the orthodontist
and oral surgeon did.” She came to Parkersburg to join her fiancée
and start work as a features editor at the Parkersburg News and Sentinel.
Then, she took the steps to a new career, taking science classes at
WVUP. “I took 8 hours of class and worked 40 hours a week. She
applied for dental school “The dental admissions test has an
organic chemistry requirement, and at the time I was only six weeks
into the class!” Her professor helped her get ready, and she
was accepted into dental school.
Lori worked up until classes started, but “Dental school is
a full time occupation., from 9-5 plus evening lab classes. I spent
the first day of school, asking myself ‘What in the world am
I doing?’ I quit a paying job for four year of work with no
pay and now I’m spending $5000 on instruments!”
With financial aid and support from her parents and future husband,
she went to school all week in Morgantown and came to Parkersburg
on weekends. “I loved it! I had great patients in dental school.
I liked the idea of doing a little of everything, so I chose dentistry
over oral surgery.” Her long slender fingers and small hands
mean less discomfort for patients. Her habit of gently explaining
each procedure reduces anxiety. . She says one reason for her patience
is “I want people to have the kind of experience that I would
want to have at the dentist.”
When she heard that the Belpre practice of Poole and Griffith was
looking for another associate, she called Dr. Poole. “Dr. Poole
has a very big heart”, Lori says. “Working with them has
been great.”
She and Neil, high school sweethearts, married just after she joined
the Belpre practice. It wasn’t long till she had another big
change in her life – twin boys. “We knew there was a chance.
Still, it was a pretty wonderful surprise!” The boys are a year
and a half old now.” She and Neil are comfortable with their
sons and their schedules.
So, it is time for another big bite. “I always had a vision
of how to run my own practice On December 2nd, she will open Hawkins
Family Dentistry. The building is purchased, her state of the art
equipment ordered. The decorator is creating a welcoming décor.
She gets more enthusiastic as the date approaches. “I’ll
be using some high tech instrumentation and procedures,” she
says, “but I what is most important about my practice is my
relationship with my patients. I have the best patients!”
She has always made a point “to respect for other people’s
time. I strive to be on time. If I am delayed, I let the patients
know, so they can choose to reschedule or maybe run an errand.”
She is looking forward to expanding her pediatric practice, so she
can “give children a good experience early. Teeth are part of
the body; and we should know what is going on with our body. I do
whatever I can to help people visualize what is going on.”
Dr. Hawkins will have four operatories in their new location at 400
Main Street in Belpre. Dental assistant Sandy Keller will be working
with her and she is interviewing for one more staff member.
Just 34, Dr. Hawkins says she does not regret changing careers at
all. “I have a huge responsibility to my family and to my work,
but it is exciting, not scary.” She is ready to sink her teeth
into the new challenge. After all, bites are her specialty
Dr. Hawkins may be contacted at 304-423-8416
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