After 10 years of marriage, two Jackson doctors sought a slower pace of life, escaping the hustle of academia for the intimacy of general practice. They found their fit in Meridian. Jennifer Eubanks, an oncologist, and Robert Eubanks, a pediatrician, joined Anderson's Regional Medical Health System this month after working years at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson. "I enjoy the slower pace," Robert Eubanks, 35, said. "The slower pace of traffic, knowing everyone. All of it." Jennifer Eubanks' 20-year-old daughter, Alexis, attends the University of Mississippi and the couple have two younger children, 5-year-old Kennedy and 8-year-old Claire, both at Lamar School. But, after living in Jackson, the two doctors decided it was time for a change and made the move to Meridian. "I know some of the doctors in oncology; I trained with some of them." Jennifer Eubanks, 40, said. "I came over just to talk to one of them and things just rolled on from there." Jennifer Eubanks pursued a degree in pharmacy at the University of Louisiana in Monroe, just a short distance from her hometown of Bastrop, Louisiana. She discovered, however, that pharmacy didn't give her that one-on-one relationship she wanted and she returned to school to study oncology, something that her pharmacy background would help with when treating patients. "I really enjoy patient care," she said, discussing the aspects that interested her. "There's talking with patients and continuity of care. The opportunity to talk to and see someone over time." Robert Eubanks said he didn't find his place in medicine until the end of his third year of medical school, when medical students do "rotations" in various fields of interest. HE scheduled pediatrics to be his last unit, planning to pursue another field in his fourth and final year. "It was actually the last rotation and I thought, 'This is where I'm supposed to be,' " Eubanks said. "I had to change my entire fourth year schedule." His attraction to pediatrics comes from bonding with families and the fun of taking care of children. "If you take tonsils out of an adult, they won't eat for a week," Eubanks said. "But with a child, they'll wake up and ask if you have a cheeseburger in your pocket. They're more resilient and more fun." Robert Eubanks, who enjoys cooking, said he even looked forward to running into patients in public, such as shopping at Walmart. "I'd rather see them in Walmart than in the hospital," he said. Jennifer Eubanks said she looked forward to getting to know more people in the medical community and attending shows at the Meridian Little Theatre and MSU-Riley Center. Robert Eubanks said he wanted to run outdoors again and work on restoring some antique cars. "We worked with people who went to the same church as us (in Jackson) and we didn't know," Robert Eubanks said. "Here, everybody's been super welcoming, asking how you're doing and how's your mom. It's different." The couple said they loved to travel and spend time together as a family, something that can be difficult when navigating the schedules of two doctors. "It's all about time management," Jennifer Eubanks said. "Being flexible and, sometimes, relying on family and friends." "We have a schedule," Robert Eubanks said. "When we get ready in the morning we do things in the same order so the kids know what to expect." While the schedule may seem daunting to some, for the Eubanks, they wouldn't have it any other way. "I don't know how non-medicine couples do it," Robert Eubanks said. "You need someone who understands at the end of the day." "Because we're busy, we try to limit ourselves," Jennifer Eubanks said about extracurricular activities. "Because family time is so important and if you're doing something every night then you're not spending it together." Source
