Breast Surgeon Dr. Lisa Hopkins has always loved running. Influenced by her father, she recalls memories of her family staying active, always hiking or swimming at the beach together. When Dr. Hopkins was 17 years old, her father succumbed to leukemia. Running became her therapy. It helped her find peace and relaxed her mind. The year she graduated from college, Dr. Hopkins decided to run her first marathon in memory of her father. So she ran the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, DC, as part of the team and training for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
The following year, before starting medical school, she ran the Chicago Marathon. At the time, Dr. Hopkins worked at Johns Hopkins University for three years with a radiation oncologist in the lab. “I wanted to do something more clinical and closer to the patient level. So I ultimately decided to go to medical school and thought I might find something in oncology.
That all changed when she began her medical school rotations. “In the operating room, something just clicked,” Dr. Hopkins said. “I just knew I was supposed to be there. So I transitioned into the surgery department during my last year of medical school.” During residency, she had an amazing general surgery mentor who had many breast cancer patients. She realized “I could marry my original love of research and be involved in more cutting-edge technology while also caring for cancer patients.”
Dr. Hopkins feels passionate about treating breast cancer patients. “You get lifetime relationships with your patients,” said Dr. Hopkins. “You don’t often get that in other types of surgery.” Since being in practice for 11 years, she has experienced the intimate connections of being a breast cancer surgeon.
While working with breast cancer patients, Dr. Hopkins stresses the importance of early detection. “The best thing we can do is find it as early as possible,” said Dr. Hopkins. In addition, it is important to be aware of our bodies and get regular checkups.
Keeping her body healthy is so important to Dr. Hopkins because she always aims to “lead by example,” not only for her two young sons but for her patients. “I hope to encourage my patients to do things to keep them healthy regardless of the number of hats they wear.” Keeping patients healthy is her number one priority; she feels this is always possible with today's technology. “Women are strong,” said Dr. Hopkins. “We take on so much in our lives, yet these women are just as tough; they’re warriors.”
Since having her second son, Dr. Hopkins has enjoyed staying strong through CrossFit. Dr. Hopkins and her husband converted their garage into a home gym when the pandemic hit. Recently, Dr. Hopkins decided to get back into running, specifically marathon training. In November, Dr. Hopkins ran the Philadelphia Marathon.