Emily Williams, AuD

I originally went to college as an architecture major. I was offered a scholarship if I would be a science major instead. Through those studies, I fell in love with medicine. Becoming a doctor, and more specifically a surgeon, was a lot like my original goal of architecture and design. I am essentially designing the body to function in a more cohesive and healthy way for patients. I'm lucky that in ear, nose and throat (ENT), we have quite a diversity of patients and conditions to care for. I love taking care of kids and watching them grow up healthy in the community. By the same token, I love being able to help our seniors stay active and involved with their families. I also enjoy endocrine surgery and had a large practice of thyroid and parathyroid patients that I followed. I always approach my patients as a whole, not just the complaint they are seeing me for. It is important to break down their issues and see what is contributing and how this is affecting them and those around them. I have four children, so a lot of my activities outside of work revolve around theirs. We are always at baseball or basketball games, dance class or cheer. I love paddle boarding, playing tennis, ballet and relaxing on the beach. Halloween is our favorite holiday, and we dress in theme as a family every year. We are always trying to top ourselves!

I have always been interested in the medical profession. As a child, my favorite subjects were math and science. It wasnt until I was in college that I discovered the field of Audiology and have been in this field for 26 years. My approach to care is to give everyone the same care and compassion I would my own family member. Outside of work, I love spending time in my yard gardening and spending time with my family.

Prior to becoming a physician assistant, I was a nuclear medical technologist, which was interesting but lacked the gratification of complete follow-through of patient care and knowing what happened to the patient once leaving the department. I was very curious as to what brought him in to see the physician, overall diagnosis, treatment and management. After several years of feeling unfulfilled, I decided to further my education to become a physician assistant. Now, I have the ability to completely follow patients’ healthcare from the initial visit to diagnosis, treatment and management. Making every patient a priority and getting to know that patient as a person are my requirements to provide better care for patients. Realizing that each person is a unique individual, understanding their specific physical and emotional issues, and not treating them as if they are patients on a medical assembly line allows for more effective healthcare. In my free time, I enjoy watching and attending college sporting events. I exercise several times per week and enjoy relaxing on the beaches of our North Carolina coast and Outer Banks.