Doctor: Christopher Cullen Scott

Specialty: Orthopedic surgery

College: Georgia Tech, majored in applied biology with a specialization in molecular genetics (genetic engineering) 

Med School: Mercer Medical School in Macon

Residency: Orthopedic surgery at Georgia Baptist/Atlanta Medical Center

Professional place of practice: Northside Hospital, Gwinnett, Northside Hospital, Duluth. Dr. Scott is with a practice called Sports Medicine South and has an office in Lawrenceville, Hamilton Mill and will soon have one in Braselton.

Family: Spouse Heather, kids Cullen Lucas (21) and Caroline (16), stepsons Owen Anderson (18) and Ethan Anderson (15)

Years in Chateau: 5 years

What influenced you to choose to be a doctor? Always wanted to help others get better and medicine and health always appealed to me.  I was always impressed with the doctors I saw when I was younger and I wanted to be like them.

What made you choose your specialty? Selected orthopedic surgery because it really aligned with my personal outlook.  I want to help people get better by doing something about it. 

Advice for aspiring doctors: One of the hardest things about medicine is just getting into medical school. It's become very, very competitive, just like colleges. Start off your freshman year in college, making great grades, and find a major that you like; you don't have to be a biology or chemistry major. Just take the core classes that are required for medical school. If you find a major that you like, it's more likely that you'll make great grades, and medical schools like a diverse applicant pool with a variety of majors. Also, do not choose medicine because you want to make a lot of money. The business of medicine is difficult, and if you are doing it for money, there are much better ways to make money. It’s a long road before you make any money, and typically it comes with a lot of school debt. Also, don’t do it just cause your parents want you to. If you’re not going into medicine for yourself, it’s going to lead to a lot of dissatisfaction.

Fun fact: This past summer, Christopher and his family went to Honduras. They used a family-run business that took them on a tour of the island.