About Me

Hannah D. Jaudon Spiker, DO, MPH, FAAP

Internal Medicine & Pediatrics | Physician | Educator | Medical Consultant

A Calling That Began in Childhood

I knew I wanted to be a physician when I was just four years old.

I can't tell you exactly when or how I made that decision. There wasn't one defining moment or extraordinary experience that set me on this path. But I do remember something that has stayed with me all these years: the way my doctors made me feel.

Even as a little girl, they made me feel seen and heard. They didn't talk over me or simply speak to my parents about me. They spoke directly to me. They listened to my questions, included me in conversations, and made me feel that what I had to say mattered.

I may not have understood much about medicine at four years old, but I understood what it felt like to have someone genuinely care.

Looking back, I believe those early experiences helped shape not only my desire to become a physician, but also the kind of physician I wanted to be.

I believe God placed the calling to medicine on my heart at a young age. I certainly couldn't have imagined then all the places that calling would take me, the challenges I would encounter, or the people whose lives would become intertwined with mine along the way.

But through every season, that calling has remained.

And today, when I sit across from a patient, whether they're four years old or ninety-four, I still remember what it felt like to be that little girl whose doctor took the time to listen.

More Than Medicine

One of the things I love most about being an Internal Medicine–Pediatrics physician is the opportunity to care for people throughout their lives.

I have the privilege of meeting families as they welcome new babies, watching children grow and discover the world, helping teenagers navigate the transition into adulthood, and walking alongside adults and grandparents through the many seasons of life.

There is something incredibly special about caring for multiple generations of the same family. Over time, patients become more than familiar faces on my schedule. I learn their stories, celebrate their milestones, share in their joys, and help them navigate some of life's most difficult moments.

Those relationships are among the greatest privileges of my profession.

My osteopathic medical training taught me to look beyond an isolated symptom or diagnosis and consider the whole person. I believe our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being are deeply connected, and understanding those connections is an important part of providing meaningful care.

I value the remarkable advances of modern medicine and the scientific evidence that guides our decisions. I also recognize that every patient brings individual beliefs, experiences, and priorities into the exam room.

My responsibility is to listen, educate, answer questions honestly, and help patients make informed decisions about their health.

I don't believe good medicine means simply telling someone what to do. I believe it means building a relationship where patients feel comfortable asking questions, expressing concerns, and participating in their care.

Sometimes that means working through a complicated diagnosis. Sometimes it means discussing prevention or lifestyle changes. And sometimes it means simply sitting down, listening, and making sure someone knows their concerns have been heard.

I want my patients to feel cared for as people, not simply treated as patients.

A Love for Learning and Teaching

My love for medicine extends beyond the exam room.

Throughout my career, I've been drawn to the science behind the decisions we make as physicians. That curiosity led me to pursue a Master of Public Health and develop a deeper understanding of epidemiology, biostatistics, clinical research, and the ways scientific evidence shapes medical care.

My background has included teaching epidemiology and public health and contributing to research and biostatistical consultation at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

I have always enjoyed asking not only what the evidence tells us, but why we believe it, how it was established, and whether it truly applies to the individual patient sitting in front of us.

That curiosity has also shaped my passion for medical education.

I serve as an Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine at the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM–Auburn) and as a clinical preceptor for medical students from the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Teaching future physicians is one of the most rewarding parts of my career. I enjoy watching students grow in their knowledge, confidence, and clinical judgment. But just as importantly, I want them to understand that medicine is a deeply human profession.

I want my students to recognize that behind every laboratory result, diagnosis, and treatment plan is a person with a story.

If I can help future physicians become both thoughtful clinicians and compassionate listeners, I consider that time well spent.

Medical Consulting & Professional Expertise

My interests in medicine have also led me to explore opportunities beyond traditional patient care and medical education.

With training in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, along with my background in epidemiology, biostatistics, and clinical research, I bring a broad perspective to the evaluation of complex medical questions.

I have a particular interest in independent physician review, medical record analysis, clinical peer review, quality-of-care assessments, and medical-legal consulting.

I enjoy the process of carefully examining medical information, evaluating clinical decision-making, interpreting scientific literature, and considering how established medical evidence applies to individual circumstances.

Whether reviewing a complex medical case, helping a future physician understand clinical reasoning, or developing a treatment plan with a patient, I approach each challenge with the same commitment to objectivity, intellectual curiosity, and scientific integrity.

For me, these interests are not separate from my calling as a physician. They are simply different ways of applying the knowledge and skills I've spent my career developing.

The Heart Behind the White Coat

As much as I love being a physician, medicine is only one part of who I am.

I am also a wife, a mother, and a woman whose faith is at the center of her life.

My husband and our son, Asher, are among my greatest blessings. Motherhood has changed the way I experience so many things, including medicine.

I now understand in an entirely different way what it feels like to place your child's well-being in someone else's hands. I understand the questions, the worry, the hope, and the overwhelming love that parents carry into the exam room.

Being a mother has only deepened my desire to make sure families feel supported, respected, and reassured when they entrust me with their care.

My faith has also shaped the person and physician I am today.

I believe God called me into medicine long before I could fully understand what that calling would require. That doesn't mean the journey has always been easy or that I've always known what the next step would look like.

There have been seasons of uncertainty, difficult decisions, and moments when I wondered how I would find the strength to keep moving forward.

But through it all, God has remained faithful.

I believe He has carried me through challenges I could never have navigated on my own, and I am continually reminded that the opportunities I've been given are blessings meant to be used in service to others.

My faith influences the compassion, humility, and sense of responsibility I bring to my work. At the same time, I recognize that every patient comes with their own beliefs and experiences, and I am committed to providing respectful, evidence-based care to everyone who entrusts me with their health.

I believe medicine is both a science and an opportunity to serve.

And I don't take that responsibility lightly.

Still That Little Girl at Heart

When I think about why I became a physician, I always come back to those early memories.

A little girl sitting in an exam room, feeling important because her doctor took the time to speak directly to her.

At four years old, I didn't know about medical school, residency, board examinations, public health, research, or the countless decisions that would eventually shape my career.

I simply knew that I wanted to be like the people who made me feel cared for.

Years later, I have the privilege of doing for others what those physicians once did for me.

I get to listen.

I get to teach.

I get to walk alongside families through some of their happiest moments and some of their hardest.

And I get to remind people, sometimes when they need it most, that their concerns matter and they are not alone.

My hope is that every patient who leaves my office feels the same way I did as that little girl many years ago: seen, heard, valued, and genuinely cared for.

That is the kind of physician I wanted to become.

And it is the kind of physician I strive to be every day.

The Story Between the Calling and the White Coat

I knew at four years old that I wanted to become a physician, but I had no idea what the journey between that childhood dream and the life I live today would hold.

The path was not always easy, and it certainly wasn't always what I had imagined. There were seasons of uncertainty, unexpected challenges, difficult decisions, and moments when I couldn't see what God had planned next.

But looking back, I can see His faithfulness woven throughout my story.

Even in the moments when I felt I didn't have the strength to keep going, He carried me. And even when I couldn't understand where He was leading, He was still at work.

That journey is a story of its own, and one I feel called to share.

I'm currently writing a book about my personal testimony, the experiences that shaped me, and the ways God has remained faithful through life's struggles and uncertainties.

My hope is that sharing my story will encourage others who may be walking through difficult or uncertain seasons of their own. I want them to know that even when the path ahead isn't clear, God is still faithful.

If you'd like to hear more about the journey between the little girl who dreamed of becoming a physician and the woman I am today, I invite you to follow along as I prepare to share my story.