A medical school classmate used to say “it is a privilege to study medicine.” The more time passes, the more I recognize the wisdom in his statement. Medicine is a very rewarding career path, in many ways. It takes much perseverance, hard work, and acquiring and building a knowledge base and skill set over the course of a lifetime. The learning literally never ends. That’s part of what makes it exceptional.
My initial thoughts about a career in medicine started in childhood. I respected my parents, a doctor and a nurse, for their ability to alleviate suffering, and connect with people so that they better understood sickness and health. Naturally, I considered other careers as well. I entered college as an engineering major, but later changed to History. The change in majors allowed me to focus more on the pre-medical prerequisites, while taking other classes I also enjoyed. Still, my science GPA took somewhat of a beating. I like to think what I learned in those classes was underrepresented by my grades, and I did go ahead to do well on the MCAT. But still, I had one advisor who told me my goal of being admitted into medical school was out of reach, and that maybe I “wasn’t up for the challenge”.
I don’t know if that advisor really didn’t believe I had what it took, or if she knew that doubting me would inspire me to do better. Like many friends, I applied to medical school senior year. I don’t recall how many (or few) schools I applied to, but as college graduation loomed I was left wondering “did I cast a wide enough net?” I had a few interviews, and was on a couple wait lists. I left college with mixed emotion: proud to get my BA, but disappointed I had no acceptance letters. My mother helped me pack my things, and I travelled back home. My prevailing thought was “what do I do now?” I thought maybe the advisor from my sophomore year was right, I wasn’t up for the challenge. I also realized that I was not alone. There were many people who did not get in their first try.
I considered research opportunities, masters programs, and post-baccaluareate programs. All of those were viable options to enhance my application. But, before long I received word that I was accepted from the waiting list! I realized the opportunity that had been granted, and started school enthusiastically.
Medical school was 4 long, but fun, years of studying and test taking. The volume of information was huge, but I found a way to digest it, and made many good friends in the process. Though rotations and mentorship, I elected to go into surgery. I matched into a general surgery residency program, and I was excited to transition to the next phase of training. But, I quickly learned that residency was an even greater time commitment than medical school. I often compared residency to working full time, overtime, and still studying as a part time job. It was tiring, but what i learned over the course of 5 years was amazing! Next, I took and passed the board exams for general surgery. To date, becoming a board certified general surgeon is the single accomplishment I am most proud of and thankful for. That’s because I know that all the time and work paid off. I know and can do things that I never would have dreamed when I chose to become a doctor.
I am currently in my final phase of training, a fellowship in plastic and reconstructive surgery. It truly is a privilege to study medicine!
