Wonder Women

“There is no force equal to a woman determined to rise.”

W.E.B. Dubois

This week has been a marathon to say the least! Between two call shifts and my regular clerkship duties this week, we also had career advising sessions, mid-rotation evaluations and our regular rotation representative meeting to discuss student feedback. I can’t say enough how much I appreciate the efforts EVMS takes to help us achieve our career goals. Organizing an event where busy physicians from at least 10 different specialties came to campus to talk to us about the residency application process and provide tips for the upcoming year is no small feat. It was reassuring to hear that I am right on track for obtaining a Med-Peds residency position. Funny enough, it seems that the projects and experiences I’ve been drawn to from the beginning are a great fit for what programs want to see in applicants. Apparently, it seems that I’ve been Med-Peds at heart from the beginning. Who knew?

I also sent in my first application for an outside rotation (at the University of Minnesota) this week, which is super exciting. It’s slowly sinking in that in a year, I’ll be finding out where I’m going to be training for the next four years. Looking into different programs has been entertaining to say the least. One program has a Harry Potter style House Cup competition each year, and there are others whose residents’ personalities shine through their profiles. I look forward to the opportunity to travel, visit new places and see which programs I find are a good fit. I could only hope that I find a program that is as supportive as I’ve found EVMS to be.

Thinking about those everyone who has helped me get where I am today on this #InternationalWomensDay, so many influential figures in my life are female. When we were young, my mom stayed home with us while getting her teaching certification. She taught preschool for many years before becoming a preschool program director and now works as the early childhood program director for the largest school district in Minnesota. From her, I learned the importance of education and always being professional. I owe my heart for teaching others and giving back to her. She has done so many great things like organizing transportation for children who otherwise wouldn’t be able to attend preschool or providing backpacks for kids in need who didn’t have school supplies at home. She of course will brush it off, saying that’s just her job but she’s just being humble. Her leadership has made a lasting impact on the programs she’s a part of as well as on us. “Tichs are leaders, not followers” was a common refrain in our household growing up and still rings true today.

My sister is my best friend. I can tell her anything and can always count on her for advice or a good laugh. She’s always good about helping me process things, but when I’m too far gone into my head, she’s certainly never afraid to snap me out of it. She’s worked her way into the corporate world with a company she loves and is great at what she does. I do miss team fitness classes with her though. Her passion for causing us pain was unparalleled, but I was in the best shape when I was working out with her. She’s an incredible mom and I love seeing the life she and my brother-in-law Cory are building for Maverick. From her, I’ve learned the importance of not taking yourself too seriously and making sacrifices for those you love.

My aunts, cousins and friends are all doing such amazing things. From working in research to law or the culinary arts, they show me that there is no limit to what a woman can do. What a powerful feeling! I love going home and seeing what everyone is up to and catching up. We always pick up right where we left off and it seems as if I’ve never left. I know that I can always rely on them to be there in the good times and the bad. We can’t get through this life on our own and there isn’t a group of people I would rather do it with.

My mentors and colleagues in medicine show me every day that #ILookLikeADoctor. Being surrounded by incredible role models who are brilliant clinicians, who hold so many different academic roles is incredible. There are women at EVMS who hold the title of Associate Dean, clerkship director, residency program director, department chair and any other you could imagine. They are also passionate mentors, incredible educators and even better people. Balancing professional responsibilities with being human, having a family, and other passions that bring you life is so difficult. They do it with such grace, though are unafraid to admit that it’s hard, that everyone makes mistakes and that it’s okay to ask for help. I’m so grateful for the examples of the women in my life and hope to pass what I’ve learned to the next generation.