Shifting Focus

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”

1 Thessalonians 5:11

Am I enough? Will program directors like me? How on earth is it that I’m going to be expected to know things soon?

When these thoughts start rattling through my mind, I know it’s time for me to stop, pray and shift my mindset. My classmates and I finished the last rotation of our third year this week, in the middle of a pandemic and with so much pain being felt throughout our nation. Starting the fourth year of medical school means thinking about residency training and beyond. Writing personal statements, requesting letters of recommendation, researching residency programs and figuring out who I want to be as a physician are daunting to say the least. Talk about triggering impostor syndrome. I literally just spent a half hour whining to friends, unsure whether my personal statement in its current form is too cliché. It’s true to who I am and illustrates why I’m passionate about Med-Peds. Shouldn’t that be enough?

Then I look back at the feedback I’ve received from my preceptors this year and smile. The traits I value most appear consistently, repeatedly and validate me. Mentors send an encouraging text or email and my heart melts. Webinars with the Med-Peds community continually remind me that I’ve chosen the right specialty. I’ve met so many wonderful people who have become fast friends. Program directors have even offered coaching and advice for those of us without Med-Peds residencies at our medical schools. My cup overflows with support, a privilege I don’t take lightly. There are too many for whom that is not the case. We can do better.

As I move one step closer to leading my own team, I dream of the day I can create an environment that allows all learners to thrive and reach their full potential. We need medical school classes that look like the communities we serve. Let’s ensure each medical student is paired with a mentor in their field of interest who is passionate about seeing them succeed and can be a source of invaluable guidance. Let’s create more programs that introduce kids to medicine and show that they too can be doctors. I can’t wait until I have the ability to hire my own medical scribe one day, pay them properly, and guide them through the medical school application process. It’s up to us to put in the work to create change. In a world where there is so much division, imagine what we could accomplish if we all made the decision to show up and work together!