Physician – Potential Doctor

When I started this blog in 2014, I was contemplating leaving my steady job as a research scientist to go to medical school to pursue a long time dream to become a physician. At times, it seemed like an impossible mountain to climb. How would this work with young kids, my husband working full time and living over an hour away from the nearest medical school?

Obstacles aside, I started medical school in 2016 and thankfully matched to a challenging but great Family Medicine program in 2020. And now in 2022, I am finally done with my training! Doing my entire residency in the context of the COVID pandemic presented its own unique set of challenges but through it all I can say that I have grown in so many positive ways and have met so many wonderful people along the way!

I am excited to be starting my practice as a family doctor with a great team at a clinic close to where I I live. I will first take the summer off to recuperate and spend more time with family and friends before starting my practice.

I am so thankful to my amazing husband for patiently supporting me on this long journey, for my beautiful kids, family and friends who stood by when things got really tough. And to my Heavenly Father for the strength and grace He gave me to persevere.

Remember, our greatest dreams often require some form of sacrifice but with focus and determination, and with key people to support us, we can make it to the end and succeed!

Thank you for following along on this journey!

Graduation party hosted by my awesome friends!

It’s Spring time! I can’t believe how fast residency is flying by.

Since my last update, I have done 6 more rotations (Geriatrics, Internal Medicine, Infectious Diseases, Family Medicine, Pediatrics ER and Pediatrics Ambulatory). I was also deployed to the COVID wards, as were many of my fellow residents. My experiences as a resident remind me that each day on this earth is a gift. I am continually humbled by the resilience of the patients, their families and inspired by the dedicated teams I have worked with.

I would say the most challenging of my rotations so far has been Internal Medicine, with long hours on call, including nights covering several wards where there were unstable patients that I had to manage on my own. Looking back, I am grateful for my residency experiences despite the heavy physical, mental and emotional toll. They say that the place of growth is outside of your comfort zone and I definitely experienced this over the last few months.

The best thing about challenging experiences is that when we emerge on the other side, albeit shaken and tired, it reveals what we are capable of. It allows us to stray even further away from the comfort zone as we challenge ourselves further. Out of those moments of anxiety, doubt and uncertainty arises a sense of “I can do this”. The possibilities are endless!

As I draw close to the end of my first year of residency, I am excited for what the future holds! I’m grateful that I get to share this journey with my awesome husband and beautiful children. And I thank the Lord for the strength he gives me each day!