tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37110217090097458272024-03-19T02:17:47.099-04:00Aspiring Minority DoctorBlog of Dr. Danielle Ward: a plastic surgeon in training, author of "Atypical Premed", single black mother, public speaker, and mentor. Sharing my journey and offering advice to both premedical and medical studentsAspiring Minority Doctorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16017973927200637031noreply@blogger.comBlogger285125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3711021709009745827.post-78857601571230052862023-12-17T14:46:00.003-05:002023-12-17T14:46:50.706-05:00A Decade of Blogging!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUtu1e4koX4gpjT3nwS9quZXuyfj_l15tTYtolybvEP_r32SaB-P8-wjszBR9jFs6JFqtRjEUe8ENuaRzC-n-f457VQeGdiOg-CZ9OF2jMlnS5R2d8P3OnekMndjZ_K1IaEmb7_PS7s4mn68XzBzi8KoChD4W16agT9TnpXTnOc8YHsyqbnc6NJaPp0G0U/s1616/FaceApp_1695513000270.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1616" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUtu1e4koX4gpjT3nwS9quZXuyfj_l15tTYtolybvEP_r32SaB-P8-wjszBR9jFs6JFqtRjEUe8ENuaRzC-n-f457VQeGdiOg-CZ9OF2jMlnS5R2d8P3OnekMndjZ_K1IaEmb7_PS7s4mn68XzBzi8KoChD4W16agT9TnpXTnOc8YHsyqbnc6NJaPp0G0U/w400-h268/FaceApp_1695513000270.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Headshot from this year that I forgot to post lol</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>It's my 10th blogiversary, y'all! Okay, now I'll admit I've done a horrible job of keeping up with the blog lately especially given that this is only my fifth post of the year, but today is still super special for me. When I started this blog, I had just received my first acceptance into medical school, and after scouring the web and not being able to find anyone with a similar story as mine, I wanted to create something to not only document my journey through medicine, but help inspire and encourage others to pursue their dreams as well. I feel like I have accomplished that goal and soooo much has happened over the last decade! I went from being a scared premed unsure if I could ever accomplish my goals to being a now third year plastic surgeon in training literally living on answered prayers! So, with that being said, I'm going to use this post as a reflection and celebration of how far I've come and then end with a review of the past six months, so bear with me for what will probably be a super long post (as usual lol).</p><p>So, here is what I am celebrating with this blog today:</p><p><b>The Power of Sharing Our Stories</b></p><p>Over the past decade, I have shared my struggles, my failures, and my accomplishments. I was originally told that as a premedical student and single mother with low stats, that I would not make it into medical school. Then I was told that if I did make it into medical school, that I would never be able to pass my board exams or graduate. Then I was told that my dreams of becoming a surgeon were absolutely unattainable and that it was literally impossible to pursue my dream of becoming a plastic surgeon as a DO and someone who previously went unmatched. And yet, look at me now: a thriving third year plastic surgeon in training, public speaker, and published author, who continues to accomplish everything I was told I couldn't do. This blog has helped a lot with some of my successes. When times got rough for me and I thought I couldn't continue to push through, it was your words of encouragement that kept me going. When I thought I was alone on my journey and no one else could relate, I received messages from others on a similar path that inspired me to keep pushing. This blog has connected me with so many incredible individuals over the years, and it let me know the importance of sharing our stories. </p><p><b>Single Motherhood and Medicine</b></p><p>I just realized that those of you who have followed this blog from the start have practically watched my daughter grow up! When I started this blog she had just turned 7, and now my baby is 17! Accomplishing my dream of becoming a physician while being a single mother was probably one of the biggest hurdles I thought I would face, and there were definitely a few naysayers who didn't hesitate to offer their opinion about how my goals were impossible as a single mother, but we made it! Looking back, it has literally taken a village though! I am grateful for the many people and classmates who helped babysit so that I could make it to the lab and thrive as a medical student. I am grateful for my sister who stepped in to help once I became a third year medical student and needed to spend more time away on rotations. I am also grateful for my family who stepped in after graduation and let my daughter come live with them so I could focus on intern year (they refused to let me move her to "dangerous" Philly lol) after not matching the first time. But most of all, I forever remain grateful to have such a smart, loving, kind and considerate daughter who has never complained about the time medicine took away from us and who continues to be one of the most supportive people in my life. Becoming a physician and navigating medicine is hard by itself, but it's even more demanding when another life depends on you. I hope the single parents who have followed me over the years have gained inspiration from my posts to keep pushing and pursue your dreams with fervor. Allow your children to be your driving force and not what holds you back. Because even if you think they aren't paying any attention, your children are watching and being inspired by you. </p><p><b>Minority Women in Osteopathic Medicine</b></p><p>When I first started this blog, it was very difficult for me to find female minority osteopathic physicians. I briefly started a minority women in medicine section where I highlighted a few DOs, but unfortunately I didn't continue the series. Since that time, I have actually met half of the women in my <a href="http://www.aspiringminoritydoctor.com/2014/01/minority-women-in-medicine.html" target="_blank">Minority Women in Medicine</a> section in person and formed great connections! And the crazy thing is that from this blog, I got a chance to meet and interact with my biggest minority female DO inspiration, Dr. Barbara Ross-Lee. I previously highlighted her on my blog almost a decade ago, but did not personally interview her. Shortly afterwards, I got the chance to introduce her to my school as a speaker, then she was a great supporter of one of my committees during my time with the Student National Medical Association, and then fast-forward to 2021 and we're not only sitting on a panel together at a major conference, but she gave MY introduction! This blog has allowed me to make so many connections with amazing women in osteopathic medicine, and I hope using this blog as a platform has helped show my fellow DO student readers that we do exist. </p><p><b>Paving the Way</b></p><p>When I first created this blog ten years ago, I was unsure if there were others out there like me, and this blog has connected me to so many great individuals on a similar path. Even more so, it has given me the opportunity to not only share my story, but help pave the way for others. Over the past ten years, I have shown that it is possible for a single mother to make it through medical school, proof that it is still possible to be successful after not matching, and that although it may mean a longer road and a bit more struggle, with grit, dedication, and persistence, anything is attainable. I went from being an underdog of a premedical student to paving the way as a thriving medical student, the first DO student to become <a href="http://www.aspiringminoritydoctor.com/2017/06/breaking-barriers-and-excited-for-whats.html" target="_blank">national president</a> of the <a href="https://snma.org/" target="_blank">Student National Medical Association</a>, ending my medical school career as a recipient of a <a href="http://www.aspiringminoritydoctor.com/2018/06/graduation-week-2018-mason-w-pressly.html" target="_blank">memorial medal</a> given for outstanding achievement, and to now recently being told that when I finish residency, I may become the first Black female DO plastic surgeon (crazy, right?!). I am thankful that this blog has allowed me to share my journey, and hopefully it inspires you to do the same. I am literally living on answered prayers, and looking back through old posts shows me just how far I have come.</p><p><b>You!</b></p><p>The last thing I am celebrating is YOU! I am so thankful for anyone who has taken the time over the years to stop by and read my posts. In my mind, no one actually reads my blog (it helps me continue to write freely lol), but every now and then I am reminded that people actually do. I still remember going through security at the Philadelphia airport a few years back and one of the workers recognizing me from my blog. Completely made my day! I also love that people of all genders and from all walks of life have found my blog useful. It truly makes me happy to know that my story continues to help others. You all are the reason why I have continued to keep up with this blog over that past ten years, and I thank you so much for the encouragement.</p><p><br /></p><p><b><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Now for life updates:</span></i></b></p><p>It has been about six months since my last post which means I have a ton to update you on! I feel like everything is a big blur, so I will start where I am now and work my way down. Hopefully I'll remember all the major highlights from each month.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJK-D8RNvzsHV5l-V5QO4DRhtECqKbB8yqcKe3rq1Pqzr-YP9b8w3imuEeumD__3qsU0QgmayuuZzsxBeiXBODMffEqzwWANOwyZaDmMxVebAeyhQVrmISKzOW85AhGnEINRLawBkRtwD2fsy8lbwK2dQlgUlHxknxObAsXvp-SZKOwYY837oGe8UcQ4Ib/s1095/VideoCapture_20231216-052431.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1095" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJK-D8RNvzsHV5l-V5QO4DRhtECqKbB8yqcKe3rq1Pqzr-YP9b8w3imuEeumD__3qsU0QgmayuuZzsxBeiXBODMffEqzwWANOwyZaDmMxVebAeyhQVrmISKzOW85AhGnEINRLawBkRtwD2fsy8lbwK2dQlgUlHxknxObAsXvp-SZKOwYY837oGe8UcQ4Ib/w395-h400/VideoCapture_20231216-052431.jpg" width="395" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p><b>Nov/Dec:</b> </p><p>As of November, I am currently in Orlando, Florida completing two months of pediatric craniofacial and plastic surgery, followed by one month of pediatric surgery. So far, it has been an awesome experience! My first day involved a quick orientation and then I scrubbed into a 12-hour microtia case where we completely reconstructed and created a new ear! It was such an incredible case and my first real life exposure to the procedure. I also got to harvest the the full thickness skin graft on my own for the case from measuring to removing, so I was pretty excited at the level of trust given to me on my first day with new attendings. So far, we have performed everything from cranial vault reconstruction, to cleft lip/palate repairs, to even breast reductions on teenagers. I even had my first Tessier #7 cleft patient and have experienced patients with things like Pierre Robin sequence and 22q deletion in real life now (previously it was all textbooks and videos). For those of you who follow my <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@minoritydoctor" target="_blank">YouTube channel</a>, I know I've been slacking the past three months on releasing new videos, but I think my next educational video will definitely be on the craniofacial aspect of plastic surgery. Make sure you subscribe, if you want to follow my journey visually! But overall, November and December have been a bit busy, so I've pretty much been under a rock everywhere. I'm definitely enjoying Orlando, although it is a bit chillier than Miami, but my schedule is so packed that I highly doubt I'll make it out to Disney. We shall see what January brings. The hospital I am at is absolutely beautiful though, and it has been great working with babies and children as it is not something I am exposed to often. Academically, I recently submitted a journal article this month, so I'm excited for its release as well, although it will likely be sometime next year. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7VGA8NgtYDGc9hX4l1vgWp8Ou53B-EJ96jBeOAVVYz6y_2oogVfyADTLXGAuK4zLDEOc4_BTc95pgEYE_1TylzMD7FlOT0iO3-agMXwudRdGHEe4ffLWCvxhXG4AjlMOYjtPUeVncJhdfCdjwxpQl5DwmZ0ip5y2fX0GKxkfSKbtykREeEfVweTTujzxr/s2048/CollageOrchid_Android_1702841406121.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7VGA8NgtYDGc9hX4l1vgWp8Ou53B-EJ96jBeOAVVYz6y_2oogVfyADTLXGAuK4zLDEOc4_BTc95pgEYE_1TylzMD7FlOT0iO3-agMXwudRdGHEe4ffLWCvxhXG4AjlMOYjtPUeVncJhdfCdjwxpQl5DwmZ0ip5y2fX0GKxkfSKbtykREeEfVweTTujzxr/w400-h400/CollageOrchid_Android_1702841406121.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p><b>Oct: </b></p><p>October was an intense month, but I loved it! I pretty much operated every day and was given way more autonomy in the operating room, so I was super happy. Somehow in between all the operating, I was even able to submit an academic book chapter and keep up with my academics as well. I started out the month with a trip to Las Vegas where I attended the Allergan Surgical Solutions Symposium, and it was incredible. I attended so many great sessions, was able to perform a hybrid breast reconstruction at a cadaver lab, connected with awesome individuals in general surgery and plastic surgery, and I even had time to hit the club and see T.I. perform in person. Later on in the month, I was able to take my daughter on a family trip to my alma mater LSU. My sister and I are LSU grads, and my mother is a West Point graduate (actually the first Black Woman from the state of Mississippi to graduate from there), and LSU was playing Army, so it was an amazing trip to show my daughter both of the schools represented in our family. We're only a year from her applying to college, so it was a great way to mesh quality time with college visit time.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOITU6_t24gy48zAGcpluUCmeJpi1vqv91HozwxVrW9vhwuFYEuYlC-Y4NEaqmffgMnaQI8mYXp6Wv_ydtUBTfApm9NdMKjeSX9qhH6-csOR2FmUVfY_pJ6-kAJ1OPd9Hvow0ll6sMbHhIRq9_QoDT6rLRbDzyiiSjKrv6uEl4PgfuXMLDoaEi48GMGPt2/s4000/20230923_124235.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOITU6_t24gy48zAGcpluUCmeJpi1vqv91HozwxVrW9vhwuFYEuYlC-Y4NEaqmffgMnaQI8mYXp6Wv_ydtUBTfApm9NdMKjeSX9qhH6-csOR2FmUVfY_pJ6-kAJ1OPd9Hvow0ll6sMbHhIRq9_QoDT6rLRbDzyiiSjKrv6uEl4PgfuXMLDoaEi48GMGPt2/w400-h300/20230923_124235.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p><b>Sept:</b> </p><p>September was another month away from home as I completed my trauma plastic surgery rotation. It was an insanely busy month as my co-resident was out the first two weeks with COVID and then the incoming resident was on vacation my final week, so I was pretty much on call the entire month for plastics at a level one trauma center. I definitely had some great cases and got more comfortable managing complex trauma repairs on my own in the ER and trauma bay, so I can't complain. Luckily, I was able to take a weekend off and attend the American College of Osteopathic Surgeons (ACOS) Annual Clinical Assembly in Chicago where I sat on a panel and was able to give my perspective on the barriers facing osteopathic physicians in plastic surgery and ways we can hopefully advance them within the field. This conference was also a full circle moment for me as I ran into a wonderful surgeon who was a resident when I was a fourth year medical student doing an away rotation at her hospital. We reminisced about my time there and I was just so surprised she remembered me. Also in attendance was one of my chief residents during my time as an intern in Philadelphia, and just seeing this person reminded me of how much I went though and managed to overcome. It was also great just being surrounded by DOs in surgery for a full weekend as this is something I rarely get to see.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_zKKXLH5LM9R2hEKhzJgW_jHOwaI97tP2r3ZyKiwfDQp6mvMBVqD8TOVXjNBo6pNv1rtyUBKPKsb6lbuq2OdCQt3QYx8ke-Y2wB7Fivzh6l95iLlyJE9SQaiPLUAOMusWMkwQI90v-SR8ieTkauSv-Jb1FnkghJRYF-yUgsCjj8aH5OFvMWvZC5zzojr3/s2048/CollageOrchid_Android_1702841891497.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_zKKXLH5LM9R2hEKhzJgW_jHOwaI97tP2r3ZyKiwfDQp6mvMBVqD8TOVXjNBo6pNv1rtyUBKPKsb6lbuq2OdCQt3QYx8ke-Y2wB7Fivzh6l95iLlyJE9SQaiPLUAOMusWMkwQI90v-SR8ieTkauSv-Jb1FnkghJRYF-yUgsCjj8aH5OFvMWvZC5zzojr3/w400-h400/CollageOrchid_Android_1702841891497.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Miami Lady Docs :)</td></tr></tbody></table><p><b>August</b></p><p>I spent the month of August rotating with my program director and a couple of my female co-residents, so it was all about the girl power! I always enjoy when I get to work with my program director and I'm always learning a lot from him and my co-residents. I think the highlight of the month for me though was getting to attend a Black Physicians Brunch in Miami alongside the University of Miami residents. It was great being able to fellowship and connect with my peers in a safe place. Other highlights in August included seeing Beyonce in concert (waited until the last minute to get super cheap tickets), visiting a close friend in Georgia, and getting to spend a little time back home in Atlanta where I got to see an Atlanta United game. Other than that, I don't really remember most of the month lol.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiyDmTnmw-0o6xv5rm1ItGZ3CbMa6sMZz2EkMnKMPuP_7MPooGcLAil6OHjLG8NUOOtHvtj2K6UPOWoR3GPZ2r-Wgje5n75dPqvTHE-sIMQsc1oPTQ41VwNRulZBhxgHYb2YaMfHz4Z8t69-jlXhsn1ONbRVx6fvzUZ66aQUfS_DadJLc-R6kRoV1GS2q4/s975/IMG-20230717-WA0046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="548" data-original-width="975" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiyDmTnmw-0o6xv5rm1ItGZ3CbMa6sMZz2EkMnKMPuP_7MPooGcLAil6OHjLG8NUOOtHvtj2K6UPOWoR3GPZ2r-Wgje5n75dPqvTHE-sIMQsc1oPTQ41VwNRulZBhxgHYb2YaMfHz4Z8t69-jlXhsn1ONbRVx6fvzUZ66aQUfS_DadJLc-R6kRoV1GS2q4/w400-h225/IMG-20230717-WA0046.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fun night with Tom Cruise</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p><b>July: </b></p><p>July was pretty much all plastic surgery, but I guess the highlight of the month for me was getting to see the premiere of the new Mission Impossible movie for free with a surprise appearance by Tom Cruise! He literally walked around the entire theater taking selfies with everyone (which I did not take since I looked a mess), and the movie was actually really good.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhuStm0tAqOZ8HUgEm3Fm7POlrmPBzGZBe5csLZw0ntqClS8X5fjJp4Dgu7f9hfYcFzwekKY1zXWXIvwrMWDNmID7-EMh9C-xiUL1bNrXGqrYWMXYCTPZl2FuBTW8DSHQxO0M0vfBDhyphenhyphenCxtUxJayzEvTObqurATfi1zFTafSuVeav2tAGgtNt6HK1j3dzN/s2048/CollageOrchid_Android_1702841373983.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhuStm0tAqOZ8HUgEm3Fm7POlrmPBzGZBe5csLZw0ntqClS8X5fjJp4Dgu7f9hfYcFzwekKY1zXWXIvwrMWDNmID7-EMh9C-xiUL1bNrXGqrYWMXYCTPZl2FuBTW8DSHQxO0M0vfBDhyphenhyphenCxtUxJayzEvTObqurATfi1zFTafSuVeav2tAGgtNt6HK1j3dzN/w400-h400/CollageOrchid_Android_1702841373983.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p><b>June: </b></p><p>June was another trauma plastic surgery month, but I got the chance to spend a few uninterrupted days with my daughter where we had her first official college visits, checked out the Miami zoo, made candle, and just overall had great mother/daughter time. It was a great end to her school year and a great start to my now third year of residency.</p><p><br /></p><p>I think that pretty much covers all the updates over the past six months. I still can't believe I am almost halfway done with my plastic surgery residency, and I am in even more disbelief that I have managed to keep up with this blog for ten years! To be honest, I prefer typing up blog posts to creating videos and other content as that is so time-consuming for me. I still debate if I should continue blogging though since more people tend to prefer videos. If you're reading this, I would love to know your thoughts on what you prefer. I love having this blog as a journal to remind me of how far I've come, and I hope you have found it inspiring too. But anyway, in an effort to keep this somewhat short, I just want to say thank you again for reading my story and sharing in my journey over the past ten years. It really means a lot to me, and I can't wait to share even more wonderful things in store with you all. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div><br /></div>Aspiring Minority Doctorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16017973927200637031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3711021709009745827.post-44659851828333791642023-06-18T22:17:00.001-04:002023-06-18T22:17:15.928-04:00Comparison is the Thief of Joy<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeSSg_iXnjQIqLlOS4YflN4mDjM4HgQe3i9UL-1sYDbmM6FhKiaN4eTkHNCT65dFMbLS0CPQEVuIp-S33UMvjWZ1EEuMt91Bt-IB-zYQGSAvkDr5dXvgAdCxpHNS0RaU8032OHa6lRAow9tRLgfn_L5At6TlDprAmgOirJDXEEaNhIVm-shf66pPmeYw/s2048/Fotor_15295298549320.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeSSg_iXnjQIqLlOS4YflN4mDjM4HgQe3i9UL-1sYDbmM6FhKiaN4eTkHNCT65dFMbLS0CPQEVuIp-S33UMvjWZ1EEuMt91Bt-IB-zYQGSAvkDr5dXvgAdCxpHNS0RaU8032OHa6lRAow9tRLgfn_L5At6TlDprAmgOirJDXEEaNhIVm-shf66pPmeYw/w400-h400/Fotor_15295298549320.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Throwback to this time 5 years ago</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>The other day I watched the residency graduation ceremony at the institution where I completed my Traditional Rotating Internship year. No, I wasn't trying to purposely torture myself...I was watching to support someone I know who was graduating from internship this year in the same program. The crazy thing is I didn't realize until I started watching that I was witnessing the graduation of several people who I started and worked with during my original intern year. </div><div><br /></div><div>As I watched a bunch of familiar faces cross the stage, a wave of sadness hit me. These same people who I spent early mornings and late nights on grueling rotations and survived intern year with are now completing residency, and getting to start their lives as official general surgeons, orthopedic surgeons, and otolaryngologists (these are all 5 year residency programs). Additionally, this past week alone, a large number of former medical students who rotated with me during my intern year graduated from the shorter duration residencies in Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, etc and are now getting to do what they set out to do. So at this point, pretty much everyone in my graduating medical school class and a large amount of medical students who started their very first rotation with me are either attending physicians or very close to becoming one. Meanwhile, I still have four more years to go (plastic surgery is a six year residency for those who are unaware), and I'm currently covering a trauma service that somehow makes me feel like I am an intern back in Philly again.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now don't get me wrong, I am legitimately happy for all these individuals and I love seeing their success, especially when I know how hard the struggle is. I also continue to feel truly blessed to be a part of a categorical residency program (I prayed for YEARS to be in this position), and on the path to becoming the the plastic surgeon I have always dreamed of, but I wouldn't be human if I didn't have feelings like this every now and then. </div><div><br /></div><div>The funny thing is I've never been one to compare myself or my journey to anyone else's. A long time ago, I pretty much accepted that my journey will go at its own pace and everything will work out perfectly once all is said and done. Due to these recent thoughts/feelings though, I figured there are probably some nontraditional premedical/medical students or other residents out there with similar experiences and feelings, so I wanted to write this post as a source of encouragement and share some random reflections below (along with random saved Instagram posts) to serve as a reminder that everything is working out perfectly even when it sometimes feels like it isn't.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvqz4xaT1g0-HaRQpQWUfnhUIMSOe930-mimPEMOAzZM8uuj4Cj_pV2ZvfthvXWywFZ7mU3Q432s8bJSIlSgO_SBWk9gRFy20lzCvf8sepUz4Y17jzd5muYKg6zI_PvBhH8AUigcbM7xMZA6qTSIqV26f8Da23oJdj_xtynNMZItblz6Q-6vuhxap8Nw/s1079/Screenshot_20230618_202731_Instagram.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1070" data-original-width="1079" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvqz4xaT1g0-HaRQpQWUfnhUIMSOe930-mimPEMOAzZM8uuj4Cj_pV2ZvfthvXWywFZ7mU3Q432s8bJSIlSgO_SBWk9gRFy20lzCvf8sepUz4Y17jzd5muYKg6zI_PvBhH8AUigcbM7xMZA6qTSIqV26f8Da23oJdj_xtynNMZItblz6Q-6vuhxap8Nw/w400-h396/Screenshot_20230618_202731_Instagram.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>I think the craziest thought I had while watching the graduation was that I was watching my graduation day and I should have been walking across that stage. But let's be real, I did not even match into a categorical position as a graduating medical student, and had I actually matched into that program, I would have been MISERABLE! I've always stayed positive on this blog, but I never did enjoy my time in my previous program. It was hard enough adjusting to the long hours and new responsibilities as a fresh intern, but I also felt like I didn't mesh well with the program or the area. From the daily microagressions and covert racism I experienced both in and out of the hospital (it literally felt worse than any area of the South I have lived in), to being alone in a new city and living in an area in Philly where people would literally riot and set cars on fire (yes, this really did happen), I couldn't wait to leave. Plus, I graduated before the MD/DO merger, so had I matched out of medical school, I would be on the five years general surgery plus three years plastic surgery route. Not matching actually turned out to be one of the best things to ever happen to me. Not only was I able to gain the experience of an intern year, but it allowed me to gain my medical license and start practicing which gave me the financial freedom to happily live life on my terms. Plus, I didn't even lose much time on my original timeline! I would be graduating general surgery now only to pursue three years of plastic surgery, whereas at this point I am about to be a third year plastic surgery resident. The above picture really sums it up well. God's timing really is the perfect timing, and I am sooo thankful that what I thought didn't work out for me, really did end up working out for me in the grand scheme of things.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgayln6WpdRKWvWaG9vx1zWzHRhdd2DaHNrCXwn1D5bHTDXxWya2QhK3YgjMJv8g2kpuhSJiKMXXuerxCML0QGiEGhjxjBL5mAOoB0OVsHgrmRfBYQJr21K7gh66qcelCPnMTKCtcgJboxf_bPTPpfsctHbGzoQsSBu2ktfhQMK6WPKuLOgrCBj4v-_jg/s1079/Screenshot_20230618_202834_Instagram.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1070" data-original-width="1079" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgayln6WpdRKWvWaG9vx1zWzHRhdd2DaHNrCXwn1D5bHTDXxWya2QhK3YgjMJv8g2kpuhSJiKMXXuerxCML0QGiEGhjxjBL5mAOoB0OVsHgrmRfBYQJr21K7gh66qcelCPnMTKCtcgJboxf_bPTPpfsctHbGzoQsSBu2ktfhQMK6WPKuLOgrCBj4v-_jg/w400-h396/Screenshot_20230618_202834_Instagram.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>Even though I'm currently on month two of Trauma Surgery right now and grumpy, I try to stay mindful that my life is a literal dream. Never in a million years did I think I would end up in always sunny and warm Miami, Florida AND as a plastic surgery resident. No matter how tough life may seem, it's important to remember where you started and appreciate the journey. When I was a premedical student, all I wanted to do was be a medical student. As a medical student, I kept this thought in mind during the rough classes, board exam studying, and long rotations to keep me going. Now as a resident, I reflect back on all those times as a medical student and unmatched physician, where all I wanted to do was be in a categorical surgical residency program. I remember being told by an attending who I reached out to during my second year of medical school with hopes of mentoring me, that as a DO I had no chance of matching into plastic surgery and I should have applied to an MD school. I remember all the interviews outside of the match where I had so much hope and then was heartbroken when I didn't get the position. I remember stalking multiple websites throughout the day in search of residency positions and frantically applying as if it would be an automatic rejection if I didn't submit within 5 minutes lol. I remember the concerned looks from people when I said I was still applying surgery and them telling me I should consider a non-surgical specialty. I remember when I literally had to call my bank to allow me to pay for my ERAS application because the cost was literally more than what I paid for my first car, but I was willing to pay whatever cost to help me achieve my dreams. I even remember Match Day 2021 when I was so jaded from the entire process that I prepared myself for another failure of a year and sadly opened up the email while still in bed since I just KNEW it wasn't going to work out for me again, AND I remember the astonishment and extreme happiness I felt at receiving an email that said I had finally matched. So yes, I recognize that I currently live and have lived a life of answered prayers. My biggest prayer right now though is that I never forget how far I've come in this journey and that I always remember the following: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7u9pn_oAVLJJxWYXJVlKNq9z4J4ONz8_2jnfwjBJvZb9R5UYWWJVsAQuGw09rJn8FS9IrTtTT_rB-jwUwosXNad1L2rvQ1odrBVhoGY0r_QmVA46be6iB3xjhTAVvCF46GavlIgsRe2zzGye_ISsyqpOqOj_yEbu6wg1RcEaNKXdtkwG5Az5VhqnqnQ/s1079/Screenshot_20230618_203324_Instagram.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1073" data-original-width="1079" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7u9pn_oAVLJJxWYXJVlKNq9z4J4ONz8_2jnfwjBJvZb9R5UYWWJVsAQuGw09rJn8FS9IrTtTT_rB-jwUwosXNad1L2rvQ1odrBVhoGY0r_QmVA46be6iB3xjhTAVvCF46GavlIgsRe2zzGye_ISsyqpOqOj_yEbu6wg1RcEaNKXdtkwG5Az5VhqnqnQ/w400-h398/Screenshot_20230618_203324_Instagram.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>So as I watch so many amazing people achieve and enter new phases of life, I have to be mindful that everything I am going through now is in preparation for something bigger than I could ever imagine. Patience isn't my strongest virtue, but I am beyond grateful to be in my current position in life. Which brings me to my next point:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimTIJvz8k1MRzH79YH7Uj89EWCviuZGsjpZjXlR3ruaWOdNdryDF-fIxGrgllcBNBbRLcB0xI-OlqQPizD6NpSte7AQejVj7qoioI-6h6ssffjQ9V-JatidFtliRcL5Y20DGRYrYz-RkHjrDOZrSoQIrCI74n5_Ykz8ZDxUkfzU8tL8s_b9kg8khTPVw/s1113/Screenshot_20230617_175741_Instagram.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1113" data-original-width="1079" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimTIJvz8k1MRzH79YH7Uj89EWCviuZGsjpZjXlR3ruaWOdNdryDF-fIxGrgllcBNBbRLcB0xI-OlqQPizD6NpSte7AQejVj7qoioI-6h6ssffjQ9V-JatidFtliRcL5Y20DGRYrYz-RkHjrDOZrSoQIrCI74n5_Ykz8ZDxUkfzU8tL8s_b9kg8khTPVw/w388-h400/Screenshot_20230617_175741_Instagram.jpg" width="388" /></a></div><br /><div>Your journey is specially made and meant only for you. Do not compare yourself to others as it will do nothing but leave you stressed out and doubting your own great abilities. The grass is not always greener on the other side, and thinking it is only serves to detour you from your own route and will leave you miserable. J. Cole said it best when he said "no such thing as a life that's better than yours...love yours". If you're someone struggling with comparing yourself with others, take the time to appreciate the small blessings in your life. People ask me all the time how I am able to stay happy and positive all the time, and it's mainly because I'm just grateful to be here. If you've been reading this blog from when I started it almost ten years ago, then you already know I survived an extremely abusive marriage. I am literally just thankful to still be alive and to know that God has kept me here for a reason. To compare my life to what appears to be the easier life for others would serve no purpose other than making me feel sad and stressed out, which is exactly what happened when I compared my journey to those graduating from residency this month. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlj5G4dk365Gw9HY_tu93mAsJbQZ3CsHcwirZ3N0l02Assuvb_NR8IahN7Ru47S1oxHPiy4hkzMx61tan-Fon-iH9KCsy28R9Q_8p70Onxd4P9UuY5-LXhXTbSCVHdfb6sKM3Rm7HJhhBSaLr4jH7SGxGJ1X1abcFUdDiuNbQmRpcbPGRTdEMGbtDtAw/s1080/Screenshot_20230618_203415_Instagram.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1046" data-original-width="1080" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlj5G4dk365Gw9HY_tu93mAsJbQZ3CsHcwirZ3N0l02Assuvb_NR8IahN7Ru47S1oxHPiy4hkzMx61tan-Fon-iH9KCsy28R9Q_8p70Onxd4P9UuY5-LXhXTbSCVHdfb6sKM3Rm7HJhhBSaLr4jH7SGxGJ1X1abcFUdDiuNbQmRpcbPGRTdEMGbtDtAw/w400-h388/Screenshot_20230618_203415_Instagram.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div>I think the above is the perfect quote to end this very long post with. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: don't rush the process! What is meant for you will absolutely be and at the perfect time. It can be hard watching others achieve goals that you have been working hard for, but don't waste your joy or your time comparing your journey to others. What you've got coming is way bigger and more beautiful than you could have ever imagined. </div><div><br /></div><div>While this post is my personal reminder to stay positive and keep pushing, I hope it has helped some of you. Until next time!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Aspiring Minority Doctorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16017973927200637031noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3711021709009745827.post-24920605083976784862023-03-06T17:07:00.004-05:002023-03-06T17:07:57.896-05:00March 2023 Updates and Features<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0PE3vho8Fj138C69OtXReCVjvekHX-ZLNrxWGJ7shuQMUzsAm2L80MWKb8hmCcL_7EqNhlriSp4npG09G3qhbll8ZTUISTy9gxDtsnfLaRdRlZ1yuXabnpxq2J9U2B8ZGOV5VOVw9sXPjArs1wt0wIMtQeVorHE2NnMwCVfrTaYHo2pFRIUErO-LSmQ/s1080/1678139940455.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0PE3vho8Fj138C69OtXReCVjvekHX-ZLNrxWGJ7shuQMUzsAm2L80MWKb8hmCcL_7EqNhlriSp4npG09G3qhbll8ZTUISTy9gxDtsnfLaRdRlZ1yuXabnpxq2J9U2B8ZGOV5VOVw9sXPjArs1wt0wIMtQeVorHE2NnMwCVfrTaYHo2pFRIUErO-LSmQ/w400-h400/1678139940455.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perfecting my craft!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Happy March! I don't have much in terms of updates over the past month as I was busy returning back to reality from my recent trip, as well as studying for the plastic surgery in-service exam which I completed a few days ago. I finished up a great plastic surgery rotation, and ended February on a high note. The picture above is actually the last day of last month's rotation, where my little sister came for a visit as my patient :) Right now, I'm taking the time in-between work duties to get caught up and relax a little. This post will be a quick update and share some of my recent features along with my most recent YouTube video.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/a3NZbS0bz08" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">For my most recent update, I completed my second ever plastic surgery in-service exam! This exam is taken annually by every plastic surgery resident in the country, and it is used the assess our knowledge. We are also all scored against all plastic surgery residents within our year. It feels good to be done, and while it was a rough one, I now have a better idea of things I need to work on knowledge-wise. I recorded the above YouTube video on the day of the exam, and it basically shows my quick morning routine and my immediate post-exam thoughts. Please check it out, give it a like, and subscribe to my channel!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ9ogSYDaQLKKkmdkKjkxuwRskHIKyCUwmsC1wZprwhb40UhZRwiC5w0VGP6c6jpAszmRtMbdsjvf1XRY6aie7DgOH88I0EeGq9QewIle7IspDkSix7eZ0LzwnZ-_BZ6i3K8RP4PXJe4TtP2n_xxAANLmRVBMDePamyAIIm610e4NR5-hXrp4bKcQWCg/s1988/Screenshot_20230302_171409_Chrome.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1988" data-original-width="1079" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ9ogSYDaQLKKkmdkKjkxuwRskHIKyCUwmsC1wZprwhb40UhZRwiC5w0VGP6c6jpAszmRtMbdsjvf1XRY6aie7DgOH88I0EeGq9QewIle7IspDkSix7eZ0LzwnZ-_BZ6i3K8RP4PXJe4TtP2n_xxAANLmRVBMDePamyAIIm610e4NR5-hXrp4bKcQWCg/w348-h640/Screenshot_20230302_171409_Chrome.jpg" width="348" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I'm also beyond honored and thrilled to be currently featured in this month's issue of The DO (official magazine of the American Osteopathic Association). I am always happy to share my story in hopes that it will inspire others, so feel free to check out the article <a href="https://thedo.osteopathic.org/columns/plastic-surgery-residency-content-creating-single-mom-ing-and-more-how-this-do-juggles-it-all/" target="_blank">HERE</a> and let me know what you think!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEir8ZFQRFj6yMuoYEUhm6nZyHhYGWfMdDIASvim1DzcCUzaOskd6R6_sdIg-qllva_HIut9URGTqTMA8oa4EkbFq8KtVXS1QJbiNdtUhHSLBiIUlHLY3W3LpO6lkwKzHjj1ycyv6eA2ePbTTEieHo-4UbNW0X02OLABCWaWHNbaXXcvkR_arP0rhM9m6w" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="258" data-original-width="603" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEir8ZFQRFj6yMuoYEUhm6nZyHhYGWfMdDIASvim1DzcCUzaOskd6R6_sdIg-qllva_HIut9URGTqTMA8oa4EkbFq8KtVXS1QJbiNdtUhHSLBiIUlHLY3W3LpO6lkwKzHjj1ycyv6eA2ePbTTEieHo-4UbNW0X02OLABCWaWHNbaXXcvkR_arP0rhM9m6w=w400-h171" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /></div>Lastly, I almost forgot to mention that last month, in celebration of Black History Month, I was also featured alongside 15 other phenomenal Black osteopathic physicians in an article that can be read <a href="https://thedo.osteopathic.org/2023/02/celebrate-black-history-month-with-these-black-do-physicians/" target="_blank">HERE</a>. If you've been following my blog from the beginning, then you might already recognize <a href="http://www.aspiringminoritydoctor.com/2015/10/meeting-my-inspiration-dr-barbara-ross.html" target="_blank">Dr. Barbara Ross-Lee</a> and <a href="http://www.aspiringminoritydoctor.com/2014/02/octavia-cannon-do.html" target="_blank">Dr. Octavia Cannon</a>, both of whom I admire and had the chance to interact with. I am also quite fond of a lot of the other DOs mentioned in the article, so it was quite humbling to see my name mentioned alongside so many phenomenal individuals.<div><br /></div><div>That's pretty much it in terms of updates. So far, I'm pretty proud of myself for keeping my goal of posting to YouTube weekly, and I'm still enjoying the hustle and bustle of residency life. As always, I appreciate you for reading and wish you a wonderful week ahead!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Aspiring Minority Doctorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16017973927200637031noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3711021709009745827.post-24415190102827551532023-02-07T13:07:00.004-05:002023-02-07T13:18:15.692-05:00Empowering Women Physicians 2023 Bora Bora Retreat Recap and Reflections<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijxOa5pXvmgYGAdg2NzLIqiNJebJcg47qwyF6pBqTp2NAbCFFvRXX64cHmIGNLVaVoPKz7GPrAx0AwhNQ6ntQsZrxDjTtB2nQUPZT5aTtEFf14RyvoYs04npYVmt9ZImSraGY8h2zK8QFl13gjZZPQZBQwViRy9zr0JoDpaiCBIH6u2OLVWbyLuf97xQ/s809/IMG_20230206_161943_977.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="809" data-original-width="809" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijxOa5pXvmgYGAdg2NzLIqiNJebJcg47qwyF6pBqTp2NAbCFFvRXX64cHmIGNLVaVoPKz7GPrAx0AwhNQ6ntQsZrxDjTtB2nQUPZT5aTtEFf14RyvoYs04npYVmt9ZImSraGY8h2zK8QFl13gjZZPQZBQwViRy9zr0JoDpaiCBIH6u2OLVWbyLuf97xQ/w400-h400/IMG_20230206_161943_977.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">66 Women Physicians in Bora Bora!!!!</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">As I begin writing this, I am currently 30,000 feet in the
air and on my way back home to Miami from a wonderful week in beautiful Bora
Bora. I’m actually about to land soon and can barely keep my eyes open as I’ve
been traveling since yesterday, but I wanted to get this started so that I
can finish and hopefully post tomorrow. But first let me tell you why I was in
Bora Bora and how it all came to be:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Back in September, I shared my story in the <a href="https://empoweringwomenphysicians.com/" target="_blank">Empowering Women Physicians</a> group (click <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/empoweringwomenphysicians/" target="_blank">HERE</a> to join the Facebook group), founded by Dr. Sunny Smith in an attempt to win a spot at
their annual retreat held at The Four Seasons Bora Bora Resort. I figured I
didn’t have a chance in hell at winning, but I shared anyway because 1) I’m
always happy to share my story with hopes that it uplifts/inspires others. And 2)
the retreat was occurring on the same dates as my birthday PTO request, so I
felt like it was a sign to try. For those who don’t know, in my residency
program we get a total of 20 vacation days for the year, and we’re only allowed
to take five business days off per month, weekends not included. I had
originally scheduled to take off the end of January and the first week of
February, and the retreat dates fell perfectly in between. I was beyond floored
(and to be honest, I still am) when I found out I was the winner of the
resident award, which included not only a stay in a gorgeous overwater bungalow
at The Four Seasons, but also food, drinks and all group activities in addition
to CME credits and a month of coaching! All I had to do was pay for my flight (which
was a huge investment within itself on a residency budget) and they took care
of all the rest. It truly feels like the universe was conspiring for me to go
on this trip because even if I hadn’t used vacation days, I could have used my
CME credit which I have not used yet. Winning this trip was truly a miracle and
a blessing. <o:p></o:p>Okay, so now that you’re all caught up, here’s how the week went:</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ei3qtmoFjEShiT-vgjSYJuFDmJwm6yAvJTw4trcCRFnw6Pk9che76bI8sMUDwGlhXfQvHoQxoj38BUF6zM0T7SxccIIpC57CsxuA1pvO9UaL3RYr-TirKy8wLNtEgQHxCKwd8yP2KGfuDspai6H6ZGlXt6f5IniPwzEIQ2RIQvmscdgQkPUhv8dYKA/s1413/IMG_20230206_161943_912.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1413" data-original-width="1413" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ei3qtmoFjEShiT-vgjSYJuFDmJwm6yAvJTw4trcCRFnw6Pk9che76bI8sMUDwGlhXfQvHoQxoj38BUF6zM0T7SxccIIpC57CsxuA1pvO9UaL3RYr-TirKy8wLNtEgQHxCKwd8yP2KGfuDspai6H6ZGlXt6f5IniPwzEIQ2RIQvmscdgQkPUhv8dYKA/w400-h400/IMG_20230206_161943_912.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The incredible Dr. Sunny Smith!!!! </td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Sunday<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">My travel started on a Sunday and I braced myself for what
would be the longest time I have ever traveled in my life. I believe the total
travel time was 36 hours from start to finish. And on top of the time, I had
multiple layovers (Atlanta, Los Angeles, Papeete) before I would finally arrive
in Bora Bora. My original flight was changed by the airline a couple of months
prior, so I specifically added the Atlanta layover so that I could have lunch
with one of my dearest friends from medical school, but she absolutely
surprised me with the best birthday gift ever! When I arrived at the airport,
she greeted me with tulips (my favorite), a balloon, drinks, and a card. She then
had me pick from two pieces of paper with the words written on them hidden from
me. I thought it was weird (and had no idea that this is a current thing on
social media), but she’s fun, so I decided to go with the flow. The first paper
I selected read “limo”, and I was like what?!, but then she had me follow her
back into the airport to find a man waiting with a sign with my name on it, and
we walked out to find a beautiful limo driving up to me! Then she had me select
another paper, and this one had the words Herve Leger written on it. For those
who don’t know, this is one of my favorite designers. And after I selected the
paper, she pulled out one of the most gorgeous dresses out of her bag. I was
completely floored! Before coming, she told me to wear black with heels, so I
just assumed we were going to an all black brunch somewhere in Atlanta. I literally
changed from blue jeans to black jeans in the airport before walking out to
meet her, so she definitely got me good with that one. I brought black boots,
but surprisingly they actually fit well with the dress. Now at this point I’m
thinking it can’t possibly get any better than this. But then she has me select
another piece of paper and this one reads “food”. And if you know me, you know
I love food, so I was so happy! The limo then takes us to Two Urban Licks, which
is a super great restaurant in Atlanta, and we ate yummy food and had a blast.
After this we walked the Atlanta Beltline, which surprisingly, despite all the
years I lived in the area, I had never walked. Following this, we took a trip
to Lenox mall where we walked around, got some yummy cupcakes by CamiCakes, a Black-owned
company, and just really spent the time bonding and talking with each other. It
was seriously one of the best days of my life and one of the highlights of my
trip. Even better than Bora Bora itself. Just thinking about it makes me
emotional because I am truly blessed to have such amazing friends. When she
dropped me back off at the airport, I felt nothing but joy and love in my
heart, and it made the rest of my trip smoother. You can watch the reel below to see how truly great it was :)</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CoGMus3jbID/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-radius: 3px; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5) 0px 0px 1px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15) 0px 1px 10px 0px; margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0px; width: calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding: 16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CoGMus3jbID/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 0; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank"> <div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0px;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0px auto 12px; width: 50px;"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewbox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g fill-rule="evenodd" fill="none" stroke-width="1" stroke="none"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0px;"></div> <div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px;"><div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px); width: 12.5px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12.5px; margin-left: 2px; margin-right: 14px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px); width: 12.5px;"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style="border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); border-top: 2px solid transparent; height: 0px; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg); width: 0px;"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="border-right: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); transform: translateY(16px); width: 0px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; transform: translateY(-4px); width: 16px;"></div> <div style="border-left: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); height: 0px; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px); width: 0px;"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0px 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CoGMus3jbID/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Dr. Rox (@drashleyroxanne)</a></p></div></blockquote> <script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">But back to the trip. My second flight was from Atlanta to
Los Angeles, and a very interesting thing happened: During the middle of my
flight, the flight attendants called overhead asking for medical volunteers to
come up to the front. I went up to the front where I met two other female
physicians, both in orthopedics (one of whom who was going to the same retreat
in Bora Bora), and a patient in distress who we all helped together. Luckily,
the patient ended up okay and we didn’t have to land the plane, but it was
actually my first time having and responding to an inflight emergency (luckily
no one could tell). I was happy to not have to do it alone. Once we arrived to
Los Angeles, we found other physicians going on the same retreat and we all
hung out and got to know each other in the lounge before boarding our next
flight to Tahiti. Fortunately, that was a smooth flight without issues.<o:p></o:p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPVNaMZVuyXBv2RBzfX-ZQ_W5Gh3jynyJGHia_3CVlbhGE1VZQJIGXu4uuEdG3jsaXhehreUp7trI-V94L-SsSEmHKWgL2l2NhpuIwk_gfxusbWkBHDQiWTBHIY29_DJ65FpW0Ja1yzZo9vuZVMJ3bcsBiizQjoCiK9x5ZqQKytNDHy28cw0PJkEXh-w/s1080/IMG_20230206_161944_246.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPVNaMZVuyXBv2RBzfX-ZQ_W5Gh3jynyJGHia_3CVlbhGE1VZQJIGXu4uuEdG3jsaXhehreUp7trI-V94L-SsSEmHKWgL2l2NhpuIwk_gfxusbWkBHDQiWTBHIY29_DJ65FpW0Ja1yzZo9vuZVMJ3bcsBiizQjoCiK9x5ZqQKytNDHy28cw0PJkEXh-w/w400-h400/IMG_20230206_161944_246.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meeting some of the docs for the first time in Los Angeles</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Monday<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When we arrived in Tahiti the next day, they were playing
music in the airport and it was a great experience. I wasn’t in Tahiti long
though, because when I went to check my bag, the person at the ticket counter
asked if I wanted to get on the flight that was currently boarding instead of
waiting three hours. I looked at her with disbelief and asked if that would be
pushing it since the plane was literally leaving in 10 minutes, but she said it
wouldn’t be a problem. As I was going through security they were calling my
name, but I made it on the flight with the most beautiful view and safely into
Bora Bora.<o:p></o:p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRyZUd5yPLa6G5ME7tYH6Bap7BuEjzPs6Xf7ruFsovgm8Fc5LD3M0meXW_ha_RUau9exA6Lo_L8L9dUYUKM0upC5a9PwYUS-qwye-jaBnP0FmJ1v3uFnsTxL3wN2tptcRvcFfO2_C_AgreWtHPzDhUjDw7cJZw8H0CEiJoMrf73nJLHrmaIx-KUwoPZQ/s3840/VideoCapture_20230130-075338.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3840" data-original-width="2160" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRyZUd5yPLa6G5ME7tYH6Bap7BuEjzPs6Xf7ruFsovgm8Fc5LD3M0meXW_ha_RUau9exA6Lo_L8L9dUYUKM0upC5a9PwYUS-qwye-jaBnP0FmJ1v3uFnsTxL3wN2tptcRvcFfO2_C_AgreWtHPzDhUjDw7cJZw8H0CEiJoMrf73nJLHrmaIx-KUwoPZQ/w225-h400/VideoCapture_20230130-075338.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My view from the plane</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal">When we arrived in to Bora Bora, we were greeted with a
fresh flower leis. Our luggage was taken and we were escorted by boat to our
hotel. The ride to the hotel was absolutely scenic and beautiful, and it was
even cooler getting to know some of the ladies I would be spending the week
with. Once we arrived to the resort, they took us to a villa to check in and to
relax while we awaited our rooms, since we arrived at around 7am that morning.
The villa had a beautiful pool overlooking the mountains. And it was really
nice just dipping my feet in, eating food and bonding with other women. This is
also where we received our roommate assignments (because let’s face it, the
Four Seasons isn’t cheap), and I was lucky enough to find out my roommate was
someone who I had participated in a virtual small group setting with earlier in
the month. Once in my room, I couldn’t help but try out the gorgeous blue cool
water. I took a dip in the water and then I joined the main group in the
activity section of the resort for a cultural experience that involved making flower
crowns, learning the history of coconuts, and taking dance lessons. Later that
evening, we had a beautiful Tahitian dinner that included absolutely delicious
food. I don’t actually like to eat any raw seafood, but being that I was in a
different country, I did try it, and I was floored at how delicious the raw
swordfish, tuna and other fish was. It didn’t even taste like fish! Super
fresh! To top it all off, there was even a magnificent fire show with music and
dancing and a group picture afterwards. It was a phenomenal first night. And
I’m still surprised that I was able to stay awake, but I was absolutely knocked
out by the time I made it back to my room later that evening.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif96RuIntQkdFaVQy35m2yQ96KcHOeYHZxv3TJmx3be1ogVERcExdzqoFIst4MvQ2PlQgwWFHHYdZs6rjOE6Ogs8MtZeqHerE4jSrvkz6JhI4yHiVbksnDqhCe_TIYdNFon_KmQ2YKq0B5fd0OX2NIs23_p32VYP5G72-WvxmGvQy0K7iRx2b-SUY9BQ/s4000/fotor_1675715913904.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif96RuIntQkdFaVQy35m2yQ96KcHOeYHZxv3TJmx3be1ogVERcExdzqoFIst4MvQ2PlQgwWFHHYdZs6rjOE6Ogs8MtZeqHerE4jSrvkz6JhI4yHiVbksnDqhCe_TIYdNFon_KmQ2YKq0B5fd0OX2NIs23_p32VYP5G72-WvxmGvQy0K7iRx2b-SUY9BQ/w400-h300/fotor_1675715913904.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Polynesian Dinner Night!</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Tuesday<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The next day was Tuesday, January 31<sup>st</sup> which also
happened to be my 36<sup>th</sup> birthday! I still can’t believe that I
literally woke up in paradise on my birthday. The morning started with a nice
breakfast followed by our first group session from 8am-12pm. This first session
started off with us writing three things that we were most grateful for that
day. We then put it in a cup and passed the the cup to a different table where
each person selected one piece of paper and read it. They not only read the
paper, but they discussed the feelings that reading it invoked in them. This
actually took the entire 4 hours, but it was such a beautiful display of
gratitude, and I really loved it. It was also during this session where I was
surprised with a beautiful birthday card signed by all the ladies in the group.
It made me feel so special and loved. Following the group session, I had lunch
with a few of the women and then I spent a few hours roaming around the resort
where I found a cute little lagoon with fish and coral reef. Later, I walked to
the pool, where I literally spent hours in the water hanging out and talking
before I walked over to dinner and joined another group of women. It was such a
beautiful and relaxed way to spend my birthday, and later on at night when I
came to my room I was even more smiles when I found a beautiful dessert and
birthday laid out hotel staff in the middle of the room. I later found out that
this was gifted to me by one of the women I met on the plane who happened to be
part of the travel agency making this retreat happen. Super sweet! I ended my
birthday with a bubble bath and whiskey, which is what I love to do on
vacation. It was absolutely perfect.<o:p></o:p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJhV8RqCiePpkgfmOZf9l2to2tRcQk05mQuAgnLUwt7h0YM8SvkvpaGEz-mMW53MHjIfV6E8V5R0ig-EETxz0gucsv1SbLoLwigqCdYcIevv1ZwB15-_f8gHBnB77kPhF96x4mc1n2kcFDeworDIndYyWWbpyQxMLeeVNDA84qOKaq4sGx68Zb8iGhMQ/s4278/fotor_1675619300930.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4278" data-original-width="3210" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJhV8RqCiePpkgfmOZf9l2to2tRcQk05mQuAgnLUwt7h0YM8SvkvpaGEz-mMW53MHjIfV6E8V5R0ig-EETxz0gucsv1SbLoLwigqCdYcIevv1ZwB15-_f8gHBnB77kPhF96x4mc1n2kcFDeworDIndYyWWbpyQxMLeeVNDA84qOKaq4sGx68Zb8iGhMQ/w300-h400/fotor_1675619300930.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy 36th Birthday to ME!</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Wednesday<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The next day was exciting as it was our shark, stingray and fish
snorkel day! We started off with breakfast and a short morning group session
and then we were off on the boats to submerge ourselves in the crystal clear
blue water. I had never snorkeled before, and to be honest, I’m not even really
a swimmer, but I put on my snorkel vest with a lifesaver, and I snorkeled for
the first time ever! I struggled with a foggy mask at first, but one of the
women came over and switched masks so I could see. Then the driver of the boat
threw a piece of fruit in my hand and it was so cool having all the fish come
up to me and eat out of my hand. I even hugged a Stingray!!!! How awesome is
that?! We finished the excursion by eating lunch in the ocean with sharks and stingrays
swimming around us, and I even got to feed fish from my hand. It was such an unforgettable
experience. Later that evening, I attended a quick Champagne and Pearls
experience at the resort, but I was pretty tired, so I ended the day with room
service in my room. Food is extremely expensive in Bora Bora, so I am so
grateful for the room credit that this retreat provided, because just getting a
burger, salad, and dessert was over $100. If I had to do this on my own, I
would probably have brought ramen and just used water from my my coffee pot for
the week.<o:p></o:p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsjHKtIH5_7aa4qH8WSl7I9ffevqffoD3BtHfujl2-Bn-5xrckNpQwdGKIq9VtJhhcaNXh9tfFjGNxhwdSku0fDHAcBeDLzDdTSzrXc1DkyNV1ZaYL9wGlJnXql5kjaM6f4BW9Jns8PeOBs-Bol-bcbLKp1TbTriJdG9AWp2RgNolAir4KcgaNIHxPHQ/s4000/20230201_123437.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsjHKtIH5_7aa4qH8WSl7I9ffevqffoD3BtHfujl2-Bn-5xrckNpQwdGKIq9VtJhhcaNXh9tfFjGNxhwdSku0fDHAcBeDLzDdTSzrXc1DkyNV1ZaYL9wGlJnXql5kjaM6f4BW9Jns8PeOBs-Bol-bcbLKp1TbTriJdG9AWp2RgNolAir4KcgaNIHxPHQ/w400-h300/20230201_123437.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hugging a stingray!</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Thursday<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Thursday was another amazing full group morning session
where we talked about our wildest dreams and things that we would start and
stop doing to accomplish our goals. We ended the morning with breakout sessions
with our small groups. My small group had a nice lunch and we finished off the
discussion for a couple of hours. For the afternoon, I decided to treat myself
to a spa day. I had originally tried to book a massage on my birthday, but I
went too late and everything was booked, so I was excited that I would be
getting a massage on this day. I had the most amazing deep tissue massage.
Followed by a dip in the gorgeous hot tub outback with the most beautiful
scenery. Following this, we all headed to the villa, where there were dancing
lessons given by my fellow Tahitian physician colleague, drinks, music, and a
good time. It was also during this time where I took a huge leap of faith and
jumped into the ocean from the villa. I had never done anything like that
before, and I was scared out of my mind, but Dr Smith’s husband held my hand
and I survived. It was an experience I will keep with me for a lifetime, and a
reminder of all the positive experiences that occur when taking a leap of faith.<o:p></o:p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnTx2t3k6zdvUpL2jqcuZ57NechoCdu_AXg2BncJElKeV8wZI5XV-WSr1gW69SK7P99x1UpvqPb7huGoTEluJhoERIj2AaLo8gsbs_v9sZkCgoSaVdURajz6r-xRZhLd0prbxSYHYdLyzBEj9l37-XZdJF43PppJSv2aXx5SDk9MtxUor3wzLenGZeeQ/s4000/20230202_163850.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnTx2t3k6zdvUpL2jqcuZ57NechoCdu_AXg2BncJElKeV8wZI5XV-WSr1gW69SK7P99x1UpvqPb7huGoTEluJhoERIj2AaLo8gsbs_v9sZkCgoSaVdURajz6r-xRZhLd0prbxSYHYdLyzBEj9l37-XZdJF43PppJSv2aXx5SDk9MtxUor3wzLenGZeeQ/w300-h400/20230202_163850.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Relaxing in the spa hot tub</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Friday<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Friday was our big day as it was National Women Physicians
Day. This day was created to honor the path that female doctors have paved
since 1849. We started off the morning in a large group session, but then we
quickly broke into our small groups. My small group found a large canopy next
to the pool and we all discussed our dreams, things that were holding us back,
and the solutions and ways to make it work. Following this, all 60+ of us representing so many different specialties gathered together for a group picture. Even cooler, the photographer took
individual headshots of us that will be able to use for branding or however we
like. It was such a beautiful gift. Following this, we had a bit of downtime in
the afternoon, so I recorded a very choppy YouTube video as I was walking back
to my room that looks choppy, but I may go ahead and post it anyway and just
direct to this blog post which ties up everything I really want to say anyway.
Then I got ready for our 5pm sunset cruise. The cruise was so relaxing and
beautiful. It was also a great way to connect, take pictures with everyone and
celebrate our last night together. But it didn’t end there. Following the sunset
cruise, we made it back to resort and headed to the beach, where there were
chairs waiting for us and a firework show to commemorate National Women
Physicians day. Such a fabulous way to end our last night together!</p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjThMVN_dOu8B9r3K5EOh10Lil5SPykPO9kqoYIgsISQWpdsEHWc56BAUEaEy8pa9ShCunkiSfW5Ky8MZ3_4kGoiHZt6Mb57Izc6fi5Gw5QJWponljb25ZSKx5PkyQEG1tJbk6HeaKuEXD8QX7Jka6p_iG13sKeFXTZEowN3d2HjERTiF22CjK9HtaYRg/s4000/20230203_184428.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjThMVN_dOu8B9r3K5EOh10Lil5SPykPO9kqoYIgsISQWpdsEHWc56BAUEaEy8pa9ShCunkiSfW5Ky8MZ3_4kGoiHZt6Mb57Izc6fi5Gw5QJWponljb25ZSKx5PkyQEG1tJbk6HeaKuEXD8QX7Jka6p_iG13sKeFXTZEowN3d2HjERTiF22CjK9HtaYRg/w300-h400/20230203_184428.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset Cruise</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Saturday<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<p class="MsoNormal">Saturday was officially our last day and it was so sad to
leave paradise. We started off the morning with our final group session, and after
we ended around 12pm, we all headed to a villa that was made available for us
to lounge, swim, and relax in while we awaited our boats to take us to the
airport. This villa was absolutely huge and amazing. So much so that I recorded
a video for it that I will upload to my <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@minoritydoctor" target="_blank">YouTube channel</a> because it was just mind-blowing
how beautiful it was. At around 3:30pm, the boat came to pick me up since my
flight was leaving around 5:00 PM. They greeted us with beautiful shell
necklaces while boarding, and as we were leaving the resort, it started to
rain. We had beautiful weather the whole time there, but the rain starting when
we left felt like a sign that the island was sad we were leaving. Fortunately,
there were no inflight emergencies on either of my flights back home, so it was
pretty smooth.<o:p></o:p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVRVGTAFVF6nb7JWjUleFTRtBtGUL3W6JBRci01SB9ApmWPlqnCtwWI-VqbR2CW8-A-H_DtDkZRcJW_6PSQJUQVGxChzU8yFVawPTXU_8551xGKqq1WjsJsxfV4ayKQG1lMmVHboenkoHAmU1D15tS1DtEkmGQ_05FyzglFXm-c-l_ZE0zD_s8O0cAlQ/s4000/20230204_124550.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVRVGTAFVF6nb7JWjUleFTRtBtGUL3W6JBRci01SB9ApmWPlqnCtwWI-VqbR2CW8-A-H_DtDkZRcJW_6PSQJUQVGxChzU8yFVawPTXU_8551xGKqq1WjsJsxfV4ayKQG1lMmVHboenkoHAmU1D15tS1DtEkmGQ_05FyzglFXm-c-l_ZE0zD_s8O0cAlQ/w400-h300/20230204_124550.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Villa Life</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Sunday<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I arrived back home to Miami Sunday evening and I was so
tired. But when I opened the door I was greeted with a cake and tulips from my
awesome guy that made me smile. I attempted to stay up to at least 11pm that
night and then I was out for the count. It’s so nice being back home, but I
truly do miss paradise.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYLr8Hbo4FD5GuI3OHE523ms4glS6zaKcydpNEt8RRuKOnEoGAIaX3ETsGCe4l5N5AJvPkkuYkWh-XtCnKLvypnLE7WG7UaHNKEauF3JD8350Z3W717lGcvnWxF63nmKTAT6x1e4AxAMsix04OEHC59llkuznTBro3U-zNyFPW07mCCMnB9N0chcm3KA/s3840/VideoCapture_20230207-114031.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3840" data-original-width="2160" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYLr8Hbo4FD5GuI3OHE523ms4glS6zaKcydpNEt8RRuKOnEoGAIaX3ETsGCe4l5N5AJvPkkuYkWh-XtCnKLvypnLE7WG7UaHNKEauF3JD8350Z3W717lGcvnWxF63nmKTAT6x1e4AxAMsix04OEHC59llkuznTBro3U-zNyFPW07mCCMnB9N0chcm3KA/w225-h400/VideoCapture_20230207-114031.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Birthday cake and tulips :)</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;">Reflections</span><o:p style="font-size: 14pt;"></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It is now Tuesday and I feel like I finally have had a
little downtime to reflect on my experience, but I am still mind blown over
everything that happened last week. I learned so much in the realm of dealing
with personal situations, business, life, and just navigating the world as a
woman physician. The experience I had was truly priceless. My takeaways from
this trip would take up an entire post, and I’ve already written way too much,
so I’ll just leave you with five random nuggets that I took away:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><b><i>1) If you don’t take the time to take care of yourself now, you’ll only end up hurting yourself in the long run</i></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;">During one of the large group sessions, I shared how I grappled with the thought of winning a trip to Bora Bora when there were so many phenomenal female physicians who shared their stories and who I felt deserved it more than me because they had experienced more burnout and had been practicing way longer than myself. After this session, one of the women came up to me and told me how she had been dealing with physician burnout for over a decade, and she wishes that she had opportunities like this as a resident so that she would have never gotten to that point. I never thought about how important it is to start physician wellness early, because residency and life tend to beat you down and get you to a place where you think that the burnout is normal, but it’s really not right. This experience was a blatant reminder to take care of myself. Because if I don’t take care of myself, how can I truly take care of my patients?</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><b><i>2) Your story truly is not for you and it is important to share it</i></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;">Those of you reading this know that I’ve never been afraid to share my story, but attending this retreat showed me how very important it is to share our stories and how connected we all truly are to each other. There was so much I could relate to from the other women there, whether it was talking about abuse, burnout, divorce, parenting, job changes, etc., and I realized that we are all connected by so muchI met women there who I share mutual friends with. I met women there who had gone through the same residency match struggles as myself, but had never shared it until that point. I met a woman who literally went to my same medical school and graduated only 3 years before me, and I met women there who were struggling with something that those of us had already gone through could provide advice for. It’s so important to share our stories because you never know who might need to hear it to keep their lives going.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><b><i>3) Don’t be afraid to allow good things to happen to you. You are worthy and you do deserve it. Not everyone is out to get you.</i></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;">I was pretty quiet about this trip since finding out that I won in September because, honestly, I was skeptical. I’ve gotten to a point in my life where I don’t expect truly good things to happen to me. I always expect there to be a catch, or that someone will want something in return. This retreat showed me this is not the case. I was sure I was going to get a call saying that they made a mistake or that they accidentally forgot to include me in the booking prior to going. I was so scared because I just never expect truly good things to happen to me. I even continue to struggle with that in my current residency program that this is all too good to be true, and that it will be taken away from me somehow. But this retreat showed me that I am worthy of these things, and I should expect these things because I put in the work and good out into the world and I should expect that good to come right back. It also showed me that there are people out there who truly want to support me and who will push for me, but I do have to allow myself to be open to receiving that.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><b><i>4) Life is short and the time to live is now.</i></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;">Even with the demands of residency, it’s easy to get caught up and forget to live life. We get consumed with work, with motherhood, personal, and other business responsibilities that we forget to take the time and honor ourselves. What I took away from this retreat is that now is the time to create the life I want to live, and to find a way to make it work, despite any obstacles I may perceive to be in my way. </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><b><i>5) You are not alone and there are people who truly care about you and will be there to help when you need it</i></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;">When I was there, I listened to so many stories of physician suicide. And I remember one of the women sharing with me how when she was in residency, one of the residents actually committed suicide while in the hospital with the chief residents actually hearing the gun go off as they were banging on the door. Most people aren’t aware that that rate of physician suicide is high. Our hours are grueling. A lot of times we feel like there is no support. And, whether you’re a resident or an attending, sometimes it can feel very lonely. One of the most powerful things for me, during the retreat was one of the women taking me aside, giving me her phone number, and telling me that it doesn’t matter what time or day that it is, if there is any time within the next 15 years where I feel I’m in a dark place, to call her, and she will help me through it. That is so powerful to me. And there was another woman who even talked about her dream of buying a house in Bora Bora, so that she can sponsor a resident physician each year who may be struggling with mental health or other wellness issues, and sponsor them for an all expense paid getaway in an attempt to promote wellness and help prevent physician suicide. Just writing this chokes me up, not because I’ve ever been suicidal, but I remember being in a very dark place, especially during my intern year in Philadelphia where I felt like there was no one I could call on who could relate to me or who could help me, so to know that there are people who are actively trying to help is just truly incredible. I honestly have no words for how touching it really is. </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLYR4V6preBAPaJkL6vZdcxPWVPJZ8tU_CKo2eOUGvK4n6qtMxaupzir9R-qXR2kd5JVXLhlAzEGG5oXF5tPUJBtfNYTSMngp-CPfBCQHLw1T-TRi9Yggd3oVf2ruSp54WB9OyToDDPJN05BX6eNKS3a74No9UmgZnGcuZcUFfVgbsUZyHOFl44kvWhw/s2944/FaceApp_1675447704743.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2944" data-original-width="2208" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLYR4V6preBAPaJkL6vZdcxPWVPJZ8tU_CKo2eOUGvK4n6qtMxaupzir9R-qXR2kd5JVXLhlAzEGG5oXF5tPUJBtfNYTSMngp-CPfBCQHLw1T-TRi9Yggd3oVf2ruSp54WB9OyToDDPJN05BX6eNKS3a74No9UmgZnGcuZcUFfVgbsUZyHOFl44kvWhw/w300-h400/FaceApp_1675447704743.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smiles in Paradise</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Wrapping
Up<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<p class="MsoNormal">OK so I know I’ve taken way too much time on this post and
written a novel, so I’m going to wrap it up. But, there are no words to
describe how incredibly powerful and beautiful this experience was for me. We
shared our stories in a safe place, bonded, laughed together, and cried
together. And as the only resident physician in attendance, I truly feel like I
gained a tribe of phenomenal female attending physicians who I will be able to
lean on even in the roughest times while navigating my journey through
residency and beyond. I am even more so thankful to Dr. Sunny Smith for
creating an exceptional coaching program (Please click here to check it out) that
is helping so many physicians and for giving me the gift of a lifetime. Oh, and
lastly, we were even featured in the Tahitian news! You can check out that
article <a href="https://ladepeche.pf/2023/02/04/une-soixante-de-medecins-americaines-en-retraite-une-semaine-a-bora-bora/?fbclid=IwAR2w_xDkdLpEAuoIrWSsmFiszPl1FdQXOSta8O1m0iL6cxurXAvP8CQ7FwE" target="_blank">HERE</a> (open in Chrome and right click, there should be a Google tab that says translate page).<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiufSwApIfGUEnXUN3DpVxxPWlXVYuU478ifCXri07FSeLh44fOFc30u2jVkWb9w2R86Tr1lKwFhDXG-A9L4RmxdvD8GjHMI-4t1DtfC5GRK8V3buXhaL2-GLTLN3IOkhqulsnEK53OIR4ZG8mD5IQlzJTerWZI1KmyIh5E4pByDhVmS2tZ50hyT4YDGw/s1049/IMG_20230206_161944_268.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1049" data-original-width="1049" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiufSwApIfGUEnXUN3DpVxxPWlXVYuU478ifCXri07FSeLh44fOFc30u2jVkWb9w2R86Tr1lKwFhDXG-A9L4RmxdvD8GjHMI-4t1DtfC5GRK8V3buXhaL2-GLTLN3IOkhqulsnEK53OIR4ZG8mD5IQlzJTerWZI1KmyIh5E4pByDhVmS2tZ50hyT4YDGw/w400-h400/IMG_20230206_161944_268.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Featured in the Tahitian News!</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal">If you’ve made it this far in my post, thank you so much for
reading and I hope reading it brought you joy. I wish you all a wonderful week
ahead and I look forward to updating you with more in the near future.<o:p></o:p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVc_1zIni9f8DXl23B-XN79xsbDSo2JcJXWcmTO59N0-NuC-y3EnzpEOVIqedaj9DWB6hZEnd-JR6rKfAHV4mAxMPW_v9ZsV7HJClv2ToGNSDo9Sjq0Jlnh_n3ouM5Amdna9rQy7T8j5d8xEJuBboXHGykQNZIbCQQ7g0KpoKw9ioa_ZDseOTc9kRfRg/s4000/20230203_093749.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVc_1zIni9f8DXl23B-XN79xsbDSo2JcJXWcmTO59N0-NuC-y3EnzpEOVIqedaj9DWB6hZEnd-JR6rKfAHV4mAxMPW_v9ZsV7HJClv2ToGNSDo9Sjq0Jlnh_n3ouM5Amdna9rQy7T8j5d8xEJuBboXHGykQNZIbCQQ7g0KpoKw9ioa_ZDseOTc9kRfRg/w300-h400/20230203_093749.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#Blessed</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div></div></div><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><p><br /></p><br /><p></p>Aspiring Minority Doctorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16017973927200637031noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3711021709009745827.post-81297816721459565632023-01-08T17:46:00.003-05:002023-01-08T17:46:35.379-05:00Check Me out on YouTube!<p> </p> <iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wRliEaa1lTA" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div>Happy New Year! Remember in 2017 when I attempted to start a YouTube vlog of my medical journey? Unfortunately I didn't keep up with it, but I'm hoping this year will be different. With that being said, here's my first post of the year! Please check it out, like, comment, and subscribe if you want to see more!</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I still plan to write regular posts on this blog, but I figured having a video format of my journey would be helpful as well. It's definitely been a bit of a learning curve for me, so the videos will improve as I learn more. I would like to produce content that everyone finds helpful, so any and all topic suggestions are greatly appreciated. Wishing everyone a wonderful week! </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Here's the link to my YouTube channel (subscribe for future videos): https://www.youtube.com/@minoritydoctor</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Aspiring Minority Doctorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16017973927200637031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3711021709009745827.post-6161249923567129852022-12-30T20:18:00.001-05:002022-12-30T20:18:47.134-05:00Wrapping up 2022! (Residency Life, Mom Life, and Blog Milestones)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAGO3R0gLnKZvH6OyymO6oQ8Qdyb8pCepKztSak1Yi5RxBgkI-CBr7WMXAjzwQCzqQhwMP7Bi-l8YaCT17MfjRj-pJHp9_3p1nF4_tH6NRwpowGtUY9cqqCcuWzJb9bRQJK6j7ncFWDQtW7dp0VZIQhvvH688R29gTZXcQyMzvofxNPCpGiqfv6fZMpQ/s2048/PhotoGrid_1672448076767.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAGO3R0gLnKZvH6OyymO6oQ8Qdyb8pCepKztSak1Yi5RxBgkI-CBr7WMXAjzwQCzqQhwMP7Bi-l8YaCT17MfjRj-pJHp9_3p1nF4_tH6NRwpowGtUY9cqqCcuWzJb9bRQJK6j7ncFWDQtW7dp0VZIQhvvH688R29gTZXcQyMzvofxNPCpGiqfv6fZMpQ/w400-h400/PhotoGrid_1672448076767.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last Blog Post of the Year!</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>Can you believe tomorrow is the last day of 2022?! This year has flown by fast! So fast in fact that I've been too busy to keep up with my blog the way I've wanted to, but I'm here and ready to catch everyone up as we head into what will hopefully be an exciting and fulfilling new year :)</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXw8EPi_Vk14d8AYVB2L3iPlduI1FuGTbKvkOTNZbs8cT7rp1MTltccJBl8A2vO8LdMqad6VOw7JLJ7YBcBvaHTW58qdCK_HIbjfR5cEeRObYqSHDz29mJL8VVwbjVqF4DK6Pc1OyVQmYYe7-lDX5Y05xwW6RfulOU2buWgn8oXq1Z9Ajyb9YetPebnA/s2048/PhotoGrid_1672447975858.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXw8EPi_Vk14d8AYVB2L3iPlduI1FuGTbKvkOTNZbs8cT7rp1MTltccJBl8A2vO8LdMqad6VOw7JLJ7YBcBvaHTW58qdCK_HIbjfR5cEeRObYqSHDz29mJL8VVwbjVqF4DK6Pc1OyVQmYYe7-lDX5Y05xwW6RfulOU2buWgn8oXq1Z9Ajyb9YetPebnA/w400-h400/PhotoGrid_1672447975858.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My daughter turned 16!</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>My last post was in October, so I guess the biggest update since that time is that I am officially the mom of a sixteen year old. Yep, the little one turned 16 in November! Can you believe it?!?! She'll be getting her full drivers license soon and we're already talking about ACT/SAT prep with hopes to plan out college visits soon. <insert shocked face> I'm just seriously so blessed to have such an amazing daughter and I'm even more so grateful that I was able to spend her special day with her and celebrate in a way that she wanted. The festivities included a birthday dinner, an escape room experience, and a very small home gathering of pizza and movies with some of her closest friends. It was memorable and just as sweet as she is.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfzNZSOZGgAUt-0ptPVtCUJvzfzv4aLL65sSqZz8vacv6uzI6YzhxIq7qrlrsp_kBHUrBmZ1kZ0n6OwPcoC-CJXZAQbYW_GXE9FQXyHGP6M8yUkjhqoM_N1aADWa64QGUl1LrsyO-CijakflxBhpyVVLYDwHN92YYS5lrAktlJu17bD_nGHM-Walfi5A/s2000/Aspiring%20Minority%20DOctor%20blog%20is%20officially%209%20years%20old!.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="2000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfzNZSOZGgAUt-0ptPVtCUJvzfzv4aLL65sSqZz8vacv6uzI6YzhxIq7qrlrsp_kBHUrBmZ1kZ0n6OwPcoC-CJXZAQbYW_GXE9FQXyHGP6M8yUkjhqoM_N1aADWa64QGUl1LrsyO-CijakflxBhpyVVLYDwHN92YYS5lrAktlJu17bD_nGHM-Walfi5A/w400-h320/Aspiring%20Minority%20DOctor%20blog%20is%20officially%209%20years%20old!.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Celebrating my 9 year blogiversary!</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>My other major update is the "Aspiring Minority Doctor" blog is now 9 years old! Even though my posts have become less frequent, I'm still in disbelief that I've kept up with this thing for nine years. My original plan was to type up a blogiversary post on December 17th, but that day I was participating in a full day aesthetic injection workshop and I was too tired to type by the time I got home that night. It was a pretty awesome day though as I got the chance to have my little sister as a patient and my results came out pretty awesome :) </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1_w0VzOX9TuShITdq9pDvCNjnVgpLZQcHcfxHl8mQPDl4ICUThxl--fsXzvdKrvEcZy6n0ypCJD4GJBaPRr6EnRUXzhjXWlIBa5gVnVrNZtd4tAYLwxQOj2sV8GzH9mZsyabrFsgMR3J6lvbcWoRXRu_XUPiCg8y5V39N1rvr8LovICYI631VcanK-Q/s2048/PhotoGrid_1672448596012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1_w0VzOX9TuShITdq9pDvCNjnVgpLZQcHcfxHl8mQPDl4ICUThxl--fsXzvdKrvEcZy6n0ypCJD4GJBaPRr6EnRUXzhjXWlIBa5gVnVrNZtd4tAYLwxQOj2sV8GzH9mZsyabrFsgMR3J6lvbcWoRXRu_XUPiCg8y5V39N1rvr8LovICYI631VcanK-Q/w400-h400/PhotoGrid_1672448596012.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Surgery is life</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>In terms of residency life, nothing much new has occurred since my last post. I continue to work and learn daily and not a day goes by where I don't feel incredibly blessed to be in the position I am in today. I was actually surprised in November during my hand surgery rotation with how much I enjoyed it, so I'm continuing to keep my mind open on my future practice plans. Plastic surgery is such a diverse field, so I don't want to miss out on something great by hyper focusing on one aspect of the specialty. Plus, I still have four more years to make up my mind. </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhejW1JQqDFphbQORWUBSWFg3sooJL0b8tEtQ3WcnqTjtNwKHMsLFr6qeAmpFIHPwCDfz1CAOn4KK75hbad9-FrAIq7roq_L_oPb2K6hDsOMp0NUqjA4S0BXJGGc-HlhxXT9Kh0EP_LDiYeCvY3bEsThcW-8P8nySswdo31cA4sOF4eufB3q5_SobZxgg/s2048/PhotoGrid_1672448874391.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhejW1JQqDFphbQORWUBSWFg3sooJL0b8tEtQ3WcnqTjtNwKHMsLFr6qeAmpFIHPwCDfz1CAOn4KK75hbad9-FrAIq7roq_L_oPb2K6hDsOMp0NUqjA4S0BXJGGc-HlhxXT9Kh0EP_LDiYeCvY3bEsThcW-8P8nySswdo31cA4sOF4eufB3q5_SobZxgg/w400-h400/PhotoGrid_1672448874391.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thankful for you!</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>Other than that, I just want to end the year with thanks. I continue to be grateful for each and every individual who takes the time out of their busy lives to read my blog. It truly means a lot to me, so thank you for reading. And as for the upcoming year, I'm not sure the direction I want to go with continuing to share my journey, but I'm definitely going to aim to make it to the ten year mark with this blog. I'm also thinking of venturing out into other realms to share my journey and insights, but for now you'll just have to stay tuned ;)</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhggPTelfxqBeDm82HjKTHnmBH5gdnaNkJUNEvSPvM22P9I1Q1_1jopxqlUquKNy2Jbm9yrKvETLm9_Fv0CgS1BwEIToHQ3InWnY28IUV77cRxE9WIZwIwUMaDZpR4sKuNGO3fq_TYHAEO7uWElJ2i3A0DaRnCRA3RViHPDvypiGe1nh8vBK-PmMIpg7Q/s2048/PhotoGrid_1672448989591.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhggPTelfxqBeDm82HjKTHnmBH5gdnaNkJUNEvSPvM22P9I1Q1_1jopxqlUquKNy2Jbm9yrKvETLm9_Fv0CgS1BwEIToHQ3InWnY28IUV77cRxE9WIZwIwUMaDZpR4sKuNGO3fq_TYHAEO7uWElJ2i3A0DaRnCRA3RViHPDvypiGe1nh8vBK-PmMIpg7Q/w400-h400/PhotoGrid_1672448989591.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy Holidays!</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>I am excited for 2023 and for the wild ride I'm sure it will take me on. Every year that goes by, I learn more about myself, and good or bad, I enjoy the growth that comes with every year. To everyone reading this, I hope you had a very happy holiday season and I wish you an incredible New Year filled with love, joy, and accomplishing feats you never thought possible. See you next year!</p><p> </p><p><br /></p>Aspiring Minority Doctorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16017973927200637031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3711021709009745827.post-53916979462370146832022-10-16T05:27:00.002-04:002022-10-16T05:31:37.932-04:00Plastic Surgery Year Two: First Quarter Update<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXhvTll8spBkGaaAZKtJ0Lp_Yji1qDvSyl3BUBJ2ELKjnZ-8xojQFs_dEmGqm5RXkQz8HdEPGHGX1udZ0vQL_ektJwkRGODkLs3cg_y1aZzGclaOqSBLmQvVTx3X8xd9_tMO6dMqm8GP3enFilb7V23upquPkUw9X8Yo19NQGxjU6UGVrcW8OwQpVaqA/s4032/fotor_1655402296925.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXhvTll8spBkGaaAZKtJ0Lp_Yji1qDvSyl3BUBJ2ELKjnZ-8xojQFs_dEmGqm5RXkQz8HdEPGHGX1udZ0vQL_ektJwkRGODkLs3cg_y1aZzGclaOqSBLmQvVTx3X8xd9_tMO6dMqm8GP3enFilb7V23upquPkUw9X8Yo19NQGxjU6UGVrcW8OwQpVaqA/w300-h400/fotor_1655402296925.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In my element :)</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Can you believe it's already October?!?! I feel like this year has flown by so fast! It's been 4 months since my last update which was right at the start of my final month of intern year. After going through two separate intern years, it feels good to finally have PGY2 status and never have to go through that again! Right now, I am currently in the fourth month of my second year as a plastic surgery resident physician, which means it's time to update everyone on the past few months.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw5Gd-gqoQcwD3hI7fvJIp0m-nOuLDk8sCJLBCDaIkoXMrfek7QeG-l00b92iB27OAq0YEceObKiRwiu2ezZXdS95XdPXyL94aTyG6zm0diYhmwzNuuAGkkG4EmURNG9mQTrMEJ3SYaTv0Wn5B4BwYlM9V4fxAkyrTJiFbWDXWzr6AvEVtHdqjrXFTWw/s2048/PhotoGrid_1665909725078.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw5Gd-gqoQcwD3hI7fvJIp0m-nOuLDk8sCJLBCDaIkoXMrfek7QeG-l00b92iB27OAq0YEceObKiRwiu2ezZXdS95XdPXyL94aTyG6zm0diYhmwzNuuAGkkG4EmURNG9mQTrMEJ3SYaTv0Wn5B4BwYlM9V4fxAkyrTJiFbWDXWzr6AvEVtHdqjrXFTWw/w400-h400/PhotoGrid_1665909725078.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A fun weekend of plastic surgery education in San Francisco</td></tr></tbody></table><p><b>June: </b>When I last left off, I was just starting my final month of intern year. This was a fun month on the plastic surgery service! I had the chance to do a lot of procedures both in the office and the operating room, and got to spend the month working directly with my program director. I even had the opportunity to fly to San Francisco at the beginning of the month to attend an Allergan KEYS conference where I learned all about a variety of topics such as breast reconstruction, cool sculpting, Botox, and fillers. There was even a hands-on injectables session where I had the chance to perfect my technique using silicone model heads.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpu3O8uD_rUfR6Jml0-GEN9M5g1bTp8OCD3ifXYhO8BfxJWBgho2ic7NnHpUREosW1UKvTlGqVulc3aao5wME0MHPwu0li0NRBWHE8wBxLrm8yi4l4HdMMpWW6Fsm2ccRqrtVYvqme5fsUnFPjBi0uNfIW9ejvyNOPpJVNomibDv0vzP9jqfX7XveFCQ/s2048/PhotoGrid_1665909997880.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpu3O8uD_rUfR6Jml0-GEN9M5g1bTp8OCD3ifXYhO8BfxJWBgho2ic7NnHpUREosW1UKvTlGqVulc3aao5wME0MHPwu0li0NRBWHE8wBxLrm8yi4l4HdMMpWW6Fsm2ccRqrtVYvqme5fsUnFPjBi0uNfIW9ejvyNOPpJVNomibDv0vzP9jqfX7XveFCQ/w400-h400/PhotoGrid_1665909997880.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My super awesome plastic surgery attendings</td></tr></tbody></table><p><b>July: </b>I started off my second year on a combined Burn/Trauma plastic surgery service at an outside hospital, and it was busy! Between Fourth of July firework celebrations and people having a whole lot of free time to do silly things, every day was a new experience. I experienced a lot of professional growth, and it was a good start for what has been a busy second year. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkAohq-imGuXezfauExYBuP4GVRvZtq6XuptEsQxGd5jsml6_acS3uN2NT2SkGjnt_fjYNdY1soHMoLot_gplSn58zPYCCXwtEKr-udKETuqCEFWke9Rl2ZVIuX1Yca5i1SahXB08uJYFheL30EcGBmM_Dol3G5LuQ97zsqzAb7y109kKR9rcGbA72iQ/s2048/PhotoGrid_1665910114843.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkAohq-imGuXezfauExYBuP4GVRvZtq6XuptEsQxGd5jsml6_acS3uN2NT2SkGjnt_fjYNdY1soHMoLot_gplSn58zPYCCXwtEKr-udKETuqCEFWke9Rl2ZVIuX1Yca5i1SahXB08uJYFheL30EcGBmM_Dol3G5LuQ97zsqzAb7y109kKR9rcGbA72iQ/w400-h400/PhotoGrid_1665910114843.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. Velma Scantlebury: Super Doc and best mentor ever!</td></tr></tbody></table><p><b>August: </b>August was another surgical critical care month, but thankfully the last time I would have to spend a month in the ICU. This time around wasn't as bad as January (maybe because I was a bit more comfortable?), but I was still ready for it to be over. One on hand it's a blessing to be able to take care of the some of the sickest patients in the hospital, but doing it every day can get to you. The true highlight of the month was getting to see my mentor Dr. Scantlebury! She was in town for a short time speaking at a conference and it was amazing how our schedules magically aligned to meet up and catch up. I don't have to tell you how much I appreciate this woman...my old blog posts do that for me :)</p><p></p><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CiqEff4A4pE/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-radius: 3px; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5) 0px 0px 1px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15) 0px 1px 10px 0px; margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0px; width: calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding: 16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CiqEff4A4pE/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 0; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank"> <div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; 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font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0px;"></div> <div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px;"><div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px); width: 12.5px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12.5px; margin-left: 2px; margin-right: 14px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px); width: 12.5px;"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style="border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); border-top: 2px solid transparent; height: 0px; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg); width: 0px;"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="border-right: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); transform: translateY(16px); width: 0px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; transform: translateY(-4px); width: 16px;"></div> <div style="border-left: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); height: 0px; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px); width: 0px;"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0px 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CiqEff4A4pE/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Danielle Ward, DO, MS (@minoritydoctor)</a></p></div></blockquote> <script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><b><div><b><br /></b></div>September: </b>For my third month, I was back on the general surgery service, but in my home hospital, so it wasn't bad. We get a lot of hands on operative time in my program, so I enjoyed being in the operating room daily. The patient census also wasn't too bad, so the month was smooth sailing. I will say that my favorite part of September was finally getting in a vacation! My last vacation was back in February as a belated birthday celebration, so I was ready to have some fun. My little sister blessed me with a gift of a FREE Virgin Voyages cruise, and it was amazing! I had never been on a cruise, so I was a little apprehensive at first (especially given it was the height of hurricane season), but I am so glad I went. I ate a ton of food, had some great drinks, and even visited Cozumel, Mexico and Bimini, Bahamas. It was a much needed reset button and I've included a quick Instagram video recap above. <p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGGUYVRmkg_lhqmgv7eW5VPyoGC_gfMJIzxwDx0d1cVT4tTu4D3cjicZK_rqVpFi5ky2cUyXWQ8PzeIlvwXsVtGVbTFveu0GIHLcwaITVW66g-hzxYtx0EF28ax6HF7NgdSximVinRaJXS4v1XrWMG5TsUhDvpHy09Z8EKMnAxGyPbEHRePamvxNV0lg/s2048/PhotoGrid_1665910369074.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGGUYVRmkg_lhqmgv7eW5VPyoGC_gfMJIzxwDx0d1cVT4tTu4D3cjicZK_rqVpFi5ky2cUyXWQ8PzeIlvwXsVtGVbTFveu0GIHLcwaITVW66g-hzxYtx0EF28ax6HF7NgdSximVinRaJXS4v1XrWMG5TsUhDvpHy09Z8EKMnAxGyPbEHRePamvxNV0lg/w400-h400/PhotoGrid_1665910369074.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Random early morning selfie</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><b>October: </b>This month I am on the acute care general surgery service but back to rotating at a hospital a little over an hour outside of Miami. The service isn't too bad, and I'm getting a ton of OR time, but I miss being able to go home and sleep in my own bed. The hospital has also switched from 24 hour call to a night float system which means I am alternating between days and nights this month which messes up my system. Right now, it's 4am, I'm at home (yay!), and I'm typing this post as a way to stay awake since I switch to nights tomorrow/today after being on days all month. If you've been following my blog since my original intern year in Philadelphia, then you already know how much I absolutely love post call days. These no longer exist with the night float system, but it is nice being a little more refreshed at night and not having that drunk feeling that occurs after being awake for 20+ hours.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbBt-y2m1eatkY4uQjZ3swX7TnwQK4de0sZvh4gR4hJDVBw1_bqbL2rMpNxK5S-Bg4t5xNd7xKMMZZuqyrTa2yqGszO-uH1-PxzbsSFvkosAbEtIuE-3qQ11uIvJeGaS2GT8rz1AQT7qx5y6twMVtOrdMIS_410P6yUhBhom-ww_Hfuu3UyXPeKK2ueg/s2048/PhotoGrid_1665910472884.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbBt-y2m1eatkY4uQjZ3swX7TnwQK4de0sZvh4gR4hJDVBw1_bqbL2rMpNxK5S-Bg4t5xNd7xKMMZZuqyrTa2yqGszO-uH1-PxzbsSFvkosAbEtIuE-3qQ11uIvJeGaS2GT8rz1AQT7qx5y6twMVtOrdMIS_410P6yUhBhom-ww_Hfuu3UyXPeKK2ueg/w400-h400/PhotoGrid_1665910472884.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My phenomenal daughter!</td></tr></tbody></table><p><b>Mommy Life: </b>I'm always getting asked about my daughter (and she loves seeing herself on my blog lol), so I'll update on her too :) I officially have a 10th grader! My daughter is still heavily involved in color guard and pretty much every weekend she's away at some competition, but she is doing amazing and absolutely killing it! This semester she's taking a health core science class, and seeing her in her little white coat and scrubs made my heart melt! It's so interesting seeing how excited she gets showing me how to put on sterile gloves or going over different body parts. She's still undecided on what path she'll take in life, and I honestly wouldn't push medicine on her given all the struggles and sacrifices that come with it, but I fully support any route she chooses. She also has a learner's permit and has been practicing her driving too. Next month she'll be turning 16 and has been bugging me for a car, but doesn't seem to understand that it won't be possible since I'm back to being a broke resident. Oh well, hopefully she'll at least find my uninterrupted presence meaningful. Other than that, she surprisingly continues to be a super sweet and responsible teenager, and I'm thankful for that :)</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZR-36HSeVF1RBTg-tsdox_oorBWwGJHOidoTDgL5mnPNzZpT-FTOSIetj1zUoukbpTBI4BJMzHA8lRm5jF8316QsHss4R49slB1qmczbApxsF_651ePUEkbHM76r_lb0klt0O7bqE451cBnUeCq1Jb6L4EQLD7ovuWlJfFdqfUKjGWhhzJf8rWDIY6Q/s2048/PhotoGrid_1665910592638.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZR-36HSeVF1RBTg-tsdox_oorBWwGJHOidoTDgL5mnPNzZpT-FTOSIetj1zUoukbpTBI4BJMzHA8lRm5jF8316QsHss4R49slB1qmczbApxsF_651ePUEkbHM76r_lb0klt0O7bqE451cBnUeCq1Jb6L4EQLD7ovuWlJfFdqfUKjGWhhzJf8rWDIY6Q/w400-h400/PhotoGrid_1665910592638.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A future Dr. Ward?</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Welp, it's now after 5am and I think that about sums everything up. As I'm reflecting back on the past few months, I'm realizing this post misses so much and I really need to do a better job of updating everyone on here a bit more frequently. I can't promise I'll post again next month, but I will definitely post again before the end of the year. Right now, I'm going to go watch a movie, sleep, and then get ready for my night shift. As always, I thank you for reading!</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Aspiring Minority Doctorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16017973927200637031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3711021709009745827.post-60284979507439091502022-06-01T21:12:00.000-04:002022-06-01T21:12:01.908-04:00Plastic Surgery Intern Year: Catching up on 6 months of Updates<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Ciw5O_rKwmpql6iwFk9Uv2_NvOn0LRKfWAr0rkiLkktFseIye25oX_Wtnolqj13UjEf-AtoYkrdCQGh6ZGmtDIr1QecG-B6Y7RMN-v4gCN-SukdnEhGw07uu5i5HgEPAMTwWxcGrU6OGdtnMztQIXYKwMIqICfrZ5B4RY1fmlQWg520CxjdMKPGCjg/s2686/fotor_1650481778845.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2686" data-original-width="2686" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Ciw5O_rKwmpql6iwFk9Uv2_NvOn0LRKfWAr0rkiLkktFseIye25oX_Wtnolqj13UjEf-AtoYkrdCQGh6ZGmtDIr1QecG-B6Y7RMN-v4gCN-SukdnEhGw07uu5i5HgEPAMTwWxcGrU6OGdtnMztQIXYKwMIqICfrZ5B4RY1fmlQWg520CxjdMKPGCjg/w400-h400/fotor_1650481778845.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1 month away from being a 2nd year Plastic Surgery Resident!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Can you believe that today is the first day of my LAST month of intern year?!?! This year has flown by incredibly fast! I have been severely slacking with update posts, and so much has happened since my last full update six months ago. My intent this year was to at least update everyone at the end of every month, but work and life distracted me from my favorite hobby of writing. I'll try my best to catch everyone up with this post, and for the sake of time, I'll try to keep it relatively brief since I know I can get a bit wordy.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcbqwFlD792Ahcczq1AIo1t3z02WQvv_2LOoihi1Fch0EKy8iTvri2lFi8b5NiEGmUeU5aZpeVgSKQFXM9CP0TxQGHPuhO-A8EiQYvrr33Jn7Lpo37QCo-S1VXpjl5_aU4WKAdE02cQGbb8Pq7eCeSFqERselfEeR71E867p0b6zXJ0YJL8rFpx0n5rw/s1349/fotor_1639865288815.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1349" data-original-width="1349" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcbqwFlD792Ahcczq1AIo1t3z02WQvv_2LOoihi1Fch0EKy8iTvri2lFi8b5NiEGmUeU5aZpeVgSKQFXM9CP0TxQGHPuhO-A8EiQYvrr33Jn7Lpo37QCo-S1VXpjl5_aU4WKAdE02cQGbb8Pq7eCeSFqERselfEeR71E867p0b6zXJ0YJL8rFpx0n5rw/w400-h400/fotor_1639865288815.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love my Plastic Surgery residency family!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>During my last official update, I had just finished my Mohs and Surgical Dermatology month in November and was headed into Emergency Medicine for <b>December</b>. I'm not going to lie, after two years of working in the urgent care setting, being in the ER was super chill for me. I enjoyed the shift work, the variety of cases, and being able to have time for a little fun. The past few months have been a bit of a blur, but in December, my highlights were participating in a craniomaxillofacial cadaver lab with my residency program, and I remember the wonderful feeling of going to the beach in the middle of December, enjoying the 80 degree weather, and just loving life.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPbx3cHo9E0PyKRFqqko6bf9tjTnvTnS9WE_SLeqaiTy1sXpy8Z6Rywju3-x_443WCSRTNl-GMoVf8QGf5LTQj3BAKDTyv1YyRFHaklLdkjXDXywQ5N_t-TOvhHUaIqHxOzDwzzWkEXOd-dHlAQgWBZIgNruR5zdJofSdvzHpVr8_2JzxUDpmfGJmujg/s1124/fotor_1654130120232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1124" data-original-width="1124" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPbx3cHo9E0PyKRFqqko6bf9tjTnvTnS9WE_SLeqaiTy1sXpy8Z6Rywju3-x_443WCSRTNl-GMoVf8QGf5LTQj3BAKDTyv1YyRFHaklLdkjXDXywQ5N_t-TOvhHUaIqHxOzDwzzWkEXOd-dHlAQgWBZIgNruR5zdJofSdvzHpVr8_2JzxUDpmfGJmujg/w400-h400/fotor_1654130120232.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Celebrating my birthday with my favorite lady docs :)</td></tr></tbody></table><p><b>January</b> sucked! My rotation for the month was ICU and it was also during the time when COVID cases were crazy. I don't have anything good to say about the month other than my birthday was on the last day of the rotation, so after I finished that day I happily went out to celebrate both being finished with ICU and making it to see another year of life with some of my favorite lady docs :)</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidRH7IPehgL0HlnjF6hgqgtFJia3w9BOKhXIIhaj_nuatqky0-LREy5E-v7KU4KM00k-Mwr8ogr2rkvXiORtIgkaTcwReFHQfgFhX3JIn4zzp7CC-C50kbelo0vnlZQWE1HdeulpjVpZCq28Z8fpZrTlyY3m_4snrNUov4kkS6CKQ0b3PvlpXp00Rs1Q/s3024/fotor_1654130288688.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidRH7IPehgL0HlnjF6hgqgtFJia3w9BOKhXIIhaj_nuatqky0-LREy5E-v7KU4KM00k-Mwr8ogr2rkvXiORtIgkaTcwReFHQfgFhX3JIn4zzp7CC-C50kbelo0vnlZQWE1HdeulpjVpZCq28Z8fpZrTlyY3m_4snrNUov4kkS6CKQ0b3PvlpXp00Rs1Q/w400-h400/fotor_1654130288688.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">16-course menu at Joel Robuchon Bucket List item complete!</td></tr></tbody></table><p><b>February</b> was a bit more relaxed and I was back in the operating room for my Neurosurgery rotation. It was my first time having to operate under a microscope, and I struggled a bit trying to suture under it. I have a horrible habit of hunching over and getting close to suture, so that month I was forced to stand up straight and work on proper technique. The cases were pretty cool and it was something I wasn't exposed to much previously, so I learned a lot. I also went on a late birthday celebration vacation trip to Las Vegas toward the end of February, and it was epic! I stayed in an incredible suite at the MGM Grand Skylofts at ridiculously cheap price (yay for off season birthdays and pandemic prices!), and I checked a major item off my bucket list: the 16-course menu degustation at Joel Robuchon restaurant. It was a much needed break and reprieve from the trauma of the previous month.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz-HKRtXsu9HtuFmskm3FUgvgDeKNfy-dYxiAEyns2wkEUyjFO7-zaVMLG4bGMMig01zjtr9IYEGhrdRks0SgrXSS5OLmMOsIYXKCCgLdxeBFEzWgp75DV8UaN_dvwatRXPGTz0XT2T1u-VFrp-JGduHmBEi-fGpD30WzdoleBcB5ATOjvN7ERfxsiBA/s2048/PhotoGrid_1654130403213.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz-HKRtXsu9HtuFmskm3FUgvgDeKNfy-dYxiAEyns2wkEUyjFO7-zaVMLG4bGMMig01zjtr9IYEGhrdRks0SgrXSS5OLmMOsIYXKCCgLdxeBFEzWgp75DV8UaN_dvwatRXPGTz0XT2T1u-VFrp-JGduHmBEi-fGpD30WzdoleBcB5ATOjvN7ERfxsiBA/w400-h400/PhotoGrid_1654130403213.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Survived my first Plastic Surgery In-Service Exam</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p><b>March</b> was a bit busier, but it wasn't too bad. I took my Plastic Surgery In-Service exam during the first week of the month and I was happy to get it over with. There's definitely room for improvement, but at least now I know what to expect and how to strategize my studying. My rotation for the month was Trauma/General Surgery. It kept me busy, but I really enjoyed the hospital I was rotating at, and the attendings let me do a lot in the operating room. My favorite moment was probably when we had a laparoscopic appendectomy (appendix removal using small incisions and a camera) and the attending stood patiently waiting for a while as I tried to find the appendix. It was a highlight because it was probably my first time having laparoscopic tools in both hands and taking charge. I gave up after a while and it turned out to be a difficult case (the appendix was retrocecal, severely inflamed, and there was pus everywhere), but I appreciated the fact that I was given the chance to try on my own. It's the little things that make me happy.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-WgjVT60D39I3FyTUOh30YbEclIGanEHaM1m-0uYrP6VufcSui1g9c70E4CTTze5cPcm7YDfyLUbDjqbjxEmYJt6sN9t7LsKc9tCFLjYLiMQ9gJSqXfA2hmVW3DQvYN7QKVGVStZoVigmpfa-x0SqOfoqP5TMIwriRWU7AMzGVpmAlKOghPpUpJJSZQ/s2048/PhotoGrid_1654130764227.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-WgjVT60D39I3FyTUOh30YbEclIGanEHaM1m-0uYrP6VufcSui1g9c70E4CTTze5cPcm7YDfyLUbDjqbjxEmYJt6sN9t7LsKc9tCFLjYLiMQ9gJSqXfA2hmVW3DQvYN7QKVGVStZoVigmpfa-x0SqOfoqP5TMIwriRWU7AMzGVpmAlKOghPpUpJJSZQ/w400-h400/PhotoGrid_1654130764227.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SNMA AMEC 2022</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>My rotation for <b>April</b> was Anesthesia. I had never rotated in it when I was a medical student, so it was kind of cool being behind the curtain. I definitely was not used to being able to sit in the operating room and I never really realized how cold it is when you're not scrubbed in. The best part of the month was being able to scrub into plastic surgery cases after I helped with sedating and intubating the patient. April was my first time being able to operate with my program director and alongside some of my co-interns since we're usually spread out at different locations and rotations, so I really enjoyed the month. Oh, and I almost forgot: I got to attend the Annual Medical Education Conference for the Student National Medical Association (SNMA) in Orlando, FL in April where I held a workshop for premedical students, served as MC for the President's Luncheon where I addressed some of the 3000+ attendees, and reunited with some of my faves. </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipz-9Sp9pAmm1jRjwxU3lKlQt096kiiWQEpzsn6iTvS0oO7pIrpTFQs1ZF5nM3RjBPypfUF1YNscJl-BRMnz6ycEZ7E5CICacMF2kxlfVeK5LMp79b8wMdrCaFM0zuSaWIbgsBS6Ch2oaxU_YHOibfIO8q6XF93To1ncZIShUE0FHTendPdkxqHmV9lw/s964/fotor_1654130846710.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="964" data-original-width="964" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipz-9Sp9pAmm1jRjwxU3lKlQt096kiiWQEpzsn6iTvS0oO7pIrpTFQs1ZF5nM3RjBPypfUF1YNscJl-BRMnz6ycEZ7E5CICacMF2kxlfVeK5LMp79b8wMdrCaFM0zuSaWIbgsBS6Ch2oaxU_YHOibfIO8q6XF93To1ncZIShUE0FHTendPdkxqHmV9lw/w400-h400/fotor_1654130846710.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#BlackGirlMagic in the Operating Room</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Last month (<b>May</b>), I was back on General Surgery and at my main hospital. The attendings let me do more and more each day, and I've found that I'm starting to get comfortable with operating and trying new things. The only thing that I was so-so about last month was being on home call. One part of me loves being able to relax at home, shower, and sleep in my own bed during my call shifts, but the other part of me did not like all the gas I used having to drive back and forth between the two hospitals I was covering for consults, or the fact that home call means no post call days. Call is call though, and it's a necessary evil that no resident can get away from. My favorite part of the month was the #BlackGirlMagic moment pictured above. My hospital currently only has three black surgical residents (myself, my orthopedic surgery buddy, and the general surgery resident pictured with me above), so you already know I have to capture the rare and magical moments when we get to operate together :)</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL1Pu7lHJHnT9pKkzmV_vFXwS0yd27PRmKXE84U7AnmKyqqgFWoJ818ygmTqQTAFIB8oiaPRxlzdnUNO2bBo8HcPLN2DGNuPxTtBmUQfUk3mXimNUl2No7JoKI8RJGcEi5o0fd2p2H_Cd4ITG3gfeazXDFssIHkNLbBvolkyujn0ijyaFsNCio__XPBA/s2048/PhotoGrid_1654130993231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL1Pu7lHJHnT9pKkzmV_vFXwS0yd27PRmKXE84U7AnmKyqqgFWoJ818ygmTqQTAFIB8oiaPRxlzdnUNO2bBo8HcPLN2DGNuPxTtBmUQfUk3mXimNUl2No7JoKI8RJGcEi5o0fd2p2H_Cd4ITG3gfeazXDFssIHkNLbBvolkyujn0ijyaFsNCio__XPBA/w400-h400/PhotoGrid_1654130993231.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>As for <b>June</b>, I started Plastic Surgery today! I am so happy to be spending the month in my specialty and I look forward to all the exciting things I'll learn this month. It will be a healthy mix of clinic days with operating days, and a good transition into my second year of residency. </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg616LobWTW8YrLoHdRCni_jDbiIJv9h2WC38tSo7_Py9ZG0ks0KFuJMuznxCCNPkyf-8KwyHD6qRHQoq5SxpetZMDsW3zrSFlIMf16YwvUUd6NQKYJvRrPAO3v8R5ZOFAo8G2mH_bfBeXRg-5YDh6d08qILCVhYwKSlYoeRA7A_aucAAnab5TIZJ_W2A/s2048/PhotoGrid_1654031315039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg616LobWTW8YrLoHdRCni_jDbiIJv9h2WC38tSo7_Py9ZG0ks0KFuJMuznxCCNPkyf-8KwyHD6qRHQoq5SxpetZMDsW3zrSFlIMf16YwvUUd6NQKYJvRrPAO3v8R5ZOFAo8G2mH_bfBeXRg-5YDh6d08qILCVhYwKSlYoeRA7A_aucAAnab5TIZJ_W2A/w400-h400/PhotoGrid_1654031315039.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So proud of my daughter!</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Whew! I think that's a solid catch up on all the months I missed updating everyone on. I don't have much else going on that's not work related outside of my daughter and she's doing well. As a matter of fact, I just posted about her the other day on my social media accounts because I was having a proud mommy moment. She just finished the school year and is now a 10th grader, has been working on her driving skills, staying involved with band and color guard, and is just an all-around awesome individual. It's crazy how when I started this blog in 2013, she was a tiny little elementary aged kid and now she's only a couple of years away from graduating high school and heading to college. Time flies!</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKhswbgUwt2vLCwOgYGDnlbfPYEe7dqpTOpDMhkf-XIlvQJGLNVs83h4IRSlCvbboUsJQ67bKAzQ4k2BaXBcf3O5oe45KKQoiH2l4qJ76rIg2OunoNW91Pv0yd1s7kN00m3YPPuodVLNoP1DfDVc7nLjzWOZJkUg3TpzpXiz8jRjaZBp9dfDN_00BljQ/s2048/PhotoGrid_1654131239313.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKhswbgUwt2vLCwOgYGDnlbfPYEe7dqpTOpDMhkf-XIlvQJGLNVs83h4IRSlCvbboUsJQ67bKAzQ4k2BaXBcf3O5oe45KKQoiH2l4qJ76rIg2OunoNW91Pv0yd1s7kN00m3YPPuodVLNoP1DfDVc7nLjzWOZJkUg3TpzpXiz8jRjaZBp9dfDN_00BljQ/w400-h400/PhotoGrid_1654131239313.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Literally living my prayers and dreams!</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>I think that's all I have in terms of updates. To be honest, even though this year has been busy and not every moment is a happy one (it's residency, so not every day is as upbeat as my blog appears...I just choose to focus on the positives), every day I wake up incredibly blessed to be living my dreams. It wasn't too long ago when I was praying just for the chance to be where I am now. There have been many twists and turns along the way, but I love this journey I'm on and wouldn't change it for the world. Thank you to all those who continue to follow along on my journey and I appreciate those of you who stuck around from the very beginning of this blog when people doubted I would even make it through medical school. I've done and I am doing every thing I said I would do, and life really doesn't get much better than that. I am living proof that God's plan is the perfect plan, and I not only look forward to what my future has in store, but I hope my journey continues to uplift and inspire anyone reading this to pursue your own dreams. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Aspiring Minority Doctorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16017973927200637031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3711021709009745827.post-71422622857839612502022-03-14T16:52:00.000-04:002022-03-14T16:52:31.073-04:00A Post for the Unmatched (Match Day 2022)<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgFA2uzAisKuWG-kDYkOdyQgV4eX28dLs0p-TTuTrRcHLS6bA5nN2RhvKcP4gdfig6YYBSE2FR14WQR175VQVW0z4QDURLXYX95mgsBOZAlw6gNznDTUD9T6mQmVj9qFbMSa0sd4lK0l5O7r1BTv9iAk2sR4ZtgvFNVUDHbbrmjjSzc4nwjjwfmqKqDmQ=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgFA2uzAisKuWG-kDYkOdyQgV4eX28dLs0p-TTuTrRcHLS6bA5nN2RhvKcP4gdfig6YYBSE2FR14WQR175VQVW0z4QDURLXYX95mgsBOZAlw6gNznDTUD9T6mQmVj9qFbMSa0sd4lK0l5O7r1BTv9iAk2sR4ZtgvFNVUDHbbrmjjSzc4nwjjwfmqKqDmQ=w400-h400" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From unmatched to matched! </td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">I’ve been slacking on posts this year, mainly due to busy
rotations and studying for my most recent in-service exam, but today I felt
compelled to write. For those who aren’t aware, today is Match Day where
thousands of 4th year medical students and graduates find out if they have
secured a residency position. For many, this is a joyous day filled with
celebrations and sighs of relief, but for the unmatched, this can be one of the
most depressing experiences of an entire medical school career. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Most of you reading this already know that I was previously one
of those students who failed to match, but if you weren’t aware, I’ll post
links to my original Match Day experiences at the end of this blog post. My
story isn’t one of not matching one year and then going on to match the following
year. I actually failed to match twice! I still vividly remember how
gut-wrenching it felt opening a “You Did Not Match” email as I was sitting at a
stoplight on the way to my rotation as a fourth-year medical student, and how
hard it was to fake positivity during phone interviews that day when all I
wanted to do was curl up in a corner and cry. The second time I didn’t match, I
was in the middle of my original intern year on a busy surgery service. I was
fortunate to know in advance I would not be matching, but having to manage
patients and scrub into cases in between going through the process of applying
to unfilled programs didn’t make things any better. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In the end, everything worked out perfectly in my favor, and
I was shown that God’s timing is always perfect. After not matching the first
time around, I was blessed with a position for a General Surgery based Traditional
Rotating Internship. It was a grueling year, but I definitely came out stronger
and it opened so many doors for me. After I didn’t match the second time, I had
the benefit of having passed all my medical board exams and I was almost done
with twelve months of post-graduate training which allowed me to obtain a
medical license and start working. My two years spent working as an urgent care
physician allowed me to become comfortable managing acute issues on my own, gave
me the freedom to enjoy life on my own terms, and provided the financial means to
apply to as many surgery programs as possible during my third application cycle.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Tomorrow marks exactly one year from when I found out I
matched into Plastic Surgery. It was probably one of the happiest moments of my
life, but to be honest, the whole match process still gives me a little PTSD. I
remember the weeks leading up to receiving the “Congratulations, You Have
Matched!” email and how incredibly stressed out and defeated I felt. I honestly
didn’t even want to open the email when it came because I was sure it would be
another year of disappointment, and I only did so because I wanted to be ready for
the process of applying to unfilled positions. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">For those who may not have matched today, I’m just going to keep
it real with you. Not matching sucks, and unless someone has been in your
shoes, they probably won’t understand your pain. You’ve busted your ass working
towards your goal, have most likely spent an insane amount of money applying to
residency programs, and sacrificed so much in the process. It’s also probably
hard to envision your future right now. Trust me, I’ve been there. But please
know that this is not the end of the road for you. This is just a minor setback
for a major comeback. Take the time to grieve and experience your feelings, and
afterwards, get ready to get back in the fight. It isn’t over yet. There is
still time this week to secure one of the unfilled residency positions via the
process known as SOAP. There may also be positions that open up until July, and
if you’re someone who is going unmatched after completing a preliminary year,
keep in mind there may be a chance to jump into an unfilled PGY2 position. As I’ve
said before, delay does not equal denial, and chances are you will either get
to where you want to be eventually or find something even better that you
probably never could have imagined. Let my story inspire you to know that anything is possible.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">My DMs are open and I’m rooting for you.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #fcff01;"><b>My Previous Match Day experiences:</b></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">2018 - <a href="http://www.aspiringminoritydoctor.com/2018/03/when-failure-becomes-opportunity-my.html" target="_blank">Not matching as a 4th year medical student</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">2019 Part One: <a href="http://www.aspiringminoritydoctor.com/2019/03/match-week-2019-part-one.html" target="_blank">Not Matching for the 2nd time (Part one)</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">2019 Part Two: <a href="http://www.aspiringminoritydoctor.com/2019/03/match-week-2019-part-two.html" target="_blank">Not matching a 2nd time (Part Two)</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">2021 - <a href="http://www.aspiringminoritydoctor.com/2021/03/i-finally-matched-and-im-going-to-be.html" target="_blank">I finally matched!</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>Aspiring Minority Doctorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16017973927200637031noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3711021709009745827.post-66514363869660033352021-12-31T23:01:00.001-05:002021-12-31T23:01:18.258-05:002021: Blessings on Blessings on Blessings!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-9uv1jG4tUiUXXF1ks-hRG76o5bSySh1Yf5nn8Jsbi7fsPko4HtINiYLDpsH8z5f9SWocOSsM8EdkwfZnJwlpWl1etL0_q4XBpA2TVPq40hA-O2EyUnqxedPJrO3PNOMqFM1C5SJVXMVG/s1600/1641007744103487-0.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spending NYE 2021 living my dreams! </td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-9uv1jG4tUiUXXF1ks-hRG76o5bSySh1Yf5nn8Jsbi7fsPko4HtINiYLDpsH8z5f9SWocOSsM8EdkwfZnJwlpWl1etL0_q4XBpA2TVPq40hA-O2EyUnqxedPJrO3PNOMqFM1C5SJVXMVG/s1600/1641007744103487-0.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
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</div><p>It's New Year's Eve, I'm currently in the Emergency Room working my final night shift for the month, and you know what? I am overjoyed beyond words!</p><p>2021 was a true reflection of what staying prayed up, being patient, keeping the faith, and trusting in God's plan will bring. At this time last year, I was praying to be in my current position. Being a plastic surgeon was something that I have always imagined, but I honestly never thought at this point last year I would be a Plastic Surgery resident physician (in Miami of all places!) and on the way to achieving my dreams just 12 months later. </p><p>If I had to come up with a theme for 2021, it would be: Trust God. Those of you who have been following along with me over the years, know that despite all the obstacles faced, I've always kept the faith that I would one day achieve my dreams. At let's be real, to have this faith when it felt like everyone around me was starting to doubt me was hard! God truly showed out this year in more ways than I could explain in this post. I am beyond thankful, and I hope to continue the grind and achieve great things in the years to come. If this year only showed me one thing, it's that my dreams are valid and I am capable of accomplishing any and all that I put my mind too. I just feel so incredibly blessed and happy.</p><p>Now for some of my highlights over the year :) I wrote this portion out on my social media accounts, but going to repost here because if it's not on the blog, did it really happen? LOL</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLq2geWfiBqveFen-M7ZSdazNmQ6Of0TMp3F6C0Ej1wnNAsAaTd0bSSemnYMlzOCWdFVOxKP6F_gC0ykIiGMSjT3mmQanfDU1silGDL-GhzGS1vT6EbLOtzrDMjzfPzsYjHMiI9S0VA-NW/s1600/1641007741560200-1.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pursued my passion of surgery</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: left;"><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: left;">- FINALLY matched into Plastic Surgery (my dream specialty!) after years of unsuccessful cycles</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p style="text-align: left;"><b>- Completed my last day of work as a full-time Urgent Care physician</b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>- I was featured in Forbes alongside other phenomenal women in medicine </b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>- Produced my 1st first-author publication (my book doesn't count in the academic world lol)</b></p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj4EDIUIJLVHJbstq_t782TqZnQNm-IVE4d9bvnWEXh4KOX3yiv3pB6PRIyAUgyIQ6WoY11397yrUUwzMX5_P28YkGAPqfTiVJH1Ja9ol7LnxKwgAtdOBESOPXow3QwNqMd5wlnhKfCyyp/s1600/1641007739293358-2.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoyed speaking and mentoring across the world</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>- Had multiple speaking engagements that allowed me to continue my passion of mentoring and inspiring</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR10lds8HwxFD1hU2VWFr94U82p6MrEhHenb9veBpzcwZnfFTjpL2dNkw9Bn0xO25tiJZe9hIOOoZIO-SyDldg0NmiGZCccvtFndNGKSM2-Xd88Qe9w8kV_jXLEfXfsexILjUVb5qWdesq/s1600/1641007736869010-3.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I am truly blessed to be her mother</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>- Continued to have the blessing of being the mother of an absolutely AMAZING teenager.</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOw-2LRjmCiRFNK_OYFoV4y_k_lxyYKccm-DhPW2gywGyrU0Rxc-kBSeDOuewmx-BEksP-Ghi26c085WHLaQbiYDvLPtyGQDDuZBBkZFPIlBZWyCvSCntAES2341dDuNRhPZubJdzmuiFI/s1600/1641007734878613-4.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Work hard, play harder</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>- I had fun! In 2021, I wasn't afraid to pursue what made me happy and say no to the things that didn't. I took risks, explored, spent time with old friends while making new friends, and enjoyed time with family and the people I love.</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><p><b>- Took an unforgettable solo birthday trip to St. Lucia which included a beautiful suite with views you only see in the movies 🤩</b></p><p><b>- Treated my daughter to a day at Universal Studios VIP style where we skipped to the front of literally every single line and got to see some behind-the-scenes action</b></p><p><b>- Attended my first Annual Plastic Surgery meeting, learned a lot, and had a blast!</b></p><p><b>- Partnered with multiple companies and shared awesome products with everyone that I also got to enjoy :) </b></p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div><br /><p></p><p><b>- Made sure to spend time with friends and family. Life is short, and being a physician in 2021 was a daily reminder of this. </b></p><p>That pretty much sums up 2021 for me. While I know that not everyone had a joyous year, just the fact that you are alive and reading this is a blessing in itself. Take the time to reflect on all the positive things you have to be thankful for. I hope you are able to end the year with all the happiness these reflections may bring. Also, to those of you who have read my blog over the past year and beyond, thank you for continuing to follow along on my journey. It means so much to me that people value my story and continue to gain from it. I look forward to bringing you more in 2022, and I hope you all will stick around.</p><p>Wishing everyone a wonderful New Year ahead filled with love, blessings, and joy 🎉</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Aspiring Minority Doctorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16017973927200637031noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3711021709009745827.post-34481861690377327342021-12-17T00:24:00.000-05:002021-12-17T00:24:23.102-05:00It's My Eight-Year Blogiversary!<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVJ6Qtboapm-dTI3ZR7oNpB_JPlIFklLM5ZAGTshC6D4s6UGiOmp9AbTLxPsdIqibah2BQuxHjY8wGg4nUnuUzObjbCMtAytug17_ZaKXFUVIxYPgZmcZnZB8AnNpvJV05z0Lm_X9y1ggh/w400-h400/1639717412532107-0.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Celebrating 8 years of the "Aspiring Minority Doctor" blog</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div><p>Today marks eight years since I typed and published my very first blog post. At the time, I was a premedical student who had just received my one and only acceptance to medical school the month prior. Although I was ecstatic about my acceptance, I remember searching the internet for people with a similar background and being so discouraged. There were many posts in premedical/medical forum websites written by anonymous individuals who stated that people like myself (single mother, low GPA/MCAT, osteopathic medical school matriculant, etc) could never make it through medical school, pass medical board licensing exams, or match into a competitive specialty like plastic surgery. I knew there had to be individuals out there who had made it through despite all the odds, but my internet search proved extremely futile. With that being said, I decided to start a blog to document my journey and prove to people that I would achieve my dreams and more. I started this blog off anonymously, but then I realized it was important to share my true self and aim to inspire those on a similar path. Who would've thought that 8 years later I would be sitting here typing this not only having accomplished my original goal of being an inspiration, BUT also as a medical school graduate and current plastic surgery resident?!?!</p><p>If you've followed my blog from the start, I truly appreciate you and thank you for sharing in this journey with me. It definitely hasn't been an easy road, but I've enjoyed sharing my successes and even the failures with you all. It was this blog and the encouraging comments/emails from readers that kept me sane and motivated when I adjusted to life as a medical student, went through the failure of not matching (twice!), experienced a grueling general surgery intern year, started a two-year detour as an urgent care physician, and even now as I navigate making it through residency. You all have watched my daughter grow from being a happy 7-year-old child to a super smart and sweet 15-year-old teenager. I've even enjoyed sharing all my fun moments with you all because I'm all about the work-life balance :)</p><p>I started this blog to inspire and share my story, but I have gained so much from it. This blog has connected me with people around the world with similar stories, served as a personal therapeutic outlet, and the demand for all my premedical/inspirational posts in one place allowed me to write and publish my very first book, <a href="https://amzn.to/3p4GNQI" target="_blank"><i>Atypical Premed</i></a>. You all helped me become an author!</p><p>I know a lot of people wonder why I continue to name the blog "Aspiring Minority Doctor" seeing as I've accomplished my goal of becoming a physician, but it's quite simple: I'll always be a minority, always a doctor, and always aspiring to achieve great things. I don't know if I'll still be blogging eight years from now, but my goal is to at least maintain this blog until I finish residency. After that I'll likely keep the domain for my own reflections, although a lot of the premedical and medical school advice will likely be outdated by then. </p><p>Anyway, the whole point of this post was to say THANK YOU for reading! It truly means a lot to me that people actually care to read my story, and the fact that some of you have been reading for eight years warms my heart. I hope I can continue to keep you all engaged, inspired, and confident to continue on your own paths to greatness. I look forward to sharing more of my journey, but if you have a favorite post that helped or inspired you in any way, please share it with me in the comments below. It would really make my day :)</p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i>SN: the mug in the above picture was made by my mother and it's one of my favorites! On the back it has my favorite bible verse (Philippians 4:6-7) and underneath states "Living my dreams, one patient at at time!"</i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p> </p>Aspiring Minority Doctorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16017973927200637031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3711021709009745827.post-73174223500884579492021-12-08T19:04:00.001-05:002021-12-08T19:13:00.504-05:002021 Physician Holiday Gift Guide<p>Happy December! Can you believe Christmas is only 17 days away?!?! To some this is the most wonderful time of the year, but for me it can be the most stressful time trying to think of things to buy my friends and loved ones.</p><p>If you've been looking for a gift for the physician in your life, here is a top ten list of some of my favorite things from 2021. </p><div><br /></div><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Medelita Lab Coats, Jackets, Scrubs, and More</span></b></div></b><div><b><br /></b><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgLUkCNQiErN90aPG0PcI4GRPtwy8vK8HeIS-JtJpKOTFsxHIdqW0_ibEOloP_gKFQn6zo0G2_NmnvE1hRjcOWwbPbsXbVb8bDn_3w_GWNLlVlemdPBFI74KfrGJqico7nWDokQ2zDBTFcwhSgzVLX5ymKazpQbuCpeFw3pVOxMbSibH9x033fnH41NOA=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgLUkCNQiErN90aPG0PcI4GRPtwy8vK8HeIS-JtJpKOTFsxHIdqW0_ibEOloP_gKFQn6zo0G2_NmnvE1hRjcOWwbPbsXbVb8bDn_3w_GWNLlVlemdPBFI74KfrGJqico7nWDokQ2zDBTFcwhSgzVLX5ymKazpQbuCpeFw3pVOxMbSibH9x033fnH41NOA=w400-h400" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love my Medelita gear!</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I am a proud ambassador for <a href="https://www.medelita.com/?rfsn=3477479.e37fe7" target="_blank">Medelita</a> and so far I have loved all of their products. My <a href="https://www.medelita.com/m3-estie-classic-fit-women-s-lab-coat.html?rfsn=3477479.e37fe7" target="_blank">Estie Classic Fit lab coat </a>looks super professional and tailored to my body, and I receive compliments every time I wear it. I even bought one for my little sister since I like it so much! I also love wearing my <a href="https://www.medelita.com/womens-scrub-jacket-kinetic.html?rfsn=3477479.e37fe7#color=24" target="_blank">Medelita Kinetic Scrub Jacket</a> especially since the hospitals and clinics are so cold. My jacket was actually the first item given to me that has my dream specialty monogrammed on it, so I hold it close to my heart. The company doesn't stop with jackets and white coats...their <a href="https://www.medelita.com/scrubs/stretch-scrubs.html?rfsn=3477479.e37fe7&gender=35" target="_blank">scrubs</a>, <a href="https://www.medelita.com/face-masks.html?rfsn=3477479.e37fe7" target="_blank">face masks</a>, and other products are just as awesome. Any healthcare professional would benefit from some Medelita gear, so head over to their website and treat the physician in your life.</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">SmileBrilliant Flosser, Toothbrush, and Teeth Whitening Products</span></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgvG8jpoICwIfwkApYwXb3ZACB_ahvLlNEQGnn__yPlcm931sTTlY5iWxQfSe9AKZ1YQy1l0hSN4WhMP_PJMpOM8pVkY95trl6RuFZx_UfbGu70pfY53kWtcZllRUxsMxWueVMMD1MEVI-qSmHsvda-CujJXg0D0as4aInl7EU6Jml7yENArMEnvbtQLQ=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgvG8jpoICwIfwkApYwXb3ZACB_ahvLlNEQGnn__yPlcm931sTTlY5iWxQfSe9AKZ1YQy1l0hSN4WhMP_PJMpOM8pVkY95trl6RuFZx_UfbGu70pfY53kWtcZllRUxsMxWueVMMD1MEVI-qSmHsvda-CujJXg0D0as4aInl7EU6Jml7yENArMEnvbtQLQ=w400-h400" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smile Brilliant keeps my smile bright!</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Even though the masks keep us from seeing each other's smiles these days, it's great to not have to breathe in funky breath all day. I've enjoyed using <a href="https://www.smilebrilliant.com/#aspiringminoritydoctor" target="_blank">Smile Brilliant</a> products over the years starting with their custom teeth whitening system that I still use to this day to keep my smile bright and beautiful (click <a href="http://www.aspiringminoritydoctor.com/2019/02/aspiring-minority-doctor-attempts-at.html" target="_blank">HERE</a> to see my full original review). This year, I started using the <a href="https://www.smilebrilliant.com/product/electric-toothbrush/#aspiringminoritydoctor" target="_blank">CariPro electronic toothbrush</a> and my mouth definitely feels cleaner. To add more awesomeness to the mix, I was recently sent a water flosser to try out and I am loving it. It's a super fast way to clean your teeth without the hassle of trying of trying to get string in between your teeth. You honestly can't go wrong with any of their products, and you can use my code (aspiringminoritydoctor20) for 20% off anything on the <a href="https://www.smilebrilliant.com/#aspiringminoritydoctor" target="_blank">website</a>!</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Presto Candle Co</span></b></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjoI76kp2jptvhVEc3Oe-_15SrHQPUQoShXywD3E3NkuDVh6fHXgt-1EYo62mvLEfZWoB8GKwnIVcK8iXbsvWduV4NJLw8FTbl-J2JtcLOZFn-fFUHwGl7KBo5QBY2EqOOKC2Fbd4k6gG-ygDosHganwZORGNC-jF2nu-UTwquxn_P3er05JpxzpL2cNg=s1080" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjoI76kp2jptvhVEc3Oe-_15SrHQPUQoShXywD3E3NkuDVh6fHXgt-1EYo62mvLEfZWoB8GKwnIVcK8iXbsvWduV4NJLw8FTbl-J2JtcLOZFn-fFUHwGl7KBo5QBY2EqOOKC2Fbd4k6gG-ygDosHganwZORGNC-jF2nu-UTwquxn_P3er05JpxzpL2cNg=w400-h400" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A candle with a label meant to be displayed :)</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I absolutely love candles! The nice smells and the flickering lights from them really comfort me. I actually discovered <a href="https://www.prestocandleco.com/" target="_blank">Presto Candle Co candles</a> from one of my doctor groups on Facebook. Not only is the owner a creator of a great product, but she also happens to be a dentist, AND the company is Black-owned! I've bought candles for pretty much everyone in my family and I love the <a href="https://www.prestocandleco.com/product-page/personalized-candle" target="_blank">personalized candles</a> and being able to customize the label to each person. Plus they smell amazing! A great gift to help the physician in your life relax and calm down after a stressful day.</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">ProCompression Socks</span></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjj0KJxhhN3xgT_-HvHpGwVLY-vfNM_OmxYgcx2SobAz9Kveahr30iQ49_qFfC9-fe0nyK3A_i5QBSZo0OeS3wV9MBl6rRcHcd0dpHTClDP0hzECk5Fb1AmCGhPsUDAFQihzBkpNfUIe7LD1qU_6a8wsQrFnBZ5XT9v9YhafsaBAgvILi_enHwOxDoefg=s1081" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1081" data-original-width="1076" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjj0KJxhhN3xgT_-HvHpGwVLY-vfNM_OmxYgcx2SobAz9Kveahr30iQ49_qFfC9-fe0nyK3A_i5QBSZo0OeS3wV9MBl6rRcHcd0dpHTClDP0hzECk5Fb1AmCGhPsUDAFQihzBkpNfUIe7LD1qU_6a8wsQrFnBZ5XT9v9YhafsaBAgvILi_enHwOxDoefg=w399-h400" width="399" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Throwback pic from one of my 2018-2019 24hr call shifts</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I swear by <a href="https://amzn.to/3pE2R3k" target="_blank">Pro Compression</a> socks! As a surgeon, I tend to literally be on my feet all day and wearing compression socks helps with both my comfort level and ensuring I don't develop varicose veins. I bought a few of these socks (and was also gifted some by my little brother) when I was a medical student, and to this day I still wear the same socks with great compression. There are usually deals and codes on their website as well, so don't make the mistake of paying full price!</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Pilot G2 Gel Pens</span></b></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh11hgZ_r9Z4iPJdXsiPBEyp_yf9dM18O0E-c3cxILqQFPic3ciaJsHMufCYR-841ywpbLTFfO29ei1uOnCS81WUfU5vckpgTme2mi0Y9caYlYEjRPSeNYe2PyuamQd2y1Px3ZSSXQK5sJu8wX8A5Dqo6Zw92VmNosmwfx2VSx6AYXHU26YiPT8DGMYoQ=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh11hgZ_r9Z4iPJdXsiPBEyp_yf9dM18O0E-c3cxILqQFPic3ciaJsHMufCYR-841ywpbLTFfO29ei1uOnCS81WUfU5vckpgTme2mi0Y9caYlYEjRPSeNYe2PyuamQd2y1Px3ZSSXQK5sJu8wX8A5Dqo6Zw92VmNosmwfx2VSx6AYXHU26YiPT8DGMYoQ=w400-h400" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pens are every physician's best friend!</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I am super serious about my pens and <a href="https://amzn.to/3dqBS5U" target="_blank">Pilot G2 Gel Pens</a> are my favorite. I use black in 0.7 for scribbling routine notes and when doing surgery rounds throughout the day, I use the colored gel pens to keep me on track with patient updates.</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Amazon Gift Cards and Wal-Mart + Subscription</span></b></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiUrJ_Y9peDkA37wLjtgKqwszVGeawQh6CP1sYFyOA6usBMhW89Vwcz23RNjwunFeBPSDVC-W2-NjywhfryLIfy1cDlTEspk4egPrNavvxd-Kju1sbhm1kQbpgdvpCoCm3vv1ASUKT28gOQFRLs3af8cp6qfNwLhjktxfQ-GgMt1WBa9RpUybY4LsyRrA=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiUrJ_Y9peDkA37wLjtgKqwszVGeawQh6CP1sYFyOA6usBMhW89Vwcz23RNjwunFeBPSDVC-W2-NjywhfryLIfy1cDlTEspk4egPrNavvxd-Kju1sbhm1kQbpgdvpCoCm3vv1ASUKT28gOQFRLs3af8cp6qfNwLhjktxfQ-GgMt1WBa9RpUybY4LsyRrA=w400-h400" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting groceries delivered so you can spend time on what matters most</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I never have time to shop so I'm either buying things off of Amazon or having groceries delivered from Wal-Mart. In my opinion, you can never go wrong with getting someone an <a href="https://amzn.to/3lKcsom" target="_blank">Amazon gift card</a> because the website literally has everything. As for Wal-Mart, the <a href="https://www.walmart.com/plus?origin=FSNM?&adid=22222222220446953145&wmlspartner=wmtlabs&wl0=e&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=566040048148&wl4=kwd-589029869679&wl5=9051979&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&veh=sem&gclid=Cj0KCQiAqbyNBhC2ARIsALDwAsCsbksQE3wGwoRNnpxw0AfZwiuET5y6uBh9JJtx2cazx_c47RrSbFoaAlJfEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds" target="_blank">Walmart+ membership subscription</a> includes unlimited free delivery or you can get 2 hour express delivery for $10. I love being able to add things to my cart while I'm at work and then coming home to groceries at my door.</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Airfryer/Pressure Cooker</span></b></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhP4eQKCy_89gfLpXtK6pOAcI3_XCpDS2Ac9pAbvliZlzJws-ya5VO1TyxkVQ7JPhcLMKrGiLxczcsmLSpZ3gNldE7CO8lHvhdHnH5d-jhmCpmODWs5FhTfhPnnGQRfOkqxp8lVk-4W9N7RxLhEDZwd15tb-kYLy9zDsyVyzfNZIR82yvMHiLBBGQWSbw=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhP4eQKCy_89gfLpXtK6pOAcI3_XCpDS2Ac9pAbvliZlzJws-ya5VO1TyxkVQ7JPhcLMKrGiLxczcsmLSpZ3gNldE7CO8lHvhdHnH5d-jhmCpmODWs5FhTfhPnnGQRfOkqxp8lVk-4W9N7RxLhEDZwd15tb-kYLy9zDsyVyzfNZIR82yvMHiLBBGQWSbw=w400-h400" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Easy, fast, and simple cooking</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The <a href="https://amzn.to/3IukX0E" target="_blank">Nuwave Duet Pressure Cooker and Air Fryer Combo</a> was a sponsored product from earlier this year, but it has grown to be a staple in my kitchen. I love being able to throw in frozen salmon filets straight from the freezer and having them juicy and ready within 13 minutes. I've also made a perfectly cooked medium filet mignon in under 6 minutes, and I use the pressure cooker function to cook all my rice now. </p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Customized Calendar</span></b></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQszpM05XA-6FzDexUfWXrnHwtQiK_KwPzYgLTq-mx8_wMdoxuEVxSbn-WQBlUz_iSdMFyN-aZHSbwczekwTuFoJ6OAjfqFuxXmenhiFaJzuoOzR6y_9PinGFA21o-NUKfXyCgbtRa6Me235vnIND6Xa32hKpIt5BxIsBFD7zMJRY2lgKrcxdO_r7xUQ=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQszpM05XA-6FzDexUfWXrnHwtQiK_KwPzYgLTq-mx8_wMdoxuEVxSbn-WQBlUz_iSdMFyN-aZHSbwczekwTuFoJ6OAjfqFuxXmenhiFaJzuoOzR6y_9PinGFA21o-NUKfXyCgbtRa6Me235vnIND6Xa32hKpIt5BxIsBFD7zMJRY2lgKrcxdO_r7xUQ=w400-h400" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Staying organized with memories to make you smile</td></tr></tbody></table><p>This was actually a birthday gift from my daughter this year, but I enjoy looking at it daily. She customized a calendar with pictures of herself (definitely my child, lol), and I thought it was a super thoughtful gift. I know most people are into electronic calendars, but I enjoy writing out important things for the month and having a daily reminder on my wall. I believe she bought it from <a href="https://www.shutterfly.com/" target="_blank">Shutterfly</a>, but I'm sure any photo calendar place would work.</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Ring Light</span></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh5Tlr6MZxLsZX7NFFT35KuOmzl5-hlGZW8Y1djUr0UPiOm2605v1oNsn_e_ahh_-jqBnl2C6K9WJhIHYFLlBHqgfHPi2dh_Jw4YDd4SXKwI_atRRYwJMl95gzekgKsxU1GdLocSzdRp_ic4x4ZapxkwS8Ua0es1BZMCDT3nxIhjhSYMzC0Q1plXDVYIA=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh5Tlr6MZxLsZX7NFFT35KuOmzl5-hlGZW8Y1djUr0UPiOm2605v1oNsn_e_ahh_-jqBnl2C6K9WJhIHYFLlBHqgfHPi2dh_Jw4YDd4SXKwI_atRRYwJMl95gzekgKsxU1GdLocSzdRp_ic4x4ZapxkwS8Ua0es1BZMCDT3nxIhjhSYMzC0Q1plXDVYIA=w400-h400" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Step up your selfie and Zoom game</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I've done a lot of zoom sessions this year, and my <a href="https://amzn.to/308YHYP" target="_blank">ring light</a> has been a lifesaver for keeping me from looking too dark on the screen. I've also taken some amazing selfies using it, including the one above (yep, no professional pics from me this year...everything was with my cellphone and ring light). The ring light I bought was an 18 inch ring light with a stand and cellphone holder from Elegiant, but oddly I am unable to find it again on Amazon. <a href="https://amzn.to/308YHYP" target="_blank">THIS</a> one is the closest I can find. I like this particular ring light because it has different light settings ranging from warm to bright, and it comes with a remote control in addition to a cell phone and tablet holder.</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">My book!</span></b></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj-3DP6TDeO97c_Wnp6qN_lDAAplV7b61EoGCQmvivgK8HOqF_vdGMMJS4Dh24L9yLocyHN6TR7Ia5khlrpq3-x7m1s0dMa1F2GiJKmWNrBwC2G7-DKZRC5gHz6UvuAXC8UVSp42gvqK5baDw19u3nIs40KvdONWDk-oR4gu_oVG8jtIzOSNPwo5gU93Q=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj-3DP6TDeO97c_Wnp6qN_lDAAplV7b61EoGCQmvivgK8HOqF_vdGMMJS4Dh24L9yLocyHN6TR7Ia5khlrpq3-x7m1s0dMa1F2GiJKmWNrBwC2G7-DKZRC5gHz6UvuAXC8UVSp42gvqK5baDw19u3nIs40KvdONWDk-oR4gu_oVG8jtIzOSNPwo5gU93Q=w400-h400" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Help the physician-to-be in your life achieve their goals!</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Now you know I couldn't end this post without putting in a plug for my book <i><a href="https://amzn.to/31DAr1f" target="_blank">Atypical Premed: A Non-Traditional Student's Guide to Applying to Medical School</a></i>. This would be a great gift for any premedical student in your life and I'm sure the physician in your life has a mentee who can benefit. If you'd like to know more about what the book entails, feel free to click the "Atypical Premed" tab at the top of this page. It's available through pretty much every major book retailer, so whether it's from <a href="https://amzn.to/31DAr1f" target="_blank">Amazon</a> or <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/atypical-premed-dr-danielle-ward/1136118514" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a>, buy your copy today!</p><p><br /></p><p><b>That's it for my top 10 list! As I'm finishing up this post, a few other things are coming to mind, but I said I'd keep it to ten, so going to stop here. If you have any other gift ideas, I would love to hear more about them below. Cheers to the 2021 holiday season!</b></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><i>Disclaimer: I am a Medelita ambassador as well as an influencer for SmileBrilliant, but unless explicitly stated, for everything else listed in this post I have not received compensation or free products. I just really like using the product OR I have it on my personal list for this year :) I'm also an Amazon Associate and may receive a small amount of compensation from any Amazon links you click on.</i></p><p><br /></p></div>Aspiring Minority Doctorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16017973927200637031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3711021709009745827.post-43423542382861953722021-11-28T18:08:00.000-05:002021-11-28T18:08:18.313-05:00Plastic Surgery Intern Year: Month Five Update<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2uAV5n-EWy-J7zsuXFqnZ14NmPG0R5hvYb0fTbNLD0YaH8iIHLws3jPkKKypPoKVHjUNBmAp8f4QJnNaOrUXsg_94Ux4UI0Qw9RCvKsZENVLLD-TQ3Z5PR_L-XBDovYPm2vwWoR53W3aC/s2048/PhotoGrid_1638139437820.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2uAV5n-EWy-J7zsuXFqnZ14NmPG0R5hvYb0fTbNLD0YaH8iIHLws3jPkKKypPoKVHjUNBmAp8f4QJnNaOrUXsg_94Ux4UI0Qw9RCvKsZENVLLD-TQ3Z5PR_L-XBDovYPm2vwWoR53W3aC/w400-h400/PhotoGrid_1638139437820.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still enjoying Florida life!</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Can you believe December is only three days away?!?! This year has flown by so incredibly fast! As I sit here typing this just a few days after Thanksgiving, I continue to feel so much gratitude for all this year has given me. Where I am now is so vastly different from this point last year, and I continue to be thankful for all of life's twists and turns.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiwbCdybTb0RucZGQ8hbNYiZxtX47Ui0ngBXS1LrCGrdc48cw4e6aNiQ7p9lN5TZJ7XrVq_4cfI5s-lDWuofHwJ_WZA3Rq8INnt_dW9kWbvezYkV_u0qFW9OHjp2TkeaoXPDR33gAfHeXN/s1440/IMG_20211118_202826_145.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiwbCdybTb0RucZGQ8hbNYiZxtX47Ui0ngBXS1LrCGrdc48cw4e6aNiQ7p9lN5TZJ7XrVq_4cfI5s-lDWuofHwJ_WZA3Rq8INnt_dW9kWbvezYkV_u0qFW9OHjp2TkeaoXPDR33gAfHeXN/w400-h400/IMG_20211118_202826_145.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love that I get to wear my Medelita scrubs this month</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Anyway, in terms of residency updates, I am currently finishing my Surgical Dermatology and Mohs month. Mohs surgery is a procedure in which skin cancer is cut out, viewed under a microscope, and cut out again until there is none left. We perform around 10-20 cases per day which allows for the steady work flow that I love. It has also been an awesome month hanging out with my dermatology colleagues, and I finally got to a point where my attending is comfortable with me performing routine excisions and closures on my own, so that has made me super happy. I'm learning a lot, and I love the overlap between dermatology and plastic surgery in the form of tumor resections and flap closures.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Uoenz9s9OZKLRNV34Z5oOEKsFt64aGagrVYpnQ8TLdzq1dx8h7hG_IWlEmcSC-Hxmi4l2A802ChUayvnXimleOSW7DNQDp180H8pbfmUjy2WXKru8TfvNvSKoorzxYgoUL4Tb9Zk9mns/s2048/PhotoGrid_1638137130052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Uoenz9s9OZKLRNV34Z5oOEKsFt64aGagrVYpnQ8TLdzq1dx8h7hG_IWlEmcSC-Hxmi4l2A802ChUayvnXimleOSW7DNQDp180H8pbfmUjy2WXKru8TfvNvSKoorzxYgoUL4Tb9Zk9mns/w400-h400/PhotoGrid_1638137130052.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thankful for the opportunity to share my story!</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Outside of residency and studying, I've had the opportunity to pursue my passion of inspiring and engaging future healthcare leaders over the past month through many speaking engagements. It has been an absolute pleasure speaking to students from literally around the world and sharing the story of my path to medicine. I remember when I first started this blog how hard it was to find someone with similar circumstances who had made it to where I wanted to be in life, and now I am proud to be that shining example for anyone else who might be on a similar path. I went from being the low stat single mother who everyone said had no chance of passing boards, surviving medical school, or getting into residency to doing ALL of the above! I take great pleasure in sharing my story and life circumstances because the world needs more physicians with life experience, empathy, and the tenacity to overcome the odds. This representation matters not just to the younger generations who follow in our footsteps, but to our patients who ultimately this is all about. If I can inspire just one person to pursue their dreams, then I am happy, so I will continue to put my story out there as much as I can. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKfFdgIymQi0orW3aO0sByLM2X01rhimTcbtp_DjMR3CM8Udqhf2j_Z-xF1mu-1zlVzf027vzEHgMu39U1_DIYlyjwcEDzCV0KtK-KO6A3Py8FrS7QHjwUOk-j8vg__4hRLMV4E3C8Eup8/s2048/PhotoGrid_1638139187276.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKfFdgIymQi0orW3aO0sByLM2X01rhimTcbtp_DjMR3CM8Udqhf2j_Z-xF1mu-1zlVzf027vzEHgMu39U1_DIYlyjwcEDzCV0KtK-KO6A3Py8FrS7QHjwUOk-j8vg__4hRLMV4E3C8Eup8/w400-h400/PhotoGrid_1638139187276.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blessed to be able to spend time with my daughter</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Lastly, my daughter finally came to visit me last week! Because of work, it was hard for me to travel to her for Thanksgiving, and between her school, band, and color guard schedule, it's been difficult coordinating a trip to see me due to her schedule somehow being more hectic than mine. Luckily, we are both more into quality of time than the quantity, so I'm happy we finally made it work. We had an awesome museum experience, enjoyed the beautiful November weather on South Beach, took an airboat ride through the Everglades to see alligators, enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner together, put up the Christmas tree, and I may have been slightly conned into allowing her to get a 2nd ear piercing, lol. I feel so blessed to build memories and spend moments like these with her that I hope she'll keep with her forever. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglKViHzbhY3eKUlSQ8CI6siSsxcK08gEPc3QgfnvOg2Uvuqw_Vsl5459o51CnV7Dq5l887fceMIaaKv0jkv64nHTSSzVDVj6rgFKCfCUImpHTtWo74N0HIfhmfSfF4w5vYjnjxGEtF-prb/s2048/PhotoGrid_1638140525315.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglKViHzbhY3eKUlSQ8CI6siSsxcK08gEPc3QgfnvOg2Uvuqw_Vsl5459o51CnV7Dq5l887fceMIaaKv0jkv64nHTSSzVDVj6rgFKCfCUImpHTtWo74N0HIfhmfSfF4w5vYjnjxGEtF-prb/w400-h400/PhotoGrid_1638140525315.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying doing touristy things on my days off</td></tr></tbody></table><p>That's pretty much all I have for updates. I'll try to write more than one post in December, since I'll probably go under a rock for my ICU month in January and my schedule will be super busy for the first half of the year with trauma surgery and such. Honestly my life is pretty boring since all I do is work, and I can't share too much information out of respect for my patients, so I'll try to think of some inspirational/motivational posts to come up with it. If there's anything you want me to write about, feel free to leave a message in the comment section or email me. With that being said, I hope everyone reading this had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and I wish you a fantastic week ahead!</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Aspiring Minority Doctorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16017973927200637031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3711021709009745827.post-55415065141017567482021-10-23T15:37:00.001-04:002021-10-23T15:37:09.446-04:00Embracing Life's Full Circle Moments<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ccEiGNAaFyV8OItR94hrGf9_dq28O_XvLRHhMMJnRVkSKzacTDRk0qamDOj1kVsreONoP6PwEzjHApAEJNQ9CWxrkg0xch715-XSWHJYqcGE3gmh6HmskthD4LMn-qAJl2lmX-x3Md76/s2048/PhotoGrid_1634958082632.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ccEiGNAaFyV8OItR94hrGf9_dq28O_XvLRHhMMJnRVkSKzacTDRk0qamDOj1kVsreONoP6PwEzjHApAEJNQ9CWxrkg0xch715-XSWHJYqcGE3gmh6HmskthD4LMn-qAJl2lmX-x3Md76/w400-h400/PhotoGrid_1634958082632.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#OMED21 Smiles</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>I have had quite a few full circle moments over the past few years, but the one I experienced today compelled me to write this post. If you've been following my blog since it's inception in 2013, then you already know how much of an inspiration Dr. Barbara Ross-Lee is to me. I was ecstatic when I had the opportunity to meet her in person for the first time as a 2nd year medical student (see post <a href="http://www.aspiringminoritydoctor.com/2015/10/meeting-my-inspiration-dr-barbara-ross.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>), and even before then, she was the first person I ever highlighted in my <i>Minority Women in Osteopathic Medicine</i> section (that post can be found <a href="http://www.aspiringminoritydoctor.com/2014/01/barbara-ross-lee-do.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>) . Since that time, I have had many opportunities to interact with her. She was a huge supporter during my time as National Osteopathic Schools Co-Chair of the Student National Medical Association (SNMA) helping to fund a committee scholarship, and during my time as National President-Elect of the SNMA she attended the national conference and we had an excellent discourse during the Osteopathic Schools reception. She's such a phenomenal person!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0u1khVLid4QRrgsjT7BnLomPkpU3A3tSL8u-r0y7feBIJtFoxq6YJNhj8LloVodS8f1noVWBVe3A236IsSGxFuwX2yx_QimayL-KCoZQcAtANdTXY_3pjA760CVx1IdoRzR77z6RzxyUC/s2048/PhotoGrid_1634957970397.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0u1khVLid4QRrgsjT7BnLomPkpU3A3tSL8u-r0y7feBIJtFoxq6YJNhj8LloVodS8f1noVWBVe3A236IsSGxFuwX2yx_QimayL-KCoZQcAtANdTXY_3pjA760CVx1IdoRzR77z6RzxyUC/w400-h400/PhotoGrid_1634957970397.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>But anyway, back to the purpose of this post. I was absolutely delighted to be a part of this weekend's virtual annual osteopathic medical education conference (<a href="https://omed.osteopathic.org/" target="_blank">#OMED21</a>) as a panelist during the Plenary Session for the conference's first ever Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion track. And guess who led the session? That's right, one of my very own inspirations Dr. Barbara Ross-Lee! It was a great session where we discussed continuing the legacy of Dr. Meta Christy (the first African-American Osteopathic Physician) in addition to systemic biases and other challenges faced by DOs. I truly enjoyed participating, and the recording is available for everyone registered for the conference so feel free to join the conference, tune in, and let me know your thoughts!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmdsC14HSM_4CCHkvCCq5oWVBKdOm5iKs4e1AxEMVJam726_QG1f5_4FfKb6wcdya-KTLSmg8dboeEhJ0tJJOiLFnWcMYpeB_xwFvEHZhc7og4Hv8TidRKBelo3bnXdD9K1WdN8spQTADx/s2048/PhotoGrid_1635012305177.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmdsC14HSM_4CCHkvCCq5oWVBKdOm5iKs4e1AxEMVJam726_QG1f5_4FfKb6wcdya-KTLSmg8dboeEhJ0tJJOiLFnWcMYpeB_xwFvEHZhc7og4Hv8TidRKBelo3bnXdD9K1WdN8spQTADx/w400-h400/PhotoGrid_1635012305177.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Six years ago TODAY! Feeling absolutely blessed :)</td></tr></tbody></table><p>So why is this a full circle moment? Because Facebook reminded me that it was on this EXACT day six years ago when I had the opportunity to meet Dr. Ross-Lee for the first time and I introduced her to my school. Today, we had a panel together and she gave my introduction. How crazy is that?!?! It's moments like today where I am reminded of where I came from and that I am on the right track in life. It wasn't too long ago where I dreamed of becoming an osteopathic physician like Dr. Ross-Lee and inspiring people to pursue their dreams as she inspired me to do so with my own. I am literally living my dreams y'all!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje7dXs0KKmzaYkDy5-60zAyaX4FZhhhthYfNX1jCcADg7e_JyckDTALFR6jRy2-7VNjoFKIbf5eqtRcKnhSzA9L3FwGRUGpV4GpKZXoK3OjmjHwDmxSOr50Az_1IxGVUEFOpfXECDoce5p/s2048/PhotoGrid_1635012585220.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje7dXs0KKmzaYkDy5-60zAyaX4FZhhhthYfNX1jCcADg7e_JyckDTALFR6jRy2-7VNjoFKIbf5eqtRcKnhSzA9L3FwGRUGpV4GpKZXoK3OjmjHwDmxSOr50Az_1IxGVUEFOpfXECDoce5p/w400-h400/PhotoGrid_1635012585220.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can't break barriers without acknowledging those who paved the way</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>That's pretty much the post, all I have to say, but I wanted to write a post for my own personal reflection. It's the full circle moments that remind me I'm on the write track and give me encouragement to keep pushing for success. Hopefully one day I can give back and serve as an inspiration to someone just like many individuals such as Dr. Barbara Ross-Lee who provided inspiration and encouragement for me :)</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Aspiring Minority Doctorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16017973927200637031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3711021709009745827.post-78008402671856763142021-10-10T13:55:00.000-04:002021-10-10T13:55:55.790-04:00Update: Plastic Surgery Intern Year Month Four <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjewlI-nIlVsimIfirj4AKnJDGML1IwdWtH29N7Boy7HONwCn4zJ9LHqQwDuJF1NjwNT9731uj0gL1yK5bWkpqRkQDszS7j8Jzwbqmirv5jvfNKvMRbkMuv3jxga0POmAzjfdP4HATlcH8D/s2048/PhotoGrid_1633886117923.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjewlI-nIlVsimIfirj4AKnJDGML1IwdWtH29N7Boy7HONwCn4zJ9LHqQwDuJF1NjwNT9731uj0gL1yK5bWkpqRkQDszS7j8Jzwbqmirv5jvfNKvMRbkMuv3jxga0POmAzjfdP4HATlcH8D/w400-h400/PhotoGrid_1633886117923.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm never this cute when I'm at work lol</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">I'm officially in month four of plastic surgery residency and just realized it's been a while since I've caught everyone up to speed. During my last post, I was in the middle of my second month of general surgery. Since that time, I've completed an orthopedic surgery rotation, and now I am on a urology rotation. I'll do my best to reflect on the highlights of the past few months.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivrm61wCu5ny3JAo-yVVgulQNcQWAwPov-BiKbyPCsdMNJFXFjOhL1jU71PWXYqhjcL-TY6lTKtJjEOxGcYx4HbZHuFBdtdmoGNWyQS-ZUQyWSZMNCUsL_r0_F9Lz-g37b5hchGeCmuPv-/s2048/PhotoGrid_1630119803602.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivrm61wCu5ny3JAo-yVVgulQNcQWAwPov-BiKbyPCsdMNJFXFjOhL1jU71PWXYqhjcL-TY6lTKtJjEOxGcYx4HbZHuFBdtdmoGNWyQS-ZUQyWSZMNCUsL_r0_F9Lz-g37b5hchGeCmuPv-/w400-h400/PhotoGrid_1630119803602.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Proud of my daughter!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>I normally end with updates on mommy life, but shortly after my last post, my daughter decided to inform me of her very important first color guard performance literally two days before it happened. I was still in the middle of my general surgery rotation, and told her there was no way I could be there, but of course the mommy guilt set in. So, the next morning I asked my chief if it would be okay if I left early the next day to see my daughter's performance, and I was super surprised when he said yes! I was beyond happy and booked my plane ticket a few minutes later, but didn't tell my daughter since I wanted to surprise her. The next morning, I woke up at 5am, rounded at 6am, attended 7am didactics, helped with floorwork (luckily there were no cases that day), and I was out the door and to the airport around lunchtime. I had to catch two separate flights, literally ran to make my connecting flight, and was forced to check my carry on which was then placed on the wrong plane, but I managed to make it to my daughter's performance right on time :) It was worth all the hassle and she did an excellent job! #ProudMommy</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaOUNpBZ2BgsuavhFQJ6PaLhassJ1kCKrprHEEwcR94M8RqqCTr2nfcN8-fhbLpEAgwKh0xTNscxrZWKh5bKIxM5NxNktdB1TfdLBJKmvqDoPa2sMlm85cz99tJMvqVlVPl_PhHS0rhEDz/s2048/fotor_1632883759690.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaOUNpBZ2BgsuavhFQJ6PaLhassJ1kCKrprHEEwcR94M8RqqCTr2nfcN8-fhbLpEAgwKh0xTNscxrZWKh5bKIxM5NxNktdB1TfdLBJKmvqDoPa2sMlm85cz99tJMvqVlVPl_PhHS0rhEDz/w400-h400/fotor_1632883759690.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#BlackGirlMagic in the Operating Room!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>September was all about Orthopedic Surgery. As a medical student, I never rotated in the field since I chose Plastic Surgery as my surgery selective, so it was definitely a new experience. I got to wear the hood for the first time and I have to say it was awesome. It came with a nice fan and it was great not having to worry about things accidentally splashing or hitting my face. With that being said, all the drilling, sawing, and hammering was not my cup of tea lol. I'm more into soft tissues and being a bit more delicate, but it was a super fun experience. Hand and extremity reconstruction is a huge part of training as a plastic surgeon, so it was nice getting my feet wet on the orthopedic side. My favorite part of the entire month was getting to operate alongside my friend and fellow black female surgery intern. With black females in plastic and orthopedic surgery being in the super minority (seriously, look it up...there are less than 100 black female plastic surgeons in the United States), I was delighted when one of the medical students took the above photo of us. Two black female surgeons, one in plastic surgery and the other in orthopedic surgery, breaking barriers, and living proof it's possible to achieve your dreams :)</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrZw6ynvLRMkh4Qk6-N_veujGLWXTnQwEiv0JPG_OVoG2T3zyG_nsCMsuVhs_vHhcS7kj4Qj08-xU4an2KIXFVlJoBCSKNpKfcWmZRsbKHaZ_O7j33G0n7cgJfatWNUlBiBILVuPzZzTax/s2048/PhotoGrid_1633717256844.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrZw6ynvLRMkh4Qk6-N_veujGLWXTnQwEiv0JPG_OVoG2T3zyG_nsCMsuVhs_vHhcS7kj4Qj08-xU4an2KIXFVlJoBCSKNpKfcWmZRsbKHaZ_O7j33G0n7cgJfatWNUlBiBILVuPzZzTax/w400-h400/PhotoGrid_1633717256844.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rocking the lead gear on a few urology cases!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>As for this month, I just finished my first week of Urology, and I'm continuing to learn a lot. It's been a healthy mix of clinic and operating, and I'm enjoying seeing the diversity within the field of Urology. The last week has consisted of removing cancerous prostates, knocking out kidney stones, and resecting bladder tumors. I even scrubbed into my first hydrocelectomy case the other day. I am always fascinated by how Plastic Surgery incorporates into other specialties, and plastic surgeons work very closely with urology when it comes to things like Gender-Affirming surgery. It's nice getting down the foundations and anatomy that will become important as I progress through my training. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3YnAyOSJPTqolOTU5rQ9yzBKvF3pxkC-9R-uaLsS1pUeXVgBpgiE7ZFE2VVSlgw9KgA088rOwn5xFOb2G2zcOZ1-398m_vyuwbdnXT7HNINknTK6BX-YEeJLHlCsF17OC9kj3G03_99s4/s2048/PhotoGrid_1633880367191.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3YnAyOSJPTqolOTU5rQ9yzBKvF3pxkC-9R-uaLsS1pUeXVgBpgiE7ZFE2VVSlgw9KgA088rOwn5xFOb2G2zcOZ1-398m_vyuwbdnXT7HNINknTK6BX-YEeJLHlCsF17OC9kj3G03_99s4/w400-h400/PhotoGrid_1633880367191.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">3 months reading and finally finished!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>In other news that likely no one cares about, I reached a huge accomplishment the other day: I finished reading my textbook! My goal at the start of residency was to read one chapter a day. Doesn't seem major, but when you take into account handling the floorwork, operating, and being super tired when getting off work, reading can be hard. I've also been incorporating learning modules and questions into my study routine, so I try to make sure I balance everything equally. During my previous intern year, I was often so overwhelmed with learning how to be an intern, on top of studying for my final board exam, that reading was the last thing I wanted to do. This time around, I feel like an OG, and work-like balance comes super easy for me. I actually enjoy studying and learning, but I guess it helps that I'm finally in my dream specialty.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4vwnCRiwzVEIviJDoo6LGumV4_yiXD5R-jtvtMN1kLX-Pfw0QLThHN9KSUTmhHAuoVUwnd_wwy9vG2BXXbuhQdxjspteQa6DMGEiXznn4wG7lwNomu7mKWLcU6qvN62L7JeNVfP14QFga/s2048/PhotoGrid_1633885137362.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4vwnCRiwzVEIviJDoo6LGumV4_yiXD5R-jtvtMN1kLX-Pfw0QLThHN9KSUTmhHAuoVUwnd_wwy9vG2BXXbuhQdxjspteQa6DMGEiXznn4wG7lwNomu7mKWLcU6qvN62L7JeNVfP14QFga/w400-h400/PhotoGrid_1633885137362.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Making time for food and play!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>As for work-life balance, I still believe in the "work hard, play hard" lifestyle. I take my rotations and studying seriously, but I make sure to take time to enjoy Miami life whenever I can. I've learned that people here really love being on the water, so of course, I had to take part in the yacht experience. Additionally, I've tried a few great restaurants, inadvertently got into a Trey Songz and City Girls concert for free last month, and last weekend I went to see Martin Lawrence and other comedians perform and laughed for hours! I am continually thankful to reside in a city that offers the best of both worlds in terms of training and fun.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTFudMNxGTYHAGu1V7v3Umq6kYnhcCN1_FAD-6XLbAcGHa1AYpXgyb2o9hdupg_H87q646SDjzeAPLyiwZTOZGkqOxh9AezB8j1UiLZDoko-rIIBN0kLOX89TlWIqJDJdDflo1E7zRRpiK/s2048/PhotoGrid_1629333322161.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTFudMNxGTYHAGu1V7v3Umq6kYnhcCN1_FAD-6XLbAcGHa1AYpXgyb2o9hdupg_H87q646SDjzeAPLyiwZTOZGkqOxh9AezB8j1UiLZDoko-rIIBN0kLOX89TlWIqJDJdDflo1E7zRRpiK/w400-h400/PhotoGrid_1629333322161.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Life in a nutshell :)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>That pretty much sums up the last couple of months. In addition to my urology rotation, I will be participating in a few events this month geared toward my passion of mentoring and diversifying medicine, so I look forward to sharing those experiences. As always, I'll aim to update everyone again next month, and I hope everyone reading this has a very productive and positive week. Back to the grind!</div><div><br /></div><div><div><br /></div><div> <div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div></div>Aspiring Minority Doctorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16017973927200637031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3711021709009745827.post-64282911501106119732021-09-26T16:22:00.000-04:002021-09-26T16:22:37.162-04:00A Little Sunday Inspiration :)<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKTGK0TqbjC9GW_rWwPPN7AI2wcbJVCMIJR5uB9TtcSz13SdSAuQfv5P8n8OAK7quoTJUJAJTwlFIYSzTx6bhIRfYsK3WJLCvZ4VWnelR8W9uWEAohHXTIEw0Fbbik8V3xC5eoXLgtp1En/s2048/IMG_20210918_121757_648.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKTGK0TqbjC9GW_rWwPPN7AI2wcbJVCMIJR5uB9TtcSz13SdSAuQfv5P8n8OAK7quoTJUJAJTwlFIYSzTx6bhIRfYsK3WJLCvZ4VWnelR8W9uWEAohHXTIEw0Fbbik8V3xC5eoXLgtp1En/w400-h400/IMG_20210918_121757_648.webp" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Overcoming the odds to become your favorite Plastic Surgeon</td></tr></tbody></table></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b>I originally posted this on my social media accounts, and realized afterwards that it would've made a great blog post. Re-posting it here since I realize I have a few readers that aren't on social media. Hopefully this will help inspire anyone fighting through feelings of imposter syndrome or constantly being doubted. I'll make sure to type up a regular update post soon and I wish everyone reading this a fantastic week :)</b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">For anyone out there working towards a dream and facing constant discouragement, here's a little inspiration<span class="pq6dq46d tbxw36s4 knj5qynh kvgmc6g5 ditlmg2l oygrvhab nvdbi5me sf5mxxl7 gl3lb2sf hhz5lgdu" style="display: inline-flex; font-family: inherit; height: 16px; margin: 0px 1px; vertical-align: middle; width: 16px;"><img alt="👇🏾" height="16" referrerpolicy="origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/ta6/1.5/16/1f447_1f3fe.png" style="border: 0px;" width="16" /></span>: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: start; white-space: pre-wrap;"></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: start; white-space: pre-wrap;">When I had my daughter during my sophomore year of college, they said I would probably drop out or not graduate in 4 years...Graduated with my class and on time</div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: start; white-space: pre-wrap;"></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: start; white-space: pre-wrap;">When my undergraduate GPA took a hit in the midst of leaving an abusive marriage, taking on a full course load and working multiple jobs, they told me I didn't have a chance of getting into medical school...Took a few years, but got the short white coat and started medical school in 2014</div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: start; white-space: pre-wrap;"></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: start; white-space: pre-wrap;">After I got into medical school, they told me I would never pass my board exams and go on to graduate after previously taking the MCAT four times and never achieving a high score...Passed all my boards on the first try, graduated without issues, and now I'm a fully licensed physician</div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: start; white-space: pre-wrap;"></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: start; white-space: pre-wrap;">When I said I wanted to publish a book, they told me the niche was too small and only a few people would buy it...Currently admiring the hundreds of copies sold and great reviews</div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: start; white-space: pre-wrap;"></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: start; white-space: pre-wrap;">After more than one unsuccessful residency match cycle, they told me I should give up my dreams of becoming a surgeon because it would never happen, and that my chances of matching into plastic surgery as a medical school graduate and DO were basically zero...Matched into a categorical integrated plastic surgery residency and currently on the way to becoming a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon</div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: start; white-space: pre-wrap;"></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: start; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now when I say I'm going to accomplish something...they stay quiet <span class="pq6dq46d tbxw36s4 knj5qynh kvgmc6g5 ditlmg2l oygrvhab nvdbi5me sf5mxxl7 gl3lb2sf hhz5lgdu" style="display: inline-flex; font-family: inherit; height: 16px; margin: 0px 1px; vertical-align: middle; width: 16px;"><img alt="😎" height="16" referrerpolicy="origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/tdc/1.5/16/1f60e.png" style="border: 0px;" width="16" /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: start; white-space: pre-wrap;"></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: start; white-space: pre-wrap;">But anyway, the whole point of this post is to say don't let anyone discourage you from going after your goals. A lot of times a person will tell you that you can't do something based on their own personal limitations, biases, and inadequacies. When someone tells me something is impossible, that just translates as having to work harder, taking a little longer, and muting out all the naysayers to achieve it. Be your own champion, let the haters talk, and make sure you let them watch you work and overcome the odds.</div></div><p><br /></p>Aspiring Minority Doctorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16017973927200637031noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3711021709009745827.post-35647581189197421002021-09-12T18:33:00.004-04:002021-09-28T14:02:46.250-04:00Smile Brilliant Collaboration + Favorite Electric Toothbrush Free Giveaway!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu0K9TlnONREFAJXhovdV9KbJRMJBVJHYFxS-komfaDVsbHViMFC2_z4cwuVfvzy7kanIc1I0oyGBkwoWCbmAlGtBCn8ZL-q9T9B7-XiBdsUuy1TWkaNRTr8lXdYjq4-YnjYcWsBhRlLsA/s2048/PhotoGrid_1630918055386.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu0K9TlnONREFAJXhovdV9KbJRMJBVJHYFxS-komfaDVsbHViMFC2_z4cwuVfvzy7kanIc1I0oyGBkwoWCbmAlGtBCn8ZL-q9T9B7-XiBdsUuy1TWkaNRTr8lXdYjq4-YnjYcWsBhRlLsA/w400-h400/PhotoGrid_1630918055386.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loving my new cariPRO ultrasonic toothbrush!</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>Happy Sunday! This is a deviation from my usual posts, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to host a free giveaway and give you all insight on another great product :) You may recall in the past I partnered with <a href="https://www.smilebrilliant.com/product/electric-toothbrush/#aspiringminoritydoctor" target="_blank">Smile Brilliant</a> to review their custom-fitted teeth whitening system (<a href="http://www.aspiringminoritydoctor.com/2019/02/aspiring-minority-doctor-attempts-at.html" target="_blank">click here to read the original post and see ALL the pics)</a>, and I was VERY pleased with the results. It was my first time ever trying teeth whitening, and you can see the dramatic FIRST time difference below. Super impressive! I've continued using the product every so often since that time and my teeth are dramatically whiter. </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWHLJjRYey00S9bDDpFenei5CNJIZsNYBVdB6tw3IJSVxyGMjUzSDt9IG-WOwhDD1cetj97SalrLahPFHsWgihrlfI5IjoIv1wCpOFEldxHMmrxibjQKUu9pNTWsZhH4M4s2l0mpOcBNsg/s1920/PhotoGrid_1550014428390.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWHLJjRYey00S9bDDpFenei5CNJIZsNYBVdB6tw3IJSVxyGMjUzSDt9IG-WOwhDD1cetj97SalrLahPFHsWgihrlfI5IjoIv1wCpOFEldxHMmrxibjQKUu9pNTWsZhH4M4s2l0mpOcBNsg/s320/PhotoGrid_1550014428390.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My actual first time teeth whitening results!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>This time, I've partnered with Smile Brilliant to introduce the CariPRO Ultrasonic Toothbrush. Unlike other electric toothbrushes, this one relies on extreme vibration (40k vibrations/minute) that will have you feeling like you just left the dentist's office. This was actually my first time ever using an electric toothbrush, but I'm thoroughly enjoying it. When it comes to oral health, my goals are simple: to keep my smile looking great and my mouth healthy. This <a href="https://www.smilebrilliant.com/product/electric-toothbrush/#aspiringminoritydoctor" target="_blank">affordable ultrasonic toothbrush</a> goes above and beyond accomplishing these goals. My mouth feels cleaner, my teeth are staying white, and I enjoy the 5 different cleaning mode settings ranging from teeth whitening to gum massaging. I also like that this toothbrush is approved by the ADA (American Dental Association) to properly time & pulse to change sectors so there is no guesswork involved with figuring out if you're spending enough time brushing an area. And even though I've only had the product a few weeks, the battery life is still going strong without having to charge it. It might be my first, but it is by far my <a href="https://www.smilebrilliant.com/product/electric-toothbrush/#aspiringminoritydoctor" target="_blank">favorite electric toothbrush</a>!</p><p><br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDvYvRLftOulFtZ3m7BRwjkhASfet2atSDcZh_s_iIyA4DlTgg4Xu1BKB_WzdL2eh7Sh6gpc36E_4QVvUINY2lV-XMFghff1yQ3LEe7-9F1pnk_qBIai-R4whUojiK9eoKPABT5wTHIiZf/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="756" data-original-width="999" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDvYvRLftOulFtZ3m7BRwjkhASfet2atSDcZh_s_iIyA4DlTgg4Xu1BKB_WzdL2eh7Sh6gpc36E_4QVvUINY2lV-XMFghff1yQ3LEe7-9F1pnk_qBIai-R4whUojiK9eoKPABT5wTHIiZf/w400-h303/image.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just one of Smile Brilliant's many awesome products</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Smile Brilliant's lab-direct process makes achieving professional results at an affordable price easy. In the last few years, they've taken this model and expanded their line of oral health products to include something for everyone - from the newest in the cariPRO line - a cordless water flosser that allows for easy and effective cleaning, to a custom night guard system to protect the teeth from nighttime grinding. But don't just take my word on the product. Try it out for yourself! Click the links below to enter the free giveaway or shop for your own cariPRO toothbrush or other Smile Brilliant product, using my code for 20% off. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b>Shop:</b> <a href="https://www.smilebrilliant.com/product/electric-toothbrush/#aspiringminoritydoctor">https://www.smilebrilliant.com/product/electric-toothbrush/#aspiringminoritydoctor</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b>20% off coupon code:</b> aspiringminoritydoctor20</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Giveaway Time!</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Now's your chance to win a FREE cariPRO Ultrasonic Brush! Click the link below and fill out the super short and simple form for your chance to win!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Giveaway link: <a href="https://www.smilebrilliant.com/gb/aspiringminoritydoctor" target="_blank">https://www.smilebrilliant.com/gb/aspiringminoritydoctor</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">* Giveaway open for 9/12/2021 - 10/3/2021 11:59pm PST</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">* Eligible countries: US, UK, Australia, & Canada</div></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><!--SMILE BRILLIANT ARTICLE WIDGET START-->
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<!--SMILE BRILLIANT ARTICLE WIDGET END-->Aspiring Minority Doctorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16017973927200637031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3711021709009745827.post-27380552490167117652021-08-15T18:12:00.000-04:002021-08-15T18:12:14.356-04:00Thriving and Smiling: An August 2021 Update<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixRVZaN4sqDf6scFAVcA4hIEahiohW_h79v2-k86BNFexvTvJtadb1vHGzxhLSznQF5YWmapxeQup4rW9EKGEVlzEJQzJ_0kKHE940LW7yXsCeJfeMGpRJ6kzddHJ-iqPLjk96FM7OasNp/s2048/PhotoGrid_1627737690246.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixRVZaN4sqDf6scFAVcA4hIEahiohW_h79v2-k86BNFexvTvJtadb1vHGzxhLSznQF5YWmapxeQup4rW9EKGEVlzEJQzJ_0kKHE940LW7yXsCeJfeMGpRJ6kzddHJ-iqPLjk96FM7OasNp/w400-h400/PhotoGrid_1627737690246.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Always happy to operate!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Wow, what can I say? I'm in the second month of my plastic surgery residency, and truly loving every single moment of it! Not a day goes by that I don't wake up with a smile on my face and excited for the opportunity to pursue my passion. I'm still in a bit of disbelief that all this is happening, but it just makes me push to work harder. Anyway, I got off work early today and finished my studying, so time for an update!</p><p>My first month was a great transition back to residency life. I was on the General Surgery service at my main hospital, and our patient census was manageable to the point where we had all the notes, rounds, and floorwork done before the first case of the day. This meant I was in the operating room almost daily, which was great! Additionally, we took home call which was a lot different than my previous program. On call days, we were provided an Iphone which was used to receive consults and text back and forth to other services. A million times better than holding a pager! I had to cover both campuses of my hospital, but luckily I live pretty equidistant to both and I didn't receive too many calls in the middle of the night. I honestly enjoyed being able to come home during my call, take a shower, and semi-relax. During my previous time as an intern, call days consisted of 28ish hour shifts where we stayed in the hospital. It was so nice being able to sleep in my own bed last month! The only downside with home call is there are no post-call days, but even with being woken up and having to come in every now and then, I usually got a decent amount of sleep. No post-call days off also meant I didn't have to miss out on all the good cases the next day, so I was happy. </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIHYB3Gp4wKhueSPzFSFAufYqhJyoO9Bzab8ge3C2wq7UN1j_5dt5dbtJzXFt9itdJOcnTEnODr7HsehaMDXeZX-bI-I2AD27H-ypwQrKIA5aZjU5HloU1I4BDk9fja_F2qSVA4QJCI0fq/s2048/PhotoGrid_1629064332730.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIHYB3Gp4wKhueSPzFSFAufYqhJyoO9Bzab8ge3C2wq7UN1j_5dt5dbtJzXFt9itdJOcnTEnODr7HsehaMDXeZX-bI-I2AD27H-ypwQrKIA5aZjU5HloU1I4BDk9fja_F2qSVA4QJCI0fq/w400-h400/PhotoGrid_1629064332730.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Work hard, play harder #MiamiStyle</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>To wrap up July thoughts, I honestly couldn't have asked for a better first month. I scrubbed a decent amount of cases, had time to study daily, AND even managed to have a social life! Living in Miami is such a cool experience, and I managed to find a circle of fellow black female resident physicians who I hang out with whenever our schedules align. I never really cared about where I would end up for residency since securing a categorical spot was my top priority, but now that I am in my training, I truly see the value of location. I mean seriously, who needs to fly away for a vacation, when you literally live in paradise?!?! Plus, the warm weather and sunshine on my days off will probably be a huge help when it hits the winter months and residency fatigue starts to set in. </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtXNckr5JqRFcxEvShqvGHCxMcHuAUxpB5Jdo5itNgIVOZKe-1LL0T9SmoHr40q6stZx2s6aoPfWVogf6BfmLXalgX5QZJkR98LJVUpkxWQilJrC4KDYwq1Kx39kEDOuheH3TMttqpIGfK/s2048/IMG_20210805_163004_098.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtXNckr5JqRFcxEvShqvGHCxMcHuAUxpB5Jdo5itNgIVOZKe-1LL0T9SmoHr40q6stZx2s6aoPfWVogf6BfmLXalgX5QZJkR98LJVUpkxWQilJrC4KDYwq1Kx39kEDOuheH3TMttqpIGfK/w400-h400/IMG_20210805_163004_098.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New hospital, New Badge</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>As for August, this month I am rotating at an outside hospital and on a service which covers General Surgery, Vascular Surgery, and Surgical Oncology. The volume is a lot heavier than last month, but I feel a bit more in my element since I tend to thrive in busy environments. Additionally, the hospital I'm rotating at has an established General Surgery residency program, so it's fun working with, learning from, and interacting with the other residents. I thought it was just my program, but the surgical culture that I've experienced throughout my time here across different hospitals has been such a pleasant experience. Teaching and teamwork are valued, all the residents I've interacted with are helpful and nice (even the chiefs), and off time outside of the hospital is respected. I'm enjoying soaking in as much knowledge as I can while improving my skills, and being in environments that value residents makes the experience even better.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5X6k7ZnTQkgvILwdeZ8zo4hmlY9fjBwMacjjJIcTn-V8QJ5aHK0rHDbQUKu8En0Sg1p8Bo9A5F38teCg-HKIDVlFsCqggxbgz_iB_IMJIbR39o7q_sfBV-cnJdGleL_U9uz8YWI5ukm_S/s2048/IMG_20210809_194529_601.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5X6k7ZnTQkgvILwdeZ8zo4hmlY9fjBwMacjjJIcTn-V8QJ5aHK0rHDbQUKu8En0Sg1p8Bo9A5F38teCg-HKIDVlFsCqggxbgz_iB_IMJIbR39o7q_sfBV-cnJdGleL_U9uz8YWI5ukm_S/w400-h400/IMG_20210809_194529_601.webp" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not even the mask can conceal my happiness!</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>I just finished my second week of the August General Surgery rotation, and I have to say it was probably my favorite so far. Monday was a busy day with an early start. I arrived at work at 5am and quickly helped my team update our patient list in time for 6am rounds. I also have Plastic Surgery didactics every Monday at 7am, and it was my turn to present that day so around 645am, I left the team and found a quiet spot to present my lecture on Wound Healing and Scars. I think it went pretty well and I was happy that I was able to make it both informative and succinct since we usually have to make it to our cases afterwards. Following didactics, I found my team and my chief was like "Good news, you're going on a field trip!". I thought he meant to go find something in the hospital, so I was surprised when the other resident offered to drive. Turns out one of our attendings had a case at an outpatient facility, so we were off to do surgery. There are no words to begin to describe how amazing it was! The attending let me scrub in and complete the cases from start to finish with him working as my assistant. Even more awesome was the fact that he cheered me on, gave compliments, and when I asked how I should proceed, he let me figure it out on my own. It was my first time since starting this year where I felt alive and in my element. The attending was even nice enough to let me update the families, and since they were all Spanish-speaking, he allowed me to have the conversation but stood by my side and helped when I was unsure of how to say something (my basic conversational Spanish is decent, but I'm working on my medical Spanish). The facility even bought lunch for all of us, so you know I was super happy! On Wednesday, the same attending had cases at our hospital, so I had the opportunity to scrub with him on an open inguinal hernia repair. Not going to lie, I was beyond happy that the chief resident scrubbed into the case too, because there was no way I was going to be able to figure out what to do on that case lol. We pretty much did the entire case together with the attending guiding us and acting as an assist when needed. It was incredible! Moments like the ones I experienced last week are a reminder that I am on the right path and it makes all the long hours and hard work feel truly worth it. </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghsvto4IEY0dNhojn7rpT8rGxmJweUsif_4DWumkJjzZrvBXfYoy7H2lyRjfILuKcrVD2L8oATR1N9LrAeuef_5AaXstAypaUV3oRpaG0feXMiVscAsWibBihd7wH3J5EtRq8jNZ_Qg2Qk/s2048/IMG_20210810_200308_190.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghsvto4IEY0dNhojn7rpT8rGxmJweUsif_4DWumkJjzZrvBXfYoy7H2lyRjfILuKcrVD2L8oATR1N9LrAeuef_5AaXstAypaUV3oRpaG0feXMiVscAsWibBihd7wH3J5EtRq8jNZ_Qg2Qk/w400-h400/IMG_20210810_200308_190.webp" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She's growing too fast!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Oh, and in non-residency related news, my daughter started the 9th grade last week. Can you believe I'm the mother of a high school Freshman?!?! So incredibly proud that she continues to grow and thrive while being supportive of me reaching my dreams. I'm so incredibly blessed!</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Fu9vUW3w2X44z2nwqDNiH9JqIGUTbUwJytwGu0wSukzOV5QQDklYLRMyuLy0loP2vhtWAgeN4bG1zaHJUEs0EK3PHNXe5KXzUUhO93Wo47oXfr70KBIyl8jCNxArgjLkL-E3_jugMmCx/s2048/IMG_20210729_183703_176.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Fu9vUW3w2X44z2nwqDNiH9JqIGUTbUwJytwGu0wSukzOV5QQDklYLRMyuLy0loP2vhtWAgeN4bG1zaHJUEs0EK3PHNXe5KXzUUhO93Wo47oXfr70KBIyl8jCNxArgjLkL-E3_jugMmCx/w400-h400/IMG_20210729_183703_176.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A reminder that I look good outside of these scrubs lol</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Welp, that's pretty much it for updates. I have been working this weekend, but it hasn't been bad. Turns out it's not a true "call" weekend, but just a weekend where I come in like a normal day, do rounds, complete the floorwork, scrub cases if any, and then go home when the work is done. There were no cases today, so I was able to come home early enough to get slightly ahead in my readings, do a few sets of questions to reinforce my knowledge, and now have time to relax, type this post, and go find some ratchet TV to watch before going to bed tonight. My next post most likely won't be until next month when I'm on Orthopedic Surgery, but I look forward to sharing more of my adventures with you!</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Aspiring Minority Doctorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16017973927200637031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3711021709009745827.post-45379187768823985222021-07-04T16:08:00.000-04:002021-07-04T16:08:55.637-04:00From Urgent Care Physician to PGY1 Plastic Surgeon!!!!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtg2YeOYi7gF9SeIyWWGT_22D2lnIdqzmAr7CNOsumqNpmK2xzP50GYNYnPTEN7yfc9Jvm4iOyU3pWKFAnep__jKTGR6LjbiKK-DEa-ulkvMruigIOLqyORi3chM_oiZ5y4Mq8WyQMwnN7/s2048/PhotoGrid_1623813617412.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtg2YeOYi7gF9SeIyWWGT_22D2lnIdqzmAr7CNOsumqNpmK2xzP50GYNYnPTEN7yfc9Jvm4iOyU3pWKFAnep__jKTGR6LjbiKK-DEa-ulkvMruigIOLqyORi3chM_oiZ5y4Mq8WyQMwnN7/w400-h400/PhotoGrid_1623813617412.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#PlasticSurgeonLoading</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Ahhhh I can't believe it's been almost 3 months since my last post! So much has happened, and the past few months have been a whirlwind of change and excitement. I honestly haven't had time to sit down and type up a full post, but I will do my best to catch everyone up on this one. This post might be a bit lengthy and random, but guess I'll start from the beginning :)</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha2ZDmS9WGhBINEyOEFZe33cYNOeMQiKIfxek1FEysZfasiAISt5O1xNhdXKvIHmKREcpFeWMVl869xgELIliOhXYZWiWmfPwTk7dMV35cHrz0Rr5kIreL7Tt9Gcr4_XGN0pWCzGU0vJzK/s1079/Screenshot_20210704-134428_Facebook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1074" data-original-width="1079" height="399" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha2ZDmS9WGhBINEyOEFZe33cYNOeMQiKIfxek1FEysZfasiAISt5O1xNhdXKvIHmKREcpFeWMVl869xgELIliOhXYZWiWmfPwTk7dMV35cHrz0Rr5kIreL7Tt9Gcr4_XGN0pWCzGU0vJzK/w400-h399/Screenshot_20210704-134428_Facebook.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Closing my chapter as an urgent care physician!</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br />After Match Day, the most important things on my list were finding a place to live, obtaining my training license, completing onboarding work for my program, and making as much money as possible before going back to residency pay. I worked a ton of shifts, taking only Mother's Day weekend off, and on May 16th, I finished my last shift as a full-time urgent care physician. My last day was so busy that everyone joked the patients must have known I was leaving, LOL. I didn't finish until a couple hours after my shift ended and this was AFTER having to close the doors early due to the large number of patients. The bright side is, I was surprised with cakes, a card, and gifts from everyone I've worked with, and it made me feel so loved. Unfortunately, we were so busy that day that none of us actually had a chance to celebrate at work, but I was happy to celebrate and go bowling with a few of my faves a week later. I've been blessed to worked with some great people over the past couple years, and I will surely miss them. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisUS13P5pXmHbLrf_5I9_jWal3cDlMffbVC4e-5ZXrSZBoJpfWvfQiXYyGDtXqFzAPQK6zO0X9t9fziB9HJqQBVBreImNDAyiuPI6E-kxNwAQl0X1GR8MtRoochFqmOP3B2GRfTHBFCnu5/s2048/PhotoGrid_1619459493864.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisUS13P5pXmHbLrf_5I9_jWal3cDlMffbVC4e-5ZXrSZBoJpfWvfQiXYyGDtXqFzAPQK6zO0X9t9fziB9HJqQBVBreImNDAyiuPI6E-kxNwAQl0X1GR8MtRoochFqmOP3B2GRfTHBFCnu5/w400-h400/PhotoGrid_1619459493864.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Officially a Floridian!</td></tr></tbody></table><p>As for finding a place to live, I am now a Florida resident and finally settled in! I got very lucky with finding a safe, affordable place that is super close to the hospitals I will be rotating at. I secured my place in early April with the help of an awesome realtor who not only went above and beyond, but sent me full videos of my place which included the drive around the area, and picked up my keys for me when it was time to move in so I could stay in Georgia and finish working. Once I finally made it here, it took a few weeks to get settled since I decided to buy all new furniture (so many trips to IKEA!), but now it finally feels like home :)</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgO6Q2glop4p29sMVBXaf1ICA5OV46nOYtkG5HkEF4yuNz-V4dRtoY6WByD3Lfu2vhn0qfBifsxz3-TnvqkXlf2Rs3JivPw9ux2DjG3gHBWDjz_krZ-4YPTxHD8eTPP4Jm8806OdNLcAJ5/s2048/PhotoGrid_1623612562059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgO6Q2glop4p29sMVBXaf1ICA5OV46nOYtkG5HkEF4yuNz-V4dRtoY6WByD3Lfu2vhn0qfBifsxz3-TnvqkXlf2Rs3JivPw9ux2DjG3gHBWDjz_krZ-4YPTxHD8eTPP4Jm8806OdNLcAJ5/w400-h400/PhotoGrid_1623612562059.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blessed to have some of my SNMA fam in Miami!</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The day before orientation I got the chance to hang out with some of my SNMA fam and residents from another residency program in Miami. We spent the day having fun on a boat, and it was such a great way to kick off my training. I am beyond blessed live in a place where I already have a built in support system. It's no secret that residency is hard, but having people around that you can trust and vent to makes it so much better. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzxz-CeHET5insD2rojQYdcDZEFXG7vrPjUliK2emkSH0ZQrwJAm0gXPoQzuKkwrSMdh0MB3Gh6dQitayCZNbfiT6tvUXpz5_Oxi4J413Xq3PqaU1bHKU2QygHzux_IOMl7oUDAjDzw-7i/s1132/fotor_1624678773660.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1132" data-original-width="1132" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzxz-CeHET5insD2rojQYdcDZEFXG7vrPjUliK2emkSH0ZQrwJAm0gXPoQzuKkwrSMdh0MB3Gh6dQitayCZNbfiT6tvUXpz5_Oxi4J413Xq3PqaU1bHKU2QygHzux_IOMl7oUDAjDzw-7i/w400-h400/fotor_1624678773660.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Plastic Surgery team!</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Orientation week started June 14th and was a two-week affair. Nothing too exciting to note, but it was nice meeting all the new interns in the hospital and everyone in my program. I even got a chance to hang out with my co-interns outside of orientation, and I am so lucky to be training with such an awesome group of individuals. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsCRYfJVB9q7PRccvnm6riO0RM4bvHfeZuE_WG_65ZnWUTHemrDZuI_GgbjwWKZzw4jVz2jUcBwxtuCkwgan9C_lhAWM8Hy2_gKYd1SvaTLXxBaI4NOYUvYdek9BKvAm19buYQa917J7IG/s2048/PhotoGrid_1624368944854.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsCRYfJVB9q7PRccvnm6riO0RM4bvHfeZuE_WG_65ZnWUTHemrDZuI_GgbjwWKZzw4jVz2jUcBwxtuCkwgan9C_lhAWM8Hy2_gKYd1SvaTLXxBaI4NOYUvYdek9BKvAm19buYQa917J7IG/w400-h400/PhotoGrid_1624368944854.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My 1st First Author Publication!</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Oh wait, I forgot to mention that I finally have a first author publication! It was during orientation week that my case report was published in the <i>International Journal of Surgery Case Reports</i>. Even though I have multiple publications, and even published an entire book, I feel so much achievement at finally being listed first on a peer-reviewed academic publication. To break it down in layman's terms: this was basically a report on removing a gallbladder in a 32 week pregnant female, and it was a case I helped perform during my original intern year in general surgery. Having this published during my plastic surgery residency orientation was a great closure to the general surgery chapter of my life. If you're interested in reading (it even has cool pictures!), you can find it <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2210261221006210" target="_blank">HERE</a> (Click "Download PDF" at the top if you want to view the full neat version)</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5wkJ5JfLM4wxX1gmWWWGZsZ86IRCPqO-5mi_cbWmva_B9v9xt9F6PxMR1qPbV337ama_gEgBFXuBklwFrcaPOS60_31QCRN10XExvf2mh39NNYeGJDBdn0MmVFww4ZAg9JZ2tfTRjbB9_/s1440/IMG_20210629_095902_456.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5wkJ5JfLM4wxX1gmWWWGZsZ86IRCPqO-5mi_cbWmva_B9v9xt9F6PxMR1qPbV337ama_gEgBFXuBklwFrcaPOS60_31QCRN10XExvf2mh39NNYeGJDBdn0MmVFww4ZAg9JZ2tfTRjbB9_/w400-h400/IMG_20210629_095902_456.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Much needed bonding time with my daughter!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>After orientation ended, I had a few days until my official start date of July 1st, so I took advantage of mommy-daughter time. My daughter will be starting high school this fall, is actively involved with band, recently made the color guard team, and said she would like to stay with my family and near her friends out of state instead of moving to Florida. I grew up military and went to 4 different schools during high school alone, so I agreed to let her stay and have the stability I never had. This means we will not get to spend as much time together, but I've always stressed quality of time over quantity, and she's always been so supportive of my surgery goals. With that being said, during my final days before starting, I joined my daughter and her friend for a mini vacation in Orlando. I got us VIP tickets to the park which allowed us to skip to the front of every line and jump right on the rides. We enjoyed 14 rides including the newest rollercoaster that was super intense, got a tour through private areas of the park, and had the greatest time together. It's always worth it seeing a smile on her face, and I love creating memories that will last a lifetime.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqQjVM523BcioZA9oieonY2Owl-NL0l-I-0RN3SJGv9BnqEKm95N7XV04hhO67JSCYQv-aO3XNS8OYYbDxfgqhP9gUysijMdTdvUr4hi-doA7BhyFM35K9begouuLswaIlQDgVsq9sSu5t/s2048/IMG_20210701_172528_483.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqQjVM523BcioZA9oieonY2Owl-NL0l-I-0RN3SJGv9BnqEKm95N7XV04hhO67JSCYQv-aO3XNS8OYYbDxfgqhP9gUysijMdTdvUr4hi-doA7BhyFM35K9begouuLswaIlQDgVsq9sSu5t/w400-h400/IMG_20210701_172528_483.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First day of residency selfie!</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br />After my trip, it was time to get to work! Like most residents across the country, I started on July 1st and it was actually a great day. I arrived at the hospital around 6am and after rounding on my patients, I spent a good part of the day learning the system and getting access to the major things I needed. I didn't feel like a fish out of water, and felt like I was moving at a decent pace. I also wasn't on call, so I was able to leave at a decent time and come home to study. I am on the General Surgery service for my first two months, so it feels good being back in familiar territory. Plus, I really like the culture of this program so far. I can tell it's going to be a great year, and I'm ready for all the learning and growth that comes with it!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4fF9olKEi-ylO_3GholKr3j3CDd38xV-lyyojOcLQLUTvkydbGzQVoEP8u-fjWtmqF5K5ly0vlPdnwYdxsVAHok7LaXsrMLxo6KQlzXkKTWvoA6vK2vDMgsKHyVcs8HFUVGq7WLrWjWQF/s2048/PhotoGrid_1625426094528.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4fF9olKEi-ylO_3GholKr3j3CDd38xV-lyyojOcLQLUTvkydbGzQVoEP8u-fjWtmqF5K5ly0vlPdnwYdxsVAHok7LaXsrMLxo6KQlzXkKTWvoA6vK2vDMgsKHyVcs8HFUVGq7WLrWjWQF/w400-h400/PhotoGrid_1625426094528.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happiness after operating for the first time in 2 years!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>On my second day of work I got a chance to operate for the first time in over 2 years! I can't tell you how good it felt to be back in the operating room. From scrubbing, to gowning, to performing the most basic parts of a procedure, and even getting grilled on my knowledge by the attending surgeon, I've missed it all. The operating room is truly my happy place and I feel so incredibly blessed to be in this position. So many emotions!</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_GvbxbfRbsaqSm-2SpOdp2mQuigHoGFsgA04qZneUMbzFwxLx3Tp0E-mdy7BlfGXkKUyv8eAzozgul9CGIf92XWU0GBp69c0FfSy7hmZwGILkKQ4dlZRQb6kV0ARWMNVCpFuuXLZQiRly/s2048/fotor_1623951542686.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_GvbxbfRbsaqSm-2SpOdp2mQuigHoGFsgA04qZneUMbzFwxLx3Tp0E-mdy7BlfGXkKUyv8eAzozgul9CGIf92XWU0GBp69c0FfSy7hmZwGILkKQ4dlZRQb6kV0ARWMNVCpFuuXLZQiRly/w400-h400/fotor_1623951542686.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Your PGY1 Plastic Surgeon!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>I think I've pretty much summed up the last few months as succinctly as possible. Even though I haven't been actively blogging, I have been making an effort to quickly jot down highlights from each day in a journal. I'll try to update the blog at least once a month, but at least now I'll have a reference to catch everyone up in case I get too busy to sit down and type. Outside of being an active team member and learning as much as I can during my rotations, my biggest focus is on reading and studying so that I'll perform well on my in-service exam in the spring. This means blog posts may be infrequent, but you can still catch me on social media. I appreciate everyone who takes the time to read my posts, and I look forward to sharing all the exciting times ahead. As for today, I've completed my presentation for didactics tomorrow and finished my readings, so I feel like I've earned relaxation time for the rest of the day. Until next time!</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Aspiring Minority Doctorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16017973927200637031noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3711021709009745827.post-89436863136875963402021-04-18T16:59:00.000-04:002021-04-18T16:59:49.415-04:00Didn’t Match into Residency...What are Some of my Options?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div><br /><p></p><p>Over the past couple of years, I have received numerous messages asking me about options for those who didn’t match into a residency position. I don’t consider myself an expert on the topic, but as someone who went through the <a href="http://www.aspiringminoritydoctor.com/p/surviv.html" target="_blank">process of not matching</a>, to securing an <a href="http://www.aspiringminoritydoctor.com/2018/03/when-failure-becomes-opportunity-my.html" target="_blank">internship</a>, not matching again, and then starting work as an <a href="http://www.aspiringminoritydoctor.com/2019/12/life-as-urgent-care-physician.html" target="_blank">urgent care physician</a> before my recent <a href="http://www.aspiringminoritydoctor.com/2021/03/i-finally-matched-and-im-going-to-be.html" target="_blank">match into plastic surgery</a>, I will share as much advice and insight as I can. Not matching can feel like the end of the world, especially when you’ve invested a massive amount of money, time, energy, and years to become a physician, but there is a hope (and I’m living proof of that).</p><p><br /></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><u>What if I fail to match into any position?</u></span></b></p><p>Every year, thousands of medical school graduates go unmatched. Despite what many people would like to believe, there isn’t a physician shortage, but a shortage of residency positions due to various reasons that I won’t get into with this post. If you’re a 4th year medical student who is unmatched at this point, my advice is the following:</p><p>Focus on securing a one year preliminary or transitional year position! Even if you had your heart set on a particular specialty, at this point, making sure you graduate with a JOB should be of utmost importance. Having at least a year of training under your belt will open so many doors, and I’ll get more into that below. You should be stalking sites daily that list open positions. A few that I found useful were <a href="https://www.residentswap.org/how_it_works.php" target="_blank">Resident Swap</a>, <a href="https://forums.studentdoctor.net/forums/internship-residency-and-fellowship-positions.290/" target="_blank">SDN</a>, <a href="https://www.unmatchedmd.com/" target="_blank">UnmatchedMD</a>, and for those interested in surgery, <a href="https://apds.org/education-careers/open-positions/" target="_blank">APDS</a>. I’m sure there are more specialty-specific sites, but these are a good start.</p><p>If you have had no luck finding a preliminary or transitional year position, a possible option would be to extend your graduation date by a year. Not all schools will allow this, but by extending your graduation date, the major advantage is you will still be eligible for student loans to help with living expenses. Also, when you do re-apply for a residency position, you will be considered a graduating medical student senior which is useful for those residency programs that automatically screen out graduates. After extending your graduation date, the year can be utilized as a research year that can help you enhance your application and build further connections. </p><p>In the event you are unsuccessful at extending your graduation date or securing an internship position, options for practicing medicine tend to become severely limited. There are a few states like Missouri, that will allow you to practice as an “<a href="https://www.kshb.com/news/health/missouri-law-allows-doctors-to-practice-without-residency" target="_blank">Assistant Physician</a>” with a collaborating physician to supervise your work. This would require relocating and I am not aware of how much it pays. There is also the option of <a href="https://healthcare-optimization-solutions.com" target="_blank">electronic health record (EHR) training</a> and support work where you would travel to various hospitals/clinics around the country and train individuals on how to use EMR systems. </p><p>Outside of this, I am not aware of any other options for graduating physicians without having completed any type of internship/residency training, but if you’re reading this and know of a few options, please let me know in the comments below.</p><p><br /></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><u>What are my options if I completed an intern year and/or never finished residency?</u></span></b></p><p>Most people think that completion of a residency program and having board certification is an absolute requirement to practice medicine. While having these things can make life a bit easier and provide you with more practice options, they are not an absolute necessity. In most states, the only major requirement for full licensure and the ability to practice independently is completion of twelve months of postgraduate medical training and passing all three required medical board exams. These requirements tend to vary for International Medical Graduates (IMGs), and there are a few states such as California that require more than 1 year of training, but you can find a full list of requirements <a href="https://www.fsmb.org/step-3/state-licensure" target="_blank">HERE</a>. </p><p>After failing to match a <a href="http://www.aspiringminoritydoctor.com/2019/03/match-week-2019-part-one.html" target="_blank">second time</a>, I knew this would be my initial route. I made sure to take my final medical board licensing exam in December of my intern year so my results would be available in enough time to receive my license. I also checked my state’s requirements and had everything ready for submission. By the final day of my intern year, the only thing I needed was a certificate from my program director stating I finished the 12 months of required training. I mailed everything in immediately after and had my license 3 weeks later.</p><p>I heavily explored my options and decided urgent care would be the best fit for me. Having not completed a residency program, my options were limited in hospital settings and other facilities run by insurance companies that require board certification, but I was lucky enough to find a physician owned and operated facility to work at. Urgent care work definitely isn’t for everyone though. You have to be comfortable managing everything from lacerations, fractures, genital issues, etc in all age ranges and completely on your own. The umbrella of protection that residency provides is no longer available, and you have to be able to make quick decisions on your feet and balance a large number of patients in a given shift. Luckily, my surgical intern year prepared me well for this, but I would suspect it would be a steep learning curve for anyone coming from less intense specialties.</p><p>Another option would be to start your own practice. Now this is something I don’t highly recommend, but only because I still value the learning experience. In the urgent care setting, even though I work alone, I know I can always call on my colleagues for advice. Plus, I am constantly learning new things and staying up to date on clinical guidelines. It would probably be harder to find the support if on your own, but after you obtain your license, you could theoretically start your own practice as a General Practitioner (GP). Thirty or so years ago, this was not abnormal, but it has since heavily fallen out of favor. </p><p>As a GP, it is possible to bypass the headache of dealing with insurance companies by running a cash-only practice or having a Direct Primary Care practice where patients pay via a subscription-type service for visits. It would also be possible to go into concierge medicine and focus on VIP patients. Working as an urgent care physician in Atlanta, it’s not unusual to have celebrity patients every once in a while, but the thought hadn’t crossed my mind until I was asked if I provided the service by one of my patient’s assistants. I definitely considered it, but realized I don’t want to be available to anyone 24/7 and I don’t give into patient demands which can sometimes come with people used to getting what they want. </p><p>Another option for a licensed physician without board certification includes Medicare wellness assessments where you would perform quick history & physical (H&P) exams and have patients answer health questions. This typically involves having to travel to patient’s homes, and there is some dissatisfaction from PCPs with these as insurance companies tend to use it as a way to not pay them full price. The benefit to working for these companies though is that they tend to pay per person for these assessments and provide free rental cars, hotel rooms, and gas reimbursement. The drawback is having to travel all around a city and you may have to enter homes that may be unsanitary or in unsafe areas.</p><p>The final options I can think of for those who can obtain a medical license are doing consulting work (companies value the physician credentials, but I have no information on how to get involved with this), performing disability exams on veterans, and traveling to various hospitals and clinics to provide Electronic Health Record (EHR) training. </p><p><b>This post isn’t exhaustive of all the options available, but it pretty much sums up all the ones I can think of at the moment. If you know of any other good options for unmatched physicians and those who didn’t complete residency, please drop your knowledge in the comments below!</b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><div><br /></div>Aspiring Minority Doctorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16017973927200637031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3711021709009745827.post-27155233698655695102021-04-17T16:41:00.001-04:002021-04-17T16:41:56.325-04:002020 - 2021 Residency Season (Diary Posts)<div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK4Ie3J5QelxhWBtXu2UQ4yVSMHKYUMSsDdKNjUjWLCUU8EXh5ip4NFl2ECJJQY_Qo9XKOyK8QSTH-vEoxCArBf-DpWukza4R_nBV5AjVvaDc7P9fDDNad-gftZcrj1pab4yGdR1MofLtN/s1600/1618691596935490-0.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So happy to be done with the process!</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div></div><p>Happy Saturday! As promised, I am releasing the posts I previously wrote during this past residency application season. I originally planned to write weekly, but life remained busy as usual, so I only wrote two posts, one from 10/22/2020 and another from 10/23/2020. There's not much, so I'll just include both posts here. Not sure if it will help anyone, and I made sure to retract program names, so just posting on the blog for my memories. </p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: red;"><b>10/22/2020</b></span></p><p>I’m a little late with my first ERAS post, but things have been super busy this week. Right now, I am at work and just got a break. I am 11 hours into my shift and between physical and telemedicine visits, I have seen a total of 46 patients today AND finished all my notes! Hopefully, this last hour will be a smooth one.</p><p>Anyway, back to ERAS. I officially submitted my surgery applications on Sunday night, and it was an interesting experience. My application has been done for a while, but I figured submitting on October 18th would give me enough time to find any flaws (due to the pandemic this year, programs weren’t able to review applications until 9am on 10/21/2020). I didn’t get off work until 11:15pm, so by the time I got home and took a shower it was technically Monday when I was able to sit down and submit. I grabbed my laptop, had my boyfriend sit next to me for moral support, typed in my info, and after a little hesitation, forcefully hit the submit button. I was about to breathe a sigh of relief but quickly saw the words “card declined”. Now I have more than enough money in my bank account, so I initially thought I entered my address wrong. I carefully re-entered all my information and clicked submit again only to get declined. I was super confused! It was then that I realized my bank was probably blocking the charge because I had literally never spent so much money at one time in my entire life. It took me a few hours, but I figured out how to temporarily increase my daily spend limit, and I was finally able to successfully submit around 1:30am. The total charge for my application to 289 general surgery programs and 80 Plastic Surgery programs came out to be $9032. (Yep, you’re reading that correctly) To put that amount into context, the very first car I bought was around $7000 and took me a few years to pay off. Even the lavish birthday trip to Paris that I treated my daughter to last year cost me less than a third of the cost I spent on ERAS applications this year. Let that sink in.</p><p>To be honest, as tough as it was seeing the money leave my account, applying to so many programs is probably the biggest change from my previous applications. When I first applied in the 2018 cycle, the total I spent was $1910 ($1686 in the actual match and the rest during SOAP...reviewing my payment history now). For the 2019 cycle, I spent a total of $372, and the total spent on the 2020 cycle was $353 (and I forgot to register for SOAP, so did not participate this year). You’re probably thinking “What the hell! Why didn’t she apply to more programs the first time around?!?!” Well, the answer is simple...I couldn’t afford it. </p><p>What most people don’t realize is the whole process of becoming a physician is super expensive. I couldn’t just use credit cards to pay for my applications, because I was already maxed out from previous years (having a ton of student loan debt and trying to stay afloat as a single parent will do that to you). I also knew I couldn’t afford to travel to interviews all over the country. Yep, that’s another thing they don’t tell you: you not only pay just to APPLY to residency programs, but then you’re responsible for the cost of flight, hotel, car rental, and any incidental expenses. It all adds up. By the time most medical students get ready to apply for residency, they have already spent thousands of dollars just taking board exams alone, not to mention the other costs associated with being a medical student. And on top of all this, you’re still expected to have extra money for the few months between graduation and the start of residency when you’re likely moving to a new state and having to put down security deposits on new places to live. I guess the one good thing about being in a pandemic this year is I will save a lot of money by not having to travel everywhere. Yay for virtual interviews! </p><p>So yes, the main reason why I didn’t apply to all the programs I would have liked to in previous years was because I couldn’t afford it. I also couldn’t afford to apply as an intern with a resident’s salary (even though they are physicians, when you average out the hours worked with the pay, the majority of resident physicians make less than minimum wage **and don’t even get me started on how expensive it was living in Philadelphia**), and I couldn’t afford to apply last cycle because I had just moved back to Georgia and was jobless for my first month back. None of that applies this year, because not only have I been blessed with the opportunity to save up for residency applications, but I’ll also be able to relocate and start residency without being on a struggle bus. Turns out going unmatched and having to start working as a physician has been a huge blessing! Shout out to God for always having my back even when I can’t see it!</p><p>To wrap this up and get back on track, submitting my residency applications this year feels like a huge relief and I’m actually hopeful of what’s to come. I’m a little scared that being 2 years out of medical school will hurt my chances at a lot of programs and I won’t get a lot of interviews despite having applied to so many, but I am just going to keep my faith and keep pressing. God didn’t bring me this far to leave me and I know the best is yet to come! Hopefully my next post will be an interview invite update, but right now I have two minutes left on the clock and I am ready to go home! Good night!</p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: red;"><b>10/23/2020 2:31pm</b></span></p><p>Well it’s officially day 3 of ERAS applications being open, and already this year is different from previous ones. Last night shortly after leaving work, I was fortunate enough to receive a supplemental application link from the [retracted] Surgery residency program and a few hours later I received a link to complete [retracted]’s assessment. There’s a high chance that these were probably sent out to everyone who applied to these programs, but there were two things that stuck out to me: </p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>The email I received from [retracted] started off as “Dear Dr. Ward”. I don’t have the “Dr” salutation listed in my application, so either they actually took the time to review my application and see that I am already a physician, or they call everyone doctor. I’m going to tell myself the former, and that alone makes me smile just a little. </li></ul><div><br /></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>The first line of the [retracted] email read as “Congratulations! The General Surgery Residency Program at [retracted] has reviewed your application and determined you are a high potential candidate for our program.” This email came at 11:31pm last night, and even if they sent this message to everyone who applied, what a way to make a girl feel good!</li></ul><p></p><p><br /></p><p>Both institutions had assessments that were very different. [Retracted] had a super fun survey that really focused on my interests and individuality outside of medicine. [Retracted]’s assessment took me exactly 40 minutes to complete and it was basically a list of scenarios with me rating what I thought was most effective and personality questions. It also included an optional “passion index” survey which rated my overall passion for surgery as high with the breakdown as a high harmonious passion and moderate consuming passion. I’ll take it :)</p><p>As for interview invites, none yet. I did receive my first rejection today, and ironically it was from [retracted]’s general surgery program which is in my state. Their loss. I also discovered that plastic surgery programs have a unified date that they offer interviews (December 4th) which is designed to give programs time to review applications. This means there will probably be radio silence on the PRS end until then, but if I do receive interviews, I will be notified of everything that day. The only negative I can see coming from this is since interviews will start December 7th and my work schedule will already be set for the month, I may end up giving up a lot of shifts. Luckily I’ll have received a few more paychecks by that time, so it won’t hurt if I need to take off work or work less shifts for a month or two in order to interview.</p><p>That’s it for this post. I don’t expect any interview invites to happen for at least a week or two from the programs that actually review applications and don’t just screen by numbers, which means you’ll likely have to wait for that kind of good news. We’ll see what happens!</p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: red;"><b>4/17/2021 4:06pm</b></span></p><p>The best is most certainly yet to come and I'm excited for what's in store as I enter plastic and reconstructive surgery residency! Reading these two posts makes me kinda sad I didn't write more because the whole process is now a blur in my mind. Even if I don't post regularly when I start my training, I think I'm going to either record my daily thoughts or just keep a journal and jot down daily musings, because I truly enjoy looking back over my journey. Shoutout to everyone who has stuck around and followed my journey through the blog over the years. Life is about to get real!</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Aspiring Minority Doctorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16017973927200637031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3711021709009745827.post-11706729974200968652021-04-13T20:57:00.000-04:002021-04-13T20:57:58.553-04:00Featured in Forbes!!!!<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/brittanychambers/2021/03/29/20-women-of-color-medical-students--graduates-who-matched-in-2021-share-on-soon-joining-the-frontlines/?sh=6cbc9a404a22" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOsgCgZUI_idmlPNbI8cXQdxyoMOWR4b0zeb_ed0tQWLY6Xg5BrmTE_X6TGQLLtdBVF_oSFSS_4G3iAer9vMqpHWb_IiOpmBhgkOV3J1lr_eoNuBbodcxfyN4ofRx-asybnJwa8G52pQ0T/w400-h400/IMG_20210329_132618_853.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click picture to read the full article</td></tr></tbody></table></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><br /><span style="color: red;">Disclaimer: This is a bit of a late post, but I wanted to have a record of this moment on the blog, so copying and pasting the first part of this from my previous Instagram post :)</span></b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> I am beyond humbled, honored, and excited to be included in a <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/brittanychambers/2021/03/29/20-women-of-color-medical-students--graduates-who-matched-in-2021-share-on-soon-joining-the-frontlines/?sh=6cbc9a404a22">Forbes</a> article highlighting women of color medical students and graduates who matched this year! Even better is the fact that I personally know a few of the phenomenal women featured alongside me and can vouch for their awesomeness 💕</div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My journey up to this point has been full of ups and downs, but I am thankful for every single moment. Over the years, I was told by many people that I should give up on my dreams. First, I was told that as a single mother with a low GPA and MCAT that I would never make it into medical school. Well, it took five years, three application cycles, a graduate degree, and a career in research before I was accepted into medical school, but I made it through and thrived.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">After finishing medical school and failing to match more than once, I was told there would be no way I could ever achieve my dream of becoming a surgeon. Well, that also took a while (I even became an urgent care physician along the way), but now I am finally on the road to achieving my dream of becoming a Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I write all of this to say don't ever let anyone tell you that your dreams are impossible or your goals are unachievable. Sure you might have to fight a little harder, take a few detours, make sacrifices, and work your butt off all while trying to ignore the naysayers, but what is meant to be will be. Just as long as you don't give up.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Link to the article: <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/brittanychambers/2021/03/29/20-women-of-color-medical-students--graduates-who-matched-in-2021-share-on-soon-joining-the-frontlines/?sh=6cbc9a404a22">https://www.forbes.com/sites/brittanychambers/2021/03/29/20-women-of-color-medical-students--graduates-who-matched-in-2021-share-on-soon-joining-the-frontlines/?sh=6cbc9a404a22</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><b>Just want to take the time to say THANK YOU to everyone reading this post who has been following along on my blog over the years. It's definitely been quite the journey and while a lot of people dismissed my dreams and gave up on me, I continued to receive a lot of encouragement and supportive emails from my followers. Y'all helped give me the push I needed to keep going, and while the journey is far from over, I know I'll be able to count on the support of my readers during this next chapter. I am appreciative beyond words and hope to make everyone proud. Excited for what's to come! </b><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div>Aspiring Minority Doctorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16017973927200637031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3711021709009745827.post-86854146914648047762021-03-26T20:45:00.001-04:002021-03-26T20:47:10.277-04:00I Finally Matched and I'm Going to be a Plastic Surgeon!!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhafZ08Qs52Z5hegcBAAPgApa5L2cQOvmt3Atity9kH2rnVzx-5_xYmeMK2e6TUZTi7WjhWOSFti6U68MIrW6_gY2O36pJy_Om4Qcz6Vci_wfqpXu8e2y_-ZAV-9A6j5LoJuOzpSTyJpVCN/s2048/PhotoGrid_1616022603972.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhafZ08Qs52Z5hegcBAAPgApa5L2cQOvmt3Atity9kH2rnVzx-5_xYmeMK2e6TUZTi7WjhWOSFti6U68MIrW6_gY2O36pJy_Om4Qcz6Vci_wfqpXu8e2y_-ZAV-9A6j5LoJuOzpSTyJpVCN/w400-h400/PhotoGrid_1616022603972.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;">It is with great happiness and exhilaration that I announce I finally matched! Even better, I matched into an <b>INTEGRATED PLASTIC AND RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY RESIDENCY PROGRAM in MIAMI!!!!</b> </p><p>There are literally no words to describe the flood of emotions that have occurred since March 15, 2021 when I found out I officially matched and seven days ago when I found out where I would be headed. I feel beyond humbled, blessed, and ready to put in the work to become the surgeon I have always dreamed of becoming. </p><p>I am still processing, and honestly didn't believe all of this was real until I received my contract the other day, which is why I haven't posted until now. I'm finally ready to share a bit of my testimony, so read on if you'd like to know how God worked everything out in my favor :) </p><p>If you've been following my blog, then you already know I was reapplying this year, but didn't want to share any details until after Match Day. I still plan to share my "diary" posts from this season, but to be completely honest, I only ended up writing two posts. Both posts took place after the initial application submission in October, and then life got busy and I didn't write anything else. This post will be my attempt to remember everything since then, so I hope you're comfy, because it's going to be a long one.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">October - December</span></b></p><p>I submitted residency applications to every single plastic surgery program and ALMOST every general surgery program (I give them exact number in my "diary" post that I will share separately). During this time, I received a few secondary applications and continued to search the web for various open surgery residency spots (people leave programs all the time and I wanted to make sure I stayed ready). I received zero interview invites up until December, which was pretty disheartening, but I still held out hope as the official plastic surgery interview release date wouldn't be until later.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">December 2020</span></b></p><p>The official plastic surgery release date was December 4, 2020 and to my delight, I received an interview! I have been actively applying to open positions over the past few years, so I was happy the invite was from a program I had interviewed at in-person right before the pandemic for a second year residency (PGY2) position. I already knew that I liked the residents, staff, program director, and area, so I felt good about the invite. Plus, my previous experience applying to medical school taught me it only takes one interview to make it in (shout out to PCOM Georgia for being my sole medical school acceptance all those years ago!). Beyond humbled and excited for the opportunity, I scheduled my interview for early January so I would have enough time to prepare.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">January 2021</span></b></p><p>I had my first plastic surgery interview and I thought it went really well. Interviewing via Zoom is an interesting experience, and personally, I prefer checking out a new area, touring the facilities, and meeting everyone in person. I will admit it was nice being able to roll out of bed, throw on some clothes/makeup, and walk downstairs for a quick interview.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">January 2021 - March 2021</span></b></p><p><i><b><span style="color: #073763;">Now here's where things get interesting, and you see exactly how God was working on my side.</span></b></i></p><p>After my interview in January, I thought the main residency interview season had officially ended for me. I took my birthday trip to St. Lucia, and while I was there (probably enjoying a drink by the pool), I received a screenshot from one of my good friends who knew plastic surgery was my overall goal. The screenshot was a Facebook post from a program announcing their newly accredited integrated plastic surgery program and that they were currently accepting applications. I sent my friend a huge thank you message and put it in my mental note to apply when I got back home since I didn't bring my laptop with me on my trip. A couple days later, while still in St. Lucia, I submitted my rank list (didn't have to put in much thought since I only interviewed at one program), and went back to enjoying myself.</p><p>When I returned home, I sent a Facebook message requesting information on the program and was given the contact information for the program coordinator. I didn't have much information on what and how to submit for an application, but luckily I stay prepared. I emailed my personal application packet which is literally 43 pages long and includes everything from my CV to score reports, letters of recommendation, credentials/certifications, and case logs from my previous program in addition to my downloaded official Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) application. That may have been overkill, but when the coordinator notified me of what needed to be submitted, I was happy that it was already all included in my original packet.</p><p>After submitting my application materials, a couple of weeks went by before I received an interview invite, but when I finally did, I was ecstatic! This excitement was followed by a bit of worry when I saw the interview date and time. My interview was scheduled for March 3, 2021 at 430pm, and for those of you who aren't aware, 9pm March 3rd was the deadline to submit rank lists, and after this there could be no communication between programs and match applicants. I wasn't sure if the program was interviewing to offer spots right then and there, if they would be making their decision later, or if they were participating in the match, which made me a bit nervous. Sure, if they were offering a contract right then and there I would have gladly accepted, but I also wanted to be a part of the match given how much money I had put in it this year. I called my mentor, and she told me to put it all in God's hands since there was nothing I could do or would know until I had my interview.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvymnUnUYOOxz3BKJbhvQf7uvoa3gUh9SLwlFiJNc-c464iTm7ONcIVtrE2iUQBt-tzOObATuBZVZX1ZdWnqrVoUYIagok73YuuUm-Hg1YNVgq1bOqT7HuplV8wcfNsnERm2uR9gGJetmN/s2048/PhotoGrid_1614817780503.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvymnUnUYOOxz3BKJbhvQf7uvoa3gUh9SLwlFiJNc-c464iTm7ONcIVtrE2iUQBt-tzOObATuBZVZX1ZdWnqrVoUYIagok73YuuUm-Hg1YNVgq1bOqT7HuplV8wcfNsnERm2uR9gGJetmN/w400-h400/PhotoGrid_1614817780503.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Interview Ready!</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br />When my interview day came, I woke up, said a prayer, and was ready to go. My interview was with the program director (PD) and lasted about 45 minutes. I found the PD to be both extremely nice and very honest about the program and challenges that might be faced being newly accredited. I felt extremely comfortable during the interview and the PD took time to answer all my many questions. The coordinator was also present and confirmed that they would be participating in the match, which made me super relieved at not having to make the decision to drop out. Immediately after the interview, I went to the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP) website, ranked the program and recertified my list. I even took screenshots and checked it multiple times prior to the 9pm deadline just to make sure everything was in. ***As an aside, prior to the interview I was slightly concerned how my hair would be perceived since it was still in twists from my vacation, but turns out they didn't seem to care, and it actually came out really nice with my suit. I took the above picture immediately after my interview with only a ring light and my cellphone camera, but I like it so much I think I'll use it for a while as my headshot :)***</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">MATCH DAY</span></b></p><p>A few days prior to Match Day Monday, I was extremely anxious and sick to my stomach. I purposely worked shifts every day and the weekend before the official announcement so I could stay busy, but thoughts of previous unsuccessful match cycles still played in my head. A month prior, I requested the entire week off with the thought that I would receive the dreadful "you did not match" email again and have to spend the whole week in the SOAP/scramble process of trying to get into an unfilled spot. It's a pain that I wouldn't wish on anyone, and it still makes me sad to think about it even though I've experienced it more than once. </p><p>When Monday morning came around, I literally didn't even want to open the email. If it weren't for the fact that the SOAP process for unmatched applicants starts an hour after the email announcement, I probably would've waited until Friday. But alas, it was time to get it over with so I could spend the week trying one last time. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzklZV8yy-SjTLZl7J9csdhEZeW421ZzhtoTbqoWfoJV0dveUV6tDhDfg_ar5jbpeQ1WmpOQ5M59NgnHcG0sP2fy2z46ysE-FRgav_IlX9DToYEXb2rSdSSZlLwEJtD3ZrI8AK83pU94qA/s1078/IMG_20210315_115833_227.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1078" data-original-width="1078" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzklZV8yy-SjTLZl7J9csdhEZeW421ZzhtoTbqoWfoJV0dveUV6tDhDfg_ar5jbpeQ1WmpOQ5M59NgnHcG0sP2fy2z46ysE-FRgav_IlX9DToYEXb2rSdSSZlLwEJtD3ZrI8AK83pU94qA/w400-h400/IMG_20210315_115833_227.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>When I rolled over, grabbed my phone, and opened it to an email that said "Congratulations, you have matched!," I was in shock!!!! I immediately called my family, but no one answered, so I posted a picture of the email in my family group chat. Only one of my sisters knew I had applied again this cycle (I didn't even tell my parents beforehand), so when I finally got ahold of everyone, they were all confused, but happy, LOL. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><div align="center"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CMm6qY7MEYQ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-radius: 3px; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5) 0px 0px 1px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15) 0px 1px 10px 0px; margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0px; width: calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding: 16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CMm6qY7MEYQ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 0; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank"> <div style="align-items: center; 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font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;"> View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0px;"></div> <div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px;"><div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px); width: 12.5px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12.5px; margin-left: 2px; margin-right: 14px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px); width: 12.5px;"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style="border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); border-top: 2px solid transparent; height: 0px; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg); width: 0px;"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="border-right: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); transform: translateY(16px); width: 0px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; transform: translateY(-4px); width: 16px;"></div> <div style="border-left: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); height: 0px; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px); width: 0px;"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0px 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CMm6qY7MEYQ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Danielle Ward, DO, MS (@minoritydoctor)</a></p></div></blockquote> <script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></div><div><br /></div>Honestly, the rest of last week is a huge blur leading up until Friday when I found out where I would be headed for the next 6 years (yup, the training is that long), but that day was extremely special. My daughter was on spring break, so, as seen above, I allowed her to have the honor of opening the email and reading the results in front of my friends and family both in person and virtually. Well, as you can see from the video above, that didn't quite go as planned as she didn't know where to look, but when I finally took the laptop from her and discovered I am headed to Miami, I was on cloud nine! Even crazier was the fact my brother-in-law found out at the same time that he matched into a general surgery residency program close by in Miami as well. Y'all! I not only matched, but one of my sisters and my nephew will be close by. How insane is that?!?!<p></p><p>I believe that pretty much sums of the last five months of a very emotionally grueling process. I was literally about to give up after so many years of trying, but God stepped in and showed that He will continue to always come through and at the right time. Even more miraculous is the fact that I matched directly into my dream specialty when I thought a general surgery residency followed by a plastic surgery fellowship would be the only way I would ever be able to accomplish my goal. There are literally no words to describe how thankful I am to Him and all those who have cheered me on over the years. I am living proof that delay does not equal denial, and I look forward to putting in all the hard work and showing my program that they made the right choice in ranking me. There's so much more I can say on God's grace and the power in staying faithful, but it's making me super emotional so I'll save the rest for another post. For now, I'll leave everyone with this reaction video of me breaking the news to everyone :)</p> <div align="center"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CMxC70fhxjY/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-radius: 3px; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5) 0px 0px 1px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15) 0px 1px 10px 0px; margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0px; width: calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding: 16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CMxC70fhxjY/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 0; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank"> <div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0px;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0px auto 12px; width: 50px;"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewbox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g fill-rule="evenodd" fill="none" stroke-width="1" stroke="none"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;"> View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0px;"></div> <div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px;"><div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px); width: 12.5px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12.5px; margin-left: 2px; margin-right: 14px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px); width: 12.5px;"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style="border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); border-top: 2px solid transparent; height: 0px; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg); width: 0px;"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="border-right: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); transform: translateY(16px); width: 0px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; transform: translateY(-4px); width: 16px;"></div> <div style="border-left: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); height: 0px; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px); width: 0px;"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0px 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CMxC70fhxjY/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Danielle Ward, DO, MS (@minoritydoctor)</a></p></div></blockquote> <script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></div>Aspiring Minority Doctorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16017973927200637031noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3711021709009745827.post-75561262071886934182021-02-10T16:51:00.000-05:002021-02-10T16:51:54.058-05:00January 2021 in Review<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8q_cZ_BZjy6iuHpSS0OzMvN2O71SlHfon0EjbLOUlIVpF0Ti5u5WN7uKLe-dXn5LD1TLvzxfVvD2q4mJOYslt8fOS5O_KLau0CjN-ZBxELoc-dNK6Q_xuXabSPpXIo78uHnCHDY9ksnw4/s2048/fotor_1612989224856.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8q_cZ_BZjy6iuHpSS0OzMvN2O71SlHfon0EjbLOUlIVpF0Ti5u5WN7uKLe-dXn5LD1TLvzxfVvD2q4mJOYslt8fOS5O_KLau0CjN-ZBxELoc-dNK6Q_xuXabSPpXIo78uHnCHDY9ksnw4/w400-h400/fotor_1612989224856.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Much love to all my readers!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Happy New Year! Yes, I realize this post is a bit late, but it's been hard to find the time to sit down and type. Right now, I'm currently in the middle of working a 12 hour shift, so I figure if I take a minute or two in between patients today, I can finally give everyone a full update on how the beginning of 2021 has been for me. <span style="color: red;"><i>(Yeah, that didn't happen. Started this post yesterday and finishing today)</i></span></p><p><span style="color: red;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBFcBeqDGo2sUzlzDZLxj8khuQWdkFhT4k5QmGmxWvF9-8xMWI20tnr5v2zfYOtRNx4cNClAbISWYTWPsy8lgqdHysPhJc4AC2KHaVgHO6kUW8onTl4k6yff3O4AHnaKz1402pTPmQcCBU/s2048/IMG_20210131_124247_004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBFcBeqDGo2sUzlzDZLxj8khuQWdkFhT4k5QmGmxWvF9-8xMWI20tnr5v2zfYOtRNx4cNClAbISWYTWPsy8lgqdHysPhJc4AC2KHaVgHO6kUW8onTl4k6yff3O4AHnaKz1402pTPmQcCBU/w400-h400/IMG_20210131_124247_004.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blessed to celebrate 34 years of life!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p>If you've been following my blog over the years, then you already know January is my favorite month. Why? Because it's my birthday month! I was immunized against COVID-19 (more on that below), and took a solo trip to Saint Lucia during my birthday weekend. It was my first time being on a plane since flying for residency interviews last year, and while I was a little hesitant to travel at first, everything worked out safely and perfectly! I received mandatory PCR testing before my trip, was tested again while on the island, and strict protocols were in place that included staying masked, frequent temperature checks, and excursions limited to 4 people or less. My resort was incredibly beautiful and I literally could have stayed in my room the entire time and not gotten bored. I also went whale watching for the first time (an incredible experience), enjoyed a nice sunset cruise, and had an amazing personalized birthday dinner at my resort. I took some amazing pictures (tripods are great!) and videos which are posted to my Instagram highlights if you'd like to share in all the birthday fun. I couldn't have asked for a better getaway and amazing kickoff to the year. The shot above is one I took in my room (it only had three walls). Views!</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIqDOYEabelTM6Edysf8__5kOX_QaUhkP6fVup5wC_D64epp4B2zxz9JxOy9kn2FAc-Zo-CCTwoeCGj1Z2cVuxEr87cRxsZ0Q-sqfEN0fWVUVhV7BP4puqi_2FrgNT1J53JmgHll_oC4um/s2048/IMG_20210128_162007_238.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIqDOYEabelTM6Edysf8__5kOX_QaUhkP6fVup5wC_D64epp4B2zxz9JxOy9kn2FAc-Zo-CCTwoeCGj1Z2cVuxEr87cRxsZ0Q-sqfEN0fWVUVhV7BP4puqi_2FrgNT1J53JmgHll_oC4um/w400-h400/IMG_20210128_162007_238.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fully vaccinated with new hair to match</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>As for the getting the vaccine, I received my first dose on December 23rd and my second and final dose on January 9th. I had no side effects from the first dose other than mild arm soreness. About 12 hours after the second dose, I did have the side effects of fever, alternating between hot and cold sensations, headaches, and a weird boost of energy, but all the side effects subsided within 24 hours after taking ibuprofen. I am extremely happy to have 95% immunity at this point. My profession puts me at higher risk, so it helps having some peace of mind that I will not suffer from some of the devastating effects I have seen from the virus. With that being said, I will continue to do my part to help end this pandemic by wearing my mask, practicing social distancing, and educating those around me.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYotePslGCU-I0BZW_d4JaTK5C8op8ZDR8r9-57pU7Nmbo68qw2l5xNaO7IxozL83nxEsY1lNNmfcmIb8gdn7muFHEEGe2pi7bBgltxvgyD8TRhLQadgT5PEI9Una-rhyDBe_J7aBjvN32/s2048/fotor_1612757124656.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYotePslGCU-I0BZW_d4JaTK5C8op8ZDR8r9-57pU7Nmbo68qw2l5xNaO7IxozL83nxEsY1lNNmfcmIb8gdn7muFHEEGe2pi7bBgltxvgyD8TRhLQadgT5PEI9Una-rhyDBe_J7aBjvN32/w400-h400/fotor_1612757124656.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy Work Vibes</td></tr></tbody></table><p>As for work, everything is pretty much the same...just busy! Winter months in the urgent care setting are already an extremely hectic time and when you add on a pandemic, things can get a bit crazy. It is a blessing to have a job during a time when so many are without, so I can't complain though. Plus, I've adapted to the times, and I've definitely enjoyed the challenge and variety of going between physical patients to virtual patients to managing COVID testing. There's never a boring day and this girl likes to stay on the go!</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOelV9lOMLzZq_9-47ETEK8sPkme5YyGk7XYIdIEXEhMRPe8oTVpSdycFHsd3CIj49YpsKUjYCTePIy7yXHQWFJZlSv6jbajWv5QUXCYdendDJD4KE_-Zhj3eOD2BZTLJmxizGByzn18OV/s1080/fotor_1612991814905.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOelV9lOMLzZq_9-47ETEK8sPkme5YyGk7XYIdIEXEhMRPe8oTVpSdycFHsd3CIj49YpsKUjYCTePIy7yXHQWFJZlSv6jbajWv5QUXCYdendDJD4KE_-Zhj3eOD2BZTLJmxizGByzn18OV/w400-h400/fotor_1612991814905.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taking another leap of faith!</td></tr></tbody></table><p>In terms of the residency application process, I'm happy to say that I will be participating in the match this year, and unless an opportunity outside of the match pops up, interview season has officially concluded for me. I even submitted my rank list while I was on vacation to hopefully bring in a little good luck. There are really no words to describe how stressful and painful this process has been over the years, but I truly miss surgery and being in the operating room. I am extremely anxious over what the news next month will be, but at the same time, I have faith knowing everything will work out no matter the outcome. At the start of this year's process, I wrote a few posts that I still plan to share once match season officially is over, but my plan to write up weekly updates kind of fell through with my busy schedule. With that being said, there won't be a lot of posts released, but I will still give everyone a good glimpse into the process. </p><p>That's pretty much it for updates. As always, I wish everyone a great month ahead, and thank you for reading!</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Aspiring Minority Doctorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16017973927200637031noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3711021709009745827.post-92136930343971995222020-12-31T21:42:00.000-05:002020-12-31T21:42:57.151-05:00Goodbye 2020!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_7VLanAnCaoasi6yuNXpuGvJhi7HzWmpqx_9DQCUxzMxRDGW_5EXi4mhRkRo68I3MrFzA4-4EkGowmSzXw2rBZcSbcnHPxe7eeTAPt1ShVV7kHPHuwGHQakQ-0exNNL63Z4KVXYyVsmTP/s2048/PhotoGrid_1609464217391.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_7VLanAnCaoasi6yuNXpuGvJhi7HzWmpqx_9DQCUxzMxRDGW_5EXi4mhRkRo68I3MrFzA4-4EkGowmSzXw2rBZcSbcnHPxe7eeTAPt1ShVV7kHPHuwGHQakQ-0exNNL63Z4KVXYyVsmTP/w400-h400/PhotoGrid_1609464217391.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It's the last day of 2020 and I'm currently reflecting over the past year. Even though this year has been full of grief and loss for so many, I can't help but count my many blessings. I was blessed to have a job this year doing what I love taking care of patients and I was thankful for the training that allowed me to help so many in the midst of a pandemic. Additionally, I celebrated in the achievement of publishing my first book, and I still found time to educate those in my community as both a mentor and by appearing as an on-air medical expert (my first television appearance!)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTkT3LEVaVK8aUgMzbqpm-XF7CZ90QdLMxsRYcRQnNMXNWEmrM9ZYQTgmSanwcYAQelcdDYA3y9VVI-wtfsBdmFSs6REz32ghvdnzUcr8Az40Uki23rPfe7jUUHUIgnsmR8N2ao3i0rGWG/s2048/PhotoGrid_1609462337714.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTkT3LEVaVK8aUgMzbqpm-XF7CZ90QdLMxsRYcRQnNMXNWEmrM9ZYQTgmSanwcYAQelcdDYA3y9VVI-wtfsBdmFSs6REz32ghvdnzUcr8Az40Uki23rPfe7jUUHUIgnsmR8N2ao3i0rGWG/w400-h400/PhotoGrid_1609462337714.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I also took the time to embrace the love and friendship from all those around me. With a year that brought so much sadness from people passing away due to a horrible pandemic, it is not lost upon me how much of a blessing it is that the people close to me in life are healthy and alive. While I didn't get to be around those closest to me as much as I wanted to for obvious reasons, I was thankful for the very few occasions when got a chance to be around those closest to me and celebrate achievements and each other.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN8J9YdS7XLcD9lcPqr7Gj2kD2rrp5luabqU1lRuQkybJRFqirIMJxPEErJBhytlemIoIyxMASatca4CFuRjeSIz9kdtVk4-018_q86ldpVW3q2fvGqZG6n_WGMp-6N0cnUxjLeCdlX6J5/s2048/PhotoGrid_1609463605575.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN8J9YdS7XLcD9lcPqr7Gj2kD2rrp5luabqU1lRuQkybJRFqirIMJxPEErJBhytlemIoIyxMASatca4CFuRjeSIz9kdtVk4-018_q86ldpVW3q2fvGqZG6n_WGMp-6N0cnUxjLeCdlX6J5/w400-h400/PhotoGrid_1609463605575.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Lastly, I am blessed that despite her now being a teenager, I still have had the sweetest daughter ever! Although I'm still as busy as ever, she has remained understanding and an absolute joy to be around. I was thankful to watch her continue to grow into a beautiful young lady this year.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw0o7fTmRIdsFi9hvH7Q6JVKiCdcGwJpsypilVK0pcI6992APWoLaw8TWvSRGuKhYqsYe8y6ptI18dF-0_EpWNKMFENP5-9QNfDkdyZIVA0nfC2vxT_wEwiyk1K-0T_sN3x6uM-0BgRyFY/s2048/20201231_180427.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw0o7fTmRIdsFi9hvH7Q6JVKiCdcGwJpsypilVK0pcI6992APWoLaw8TWvSRGuKhYqsYe8y6ptI18dF-0_EpWNKMFENP5-9QNfDkdyZIVA0nfC2vxT_wEwiyk1K-0T_sN3x6uM-0BgRyFY/w300-h400/20201231_180427.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Right now, I am currently lounging around in my comfy PJs, had some delicious ramen takeout, and will be spending the evening watching NYE celebrations on TV while sipping on whiskey (I've already started which is why this post is so short) and playing scrabble. Wishing everyone reading this a very safe, healthy, and Happy New Year, and as always, thank you for reading my posts this year!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Aspiring Minority Doctorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16017973927200637031noreply@blogger.com0