@KBrookeGolisch Ha, ok!
In spring of 2014, I was an aspiring pediatric surgeon (and a categorical surgical intern) wondering whether surgery was for me. I liked taking care of sick surgical patients, but didn’t love the rest - the culture.
1/
In spring of 2014, I was an aspiring pediatric surgeon (and a categorical surgical intern) wondering whether surgery was for me. I liked taking care of sick surgical patients, but didn’t love the rest - the culture.
1/
@KBrookeGolisch Prior to being an intern, I wasn’t sure how much this stuff mattered. I thought I could handle most things, which wasn’t untrue.
But I fantasized about leaving. I even wrote myself a letter through @futureme that winter, timed for my graduation from surgical residency…
2/
But I fantasized about leaving. I even wrote myself a letter through @futureme that winter, timed for my graduation from surgical residency…
2/
@KBrookeGolisch @futureme I discussed considering leaving with my family. My dad (also a physician) said two things that helped me make my decision:
1) if you don’t love it now, you’re not going to love it in 40 years
AND (when I protested that - well, I was kind of good at being a surgical resident)…
3/
1) if you don’t love it now, you’re not going to love it in 40 years
AND (when I protested that - well, I was kind of good at being a surgical resident)…
3/
@KBrookeGolisch @futureme 2) you’ll be good at whatever you work hard at.
That hadn’t occurred to my 25 yo self.
So I screwed up the courage to tell my PD at the end of April that I was considering leaving. She had me read Lean In and take three more weeks to decide what I really wanted.
4/
That hadn’t occurred to my 25 yo self.
So I screwed up the courage to tell my PD at the end of April that I was considering leaving. She had me read Lean In and take three more weeks to decide what I really wanted.
4/
@KBrookeGolisch @futureme I agonized about it. It was spring - no ERAS yet, didn’t know what to do with myself if I left.
My chair/his wife took me out to dinner and tried both to understand my doubts and convince me to stay.
He asked: “When you started, what did you want your career to look like?”
5/
My chair/his wife took me out to dinner and tried both to understand my doubts and convince me to stay.
He asked: “When you started, what did you want your career to look like?”
5/
@KBrookeGolisch @futureme I said I wanted to be an academic pediatric surgeon with some time for education.
He told me that didn’t exist, so that sealed the deal.
The next day was my deadline from the PD and up until I called her I didn’t know what I would say.
When I heard myself say…
6/
He told me that didn’t exist, so that sealed the deal.
The next day was my deadline from the PD and up until I called her I didn’t know what I would say.
When I heard myself say…
6/
@KBrookeGolisch @futureme “I think I need to leave surgery” a wave of relief washed over me. My last day was 6/19/14.
Over the next several weeks - most of the summer - I tried to figure out what the next plan was. I knew I wanted a master’s in medical education and had made a list of programs.
7/
Over the next several weeks - most of the summer - I tried to figure out what the next plan was. I knew I wanted a master’s in medical education and had made a list of programs.
7/
@KBrookeGolisch @futureme One of those programs was a) in the same city and b) still accepting applications for the fall.
By some miracle they allowed me in - I was by far the baby of the class and had the least amount of clinical experience.
My classmates adopted me.
8/
By some miracle they allowed me in - I was by far the baby of the class and had the least amount of clinical experience.
My classmates adopted me.
8/
@KBrookeGolisch @futureme Our first “residency” was September 11-14, 2014.
ERAS opens on 9/15, but I hadn’t made any plans to apply. I still didn’t know what I wanted to do.
I was sitting in class with a woman who was the APD of a peds fellowship. She started asking what I was interested in.
9/
ERAS opens on 9/15, but I hadn’t made any plans to apply. I still didn’t know what I wanted to do.
I was sitting in class with a woman who was the APD of a peds fellowship. She started asking what I was interested in.
9/
@KBrookeGolisch @futureme “I have no idea.”
“Well, what do you like?”
“I think sickness is really interesting.”
“Well, how about anesthesia?”
“Nah, I like operating too much.”
10/
“Well, what do you like?”
“I think sickness is really interesting.”
“Well, how about anesthesia?”
“Nah, I like operating too much.”
10/
@KBrookeGolisch @futureme “What about MICU?”
“No, that just seems really sad.”
“What about PICU or NICU?”
This is when the 💥/💡went off in my head. Somehow it had not occurred to me that if *pediatric* surgery was what I found interesting, maybe some kind of pediatric crit care might be too.
12/
“No, that just seems really sad.”
“What about PICU or NICU?”
This is when the 💥/💡went off in my head. Somehow it had not occurred to me that if *pediatric* surgery was what I found interesting, maybe some kind of pediatric crit care might be too.
12/
@KBrookeGolisch @futureme This was around noon EDT on Sunday, September 14th, 2014 - and ERAS opened the very next day.
I wrote down in my planner to reach out to my peds clerkship director first thing Monday morning, who had been a mentor of mine in med school.
13/
I wrote down in my planner to reach out to my peds clerkship director first thing Monday morning, who had been a mentor of mine in med school.
13/
@KBrookeGolisch @futureme That afternoon on my walk home from class, I got this text.
(I still get goosebumps when I look at it).
14/
(I still get goosebumps when I look at it).
14/
@KBrookeGolisch @futureme We talked. I got an application together in ~5 days, including LORs from my surgical faculty!
I matched with @BearResident and I cannot tell you how much more fun intern year is when you just get to learn the subject matter, not how to function in the hospital.
15/
I matched with @BearResident and I cannot tell you how much more fun intern year is when you just get to learn the subject matter, not how to function in the hospital.
15/
@KBrookeGolisch @futureme @BearResident I spent a lot of my second year of peds residency deciding between #pedsICU and #pedsEM. It felt natural to settle on PEM, but I have to say I considered adding a few years of fellowship during my ICU rotation in fellowship here 😂
16/
16/
@KBrookeGolisch @futureme @BearResident Thankfully, @ConradEptingMD was there to remind me that if I could be happy without doing ICU training, then I should just get on with it and not add in more training (even while @innovatedoc was egging me on).
17/
17/
@KBrookeGolisch @futureme @BearResident @ConradEptingMD @innovatedoc Oh, and -
I got that @futureme letter in the summer on 2019:
“Whatever you choose, I hope you’re happy.”
And I very much am! I really love what I do!!!
(Sorry that was so long!)
18/18
I got that @futureme letter in the summer on 2019:
“Whatever you choose, I hope you’re happy.”
And I very much am! I really love what I do!!!
(Sorry that was so long!)
18/18
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
