Growing up, I entertained two leading pathways for a career: teaching or architecture. In elementary school, I loved to learn, and my most visible role models were my teachers. In junior high (middle) school and beyond, I enjoyed teaching my friends and classmates as well. The best part about teaching was seeing the light go on in someone else’s eyes.
Architecture was probably stimulated by my childhood explorations in houses under construction (I know – totally illegal and probably very unsafe). I loved drawing out different floor plans which would address the needs of different kinds of families from all different perspectives.
The decision to become a surgeon has been a mystery to me for most of my life – it came to me seemingly “out of the blue.” I never debated any other specialty in medicine. I just knew I would be a surgeon. I guessed perhaps the anatomy dissection in 10th grade inspired me. Or maybe it was the surprise of seeing my grandmother after a stroke and feeling a drive to do something active to help people. I just knew that it fit, but I did not know why.
Going through my soul-searching “mid-life crisis” helped me put it all together – how teaching (education and empowerment) and architecture (task oriented structural problem solving for individuals) perfectly combined to make me an excellent surgeon.
I realized that my holistic viewpoint and core values of Insight, Integrity, and Service are perfectly aligned with my role as a Surgeon!