04/12/2024
A Journey of Resilience and Rediscovery: My 4-Year Residency Story
In 2020, I embarked on a grueling yet rewarding journey as an OB-GYN resident, a path I had chosen with unwavering conviction. It was a commitment that demanded every ounce of my time, energy, and willpower. Little did I know it would also test the limits of my humanity.
The pandemic struck like a tidal wave just as I began my residency. Overnight, the world changed. My life was put on pause as I immersed myself in a 36-hour duty routine every other day, sometimes working for an entire week without stepping outside the hospital. The walls of the hospital became my world; my life outside it, blurred into the background.
These years were formative professionally. With the guidance of exceptional mentors, I was groomed into a skilled obstetrician-gynecologist. But as I poured my heart into my work, I started to lose touch with other aspects of my life.
“Who am I outside of this hospital?”
This question haunted me during quiet moments. I couldn’t remember what hobbies once brought me joy or what made me feel alive outside the confines of my scrubs and duty roster. I felt like a finely honed surgeon but an incomplete person.
I began to resent the very career I had fought so hard to pursue.
In my search for answers, I stumbled upon the Content Mastery Workshop by House Creatives. It wasn’t a typical life-coaching program, but it promised something new: a chance to explore creativity and self-expression, both of which had become foreign concepts to me. It was unrelated to my profession; perhaps that’s why it intrigued me. I joined, hoping to rediscover the parts of myself that had been buried beneath years of duty, monotony, and burnout.
From the outset, I felt out of place. During introductions, participants were asked: “Why are you here? What is your purpose?” My mind blanked. How could I explain that I didn’t know my purpose anymore? That the career I once loved had become my prison?
Day two was even more challenging. We were tasked with creating a video: writing a script, recording, editing, and posting it on social media. The idea terrified me. I didn’t want to be seen. But as fate would have it, I was able to talk to a batchmate, who saw my hesitation and encouraged me. This person offered me fresh perspectives, which gently nudged me toward seeing my profession from a new viewpoint.
I took a leap of faith. With trembling hands, I created and posted my first video. After which, I shut my phone, too embarrassed to revisit it. To my surprise, at the workshop’s end, my video won the Best Onsite Video award.
More significantly, that video opened doors to conversations. Strangers reached out, sharing their struggles with infertility, cancer, and miscarriage. They expressed gratitude for the insights I had shared. For the first time in a long while, I felt a deep sense of connection and purpose and realized it wasn’t the profession I had grown to resent. It was the burnout, the monotony, and the lack of meaningful interaction that had drained me.
This bootcamp was more than an escape.
It turned out to be a transformative experience.
It wasn’t just about learning how to create content; it was about rediscovering myself. It reminded me of the power of vulnerability, creativity, and stepping outside my comfort zone. Most importantly, it reinforced the significance of building meaningful relationships, both within and beyond my profession.
The messages of encouragement I received were overwhelming. Women expressed their desire for more videos, more information about women’s health, and more empowering content. Their enthusiasm reminded me of why I became a doctor in the first place: to serve, educate, and inspire.
As I reflect on the past four years, I see a journey not just of challenges but of growth. These years have shaped me into a better doctor, but more importantly, they have set me on a path to becoming a more complete person.
Today, I move forward with clarity, courage, and hope. I am not just a doctor. I am an advocate, a storyteller, and a learner. I am determined to continue creating meaningful content, sharing knowledge, and connecting with the very people I set out to serve.
This is the beginning of a new chapter, one filled with purpose, transformation, and a renewed passion for life.
