07/18/2022
This week, 14 years ago, if you told me I would be a board certified dermatologist who is teaching residents and trying to give them the confidence to know they will pass this exam I would have looked you in the face and walked away because you would be crazy.
But it happens. You will pass this exam and you will have great careers. This week is a mental marathon. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other. So to keep you going I wanted to offer three pieces of advice for life after the boards. Because that too is awaiting you…
👯♀️Find your person in dermatology. The one you can call to share the ups and downs but who will be truly happy for you when things go well. I have been blessed to find who was the chief resident at Yale when I was a medical student and is now President of the WDS. Her journey has been awesome to cheer for and she has always been my phone call when I need a friend.
👩🏻🏫Find your mentor. Most people know Dr. Jean Bologna and though I feared her quizzing me in residency, I learned the time she invested in us as residents was because she believed in us and that is a gift. JB is the reason I started 21@21. To pay it forward.
👰🏽♀️And lastly, find a partner who gets your crazy. Mine is . He spent hours getting slides together for last night’s session so I could go to my annual dinner date with my two people for the first time since the pandemic. So while we watched from afar and got a chance to catch up and exchange fun gifts, he made it so I could, without feeling guilty or nervous. He gets my crazy.
A few days left. You got this. I believe in you.
#21@21
