I still mourn the lost family time, the lost relationships, the restlessness, the relentlessness and the endless calls.
Eric Levi
You gotta top your high school, top your pre-med, top your med school, do well in internship, travel around the state for jobs, get selected into a competitive surgical program, research, on calls, courses, exams, extra degrees, train, train, train like your life depends on it.
I’m on call about 20-30% of my life. I do 12 hour routine days. I do 2am calls, 4am surgeries, 7am meetings. I still mourn the lost family time because of the gruelling work. It’s doable. It’s achievable. But don’t glorify or romanticise it.
So you want to be a surgeon? Those 5 extra years will turn into the most gruelling 17 years of training in a blink of an eye. Don’t romanticise surgery. It’s costly physically, mentally, emotionally, cognitively, socially and relationally.
Seeing all the images from #sagradafamilia reminded me of the time I visited it and I was truly left speechless. I had never seen such a breathtaking masterpiece of architecture. Thank you, #Gaudi
It’s an arduous road. #surgery #surgeon #ENTsurgery #ENTsecrets Picture taken about 13 years ago with my son in my baby carrier while I was studying for my exams.
Perhaps the only way for me to be a true master craftsman or a gifted surgical artist is through love, passion and dedication.
His quote translates as “First the love, then the technique” in Catalan, the language of Catalonia, northeastern Spain where Gaudí was born. #surgery #ENTsecrets
Seasons come and go. Each season comes with its own challenges. Some seasons require a lot of healing, rest and restoration. Others come with celebration and feasting. Still others demand death. Death to dreams. Death to preconceived plans. Death to ideals. Seasons come and go. Walk faithfully.
I have visited Barcelona and Gaudi’s famous works of architecture. The #SagradaFamilia is truly breathtaking. He was obviously gifted, inspired, anointed. As a #surgeon, his words spoke deeply to me. He is a master craftsman, but his techniques are secondary to his primary love and passion.
