We recently finished interviewing for our pediatric surgery fellowship. We always have exceptional candidates but this year was amazing. I started jotting down some of the comments made during the interviews because I found them so encouraging. The future of medicine is in good hands!
- “”How I talk to individual parents matters. With a few extra words you can change their reality.”
- “Teaching is a big part of why I went into medicine.”
- “To make a difference.” (why he chose to go to medical school and why he chose surgery as a field)
- “I’ll know I’m a success at my retirement if my wife and children are happy and my colleagues show up.”
- “It was something not verbalized, but always known.” (why he went into medicine)
- “I tell people not to worry about being a good parent as a doctor. When I was a kid and my Dad was on call it was really special – we got to go to the hospital cafeteria for dinner and they had ice cream bars. “
- “I want to move the field forward and be a steward of our profession.”
- “What do philosophers do? They think and write.” (The link between his undergraduate degree and his academic career goals)
- “I want to train in an environment where the important people are humble enough to come to you to shake your hand and find out who you are.”
- “My primary goal is to be a good pediatric surgeon. If I can be sure that I’m trustworthy and that I’m the person who should be doing this child’s operation, I will be a success.”