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.”