“The more that you learn the more places you’ll go.” Dr. Seuss

No words ring truer as @UCSF @ZSFGCare trauma/critical care fellowship ends; the culmination of 17+ yrs of formal education & training

Or 29th grade if you count from the very beginning

Oh the places I’ve been. 1/

It’s difficult to put into words what this moment means. It‘s taken me a week since finishing to post. The complete immersion & time demands suddenly gone as I take time off before becoming faculty gives an unfamiliar pause.

How did it get so late so soon? -Dr. Seuss

2/

Although sometimes it felt like training would never end, with those outside of medicine frequently asking when I would finally have a “real” job (PS residency = a job/paycheck ) it also at times passed too quickly, along with many interwoven life events. 3/

As is true in many demanding careers, or having multiple jobs to make ends meet, there were countless sacrifices, missed important life events, & an overall lack of control over one’s time. Your growth & increasing age at odds with your postion at the bottom of the hierarchy. 4/

A constant refrain was that I’d do things “once X was over,” with X constantly moving further into the future. It’s ironic to live by this motto given our jobs make us constant witnesses to when life has other plans & how fleeting time can be.

5/

Although I would pick this profession again in a heartbeat & am grateful for the privilege of taking care of others & the meaning this job grants, I would prioritize differently. To others on this path, don’t delay but live your plans now. You never know what’s coming.

6/

Despite the incredible demands of education & training, identify your priorities outside of work & actually prioritize them. Realize YOU are as important as the work, life will happen each day, & YOU have the power to shape it. I’m still learning how to internalize this...

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It won’t be easy or at times even possible to integrate your plans into 24hr/d x 7d/wk working 80+ hrs, but the only hope any will happen is if you prioritize. A final tip: pick people & experiences. And take ! So you remember it happened despite the sleep deprivation . 8/

To all the places & people thank you . To my patients, I‘m the doctor I am today because of you. To my family, friends, colleagues, teachers, mentors, I‘m here because of your patience & support. Although the formal training is over the learning continues. But for now . 9/9