… but i’m learning (or should i say, “re-learning”) that success is not just getting the grades, passing the tests, and reaching the top of whatever “mountain” i’m trying to climb.
i’ve been on this MD path for a little while now. i’ve been putting in the work, accumulating the clinical experiences, and putting in the research hours . . . it seems like i’m well on my way. other than the fact that my grand-plan to live out my dream of treating high-altitude climbers during season and those who have little/no access or resources to healthcare off-season is going to take a little longer than i expected (yeah, so putting off a 3-year GP residency for a 4-year PhD program in behavioral neuroscience and biotechnology is adding a lot of time and getting me a lot closer to being a GP at 50 than i thought) ...
so why am i complaining? isn’t an MD/PhD a great thing to do? aren’t i contributing to the medical community in a significant and pragmatic way that helps climbing athlete and regular joe at the same time?
the long-winded answer to my question is: no, not really considering the direction i’m going. maybe indirectly if the research produces a tool, process, or treatment method that helps them … but it’s not wilderness or emergency care.
so if i take ego out, consider my age, the investment required, my marriage and life with Matt ... i really have to rethink the plan. luckily, according to my advisor, i have about 1.5 years to figure that out before “game over”. in the meantime, i’m going to work on what i suck at (which is a lot at the moment), take the darned tests, and keep going . . . if my path changes, i’m sure it’ll be ok ... as long as i keep moving and i arrive at my destination
