Doctors Day 2022

Every year on Doctors’ Day, I contemplate what it means for me to be a doctor and this year is no different.

This morning what struck me most is how I would not be the doctor I am without the support and encouragement of my family. First and foremost, my husband. Yes, I had a very supportive set of parents and grandparents from the very start, for which I know I am very lucky. My Lola (grandma), in particular, always saw me as a doctor, even as I didn’t know it myself. Even as I repeatedly said it wasn’t what I wanted to do because I did not want to find myself locked into something just because it was expected of me. That journey is a another story.

Circling back to Mr.Bookworm: I could say it’s been a tough few years with the pandemic. But we’ve had other tougher times—with the loss of our daughter, with the crazy hours and demands of residency, with the endless studying during medical school. And through all of that, Mr. Bookworm held my hand the whole way. Maybe I didn’t need someone to hold my hand to get where I am. But I appreciate his silent strength nonetheless. Especially on days when I felt lost, on days when I felt like an empath, absorbing the sorrow or despair of my patients and their families, especially on the days where I felt like I may have made a mistake.

There may be physicians out there who don’t feel like they have that outlet. They may not have the resources to vent, to cheer, to laugh, to take care of themselves. Or they may hold it in within themselves.

On Doctors’ Day, I always like to thank my own personal physicians, but also the ones who trained me during medical school and residency. And I am still so grateful for all of them. But today, today I’d like to thank those friends, family members, and significant others who have silently stood by us doctors as a sounding board, as a saving grace. No judgment, just understanding. That every physician is human too.