Last Friday, I was delighted to talk like babies, make cricket legs dance to music, and get “insider’s tips” from university students at Discovery Days in Medicine by the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame and our own University of Calgary.
Though the hands-on activities were great (taking apart a human brain… model, looking at cancerous cells under the microscope), what I took away most were the words.
It was so apparent, that all of these incredibly successful men and women, are where they are because they loved their work. They believed in what they were doing, and it gave them great satisfaction.
In medicine, you’re always learning new things. You can form long-term connection with people in all walks of life, and you have the chance to advocate healthy living.
But above all, you really get to know your community, and see the positive impact you are having on their lives. This idea really hit home – the speakers’ enthusiasm is so contagious!
The presenters spoke of the trust they were given by their patients and the powerful relationship they built – “[I loved] seeing them thrive, and knowing that I played a little part in making it happen”, exclaimed Dr. David Keegan. Like Dr. Reed Ferber so neatly put, “every patient’s problem is a puzzle” to be solved.
“I would never trade it for anything else” was a common theme in all of the speakers’ messages.
Another commonality was that they all took long, winding roads, uncertain what the future held. “There’s no one perfect path – don’t stress about it and you will find the way.” – wise words from the wise Dr. Heather Thompson. You just do the best you can do, never knowing but trusting that it’s taking you somewhere good.
“As long as I worked hard and had fun, I was okay with the outcome, and it lead me in a good direction,” said Dr. Tonnin Schmidt. Ferber agreed, “I was never the smartest person, but always the hardest working, and always had fun.”
If it’s not hard, it’s not worth going for.
But as Dr. Nicole Letourneau pointed out, “you never work when you’re having fun. Go toward what’s fun for you, and let your passion shine through.”
“I’m the luckiest person in the world,” said Letourneau, “to do everyday what I do.” – When was the last time you heard someone say they love getting up in the morning for work?!
Moral of the story? Work hard and have fun, doing what you love. It will take courage, but you gotta trust in it. Passion & persistence wins the race.