In many ways, I am your stereotypical college student turned medical student turned physician in training. I knew from a young age I wanted to be a doctor. When looking at colleges, I chose one with a strong pre-med program. I studied biology (among other things) in college and proceeded right on to medical school, perhaps not entirely armed with the maturity at that point to properly navigate the field. Luckily, we are allowed to acquire maturity along out lives, and I currently in residency in otolaryngology (otherwise known as ENT, ear/nose/throat, or head & neck surgery - also known as early nights & tennis, which I would argue is a misnomer). Like many of my colleagues before me, I have sacrificed some of the social indulgences we are afforded in our 20's in lieu of my training, which has stunted my growth in some areas but certainly augmented it in many others. I was never much of a writer when I was younger, but perhaps that is because I did not yet have much to say. But I have found writing in medicine to be in many ways challenging, cathartic, demanding, and a release.
While this blog is not totally anonymous (there are plenty of people who know who I am), there are reasons I do not overtly come out of declare my identity. I think part of it is a desire to preserve my personal privacy. Or it may be partly embarrassment. But it also affords and additional layer of privacy to the stories I tell, which I believe is important. Because it's less about me, and more about the stories.