On an emotional level, 2017 was devastating hard for me. There were days when I struggled to get out of the bed, overwhelmed with political and natural disasters. My heart hurt for so many people, and the backdrop of my “perfect” life riddled me with guilt.
On a personal level, it was phenomenon. I started the year in a new relationship and a little nervous about the uncertainty but also so damn happy. To date, our love story is a perfect love story. It is the magical story of what happens when two kind-hearted, successful people decide to build a life and a home together. We ran the NYC marathon together, we jumped out of a plane in Vegas together, we survived a week long road trip in Maine together, we cheered on the Tide, and we moved in together. Cherry on top, I gained the most amazing, kind, successful friend group in the process.
As exciting as all of that was, the recent professional revelation I’ve undergone is by far the most exciting thing to happen to me in 2017. I started the year completely uncomfortable and unconfident in myself as a dermatologist. I am lucky enough to train at one of the best programs in the country, which means that I’m surrounded by nothing but brilliance. It is motivating, but I definitely struggled with imposter syndrome this year. I didn’t yet know what I wanted my long-term footprint to be on the field of dermatology, so I was incredibly intimated by my good friends who have massive, specific goals. Luckily, my intimidating coworkers are also my friends and I was able to express these feelings to them, and I am so grateful for their support. Over the past 3 months, I have made major breakthroughs. I feel confident in my clinical abilities (although there’s still so much to learn!), and I'm ready to lean into my professional identify. I graduated from medical school in 2015, but it’s not until 2017 that I truly felt like a “physician."
Wishing you all the best in 2018. Please keep me posted xo
Elyse