A major note of gratitude to njbmd

[SkyeJ]

I've followed your replies to waffling oldies for years. I am in my 30s and applying again this year after getting my schtick together. Your story is an inspiration and your no-nonsense approach to studying and getting through medical training is exactly what we need to hear. It sucks to be a decade or two older than premeds, not to mention carrying all sorts of financial, family, social and professional baggage.

I think the worst part for me is succumbing to all the negative bull I hear from others about being too old. You begin to internalize that stuff. Your energy and optimism always bring me back from the edge. Keep doing what you're doing and thank you for the detailed replies and swift kicks to the saggy ol' butts worried about a career change.

P.S. I was in business for 15 years and can tell you that long hours are definitely not exclusive to medicine. For the first 8 or 9 years, I spent most of my waking hours and almost every weekend working. One minute I was a 21-year old, fresh-eyed kid in high heels bringing lean management to the world. The next minute I was 30, jaded, tired, with lots of lower back pain and damaged wrists from 80-100 hours per week of sitting, standing and stressing. Don't even get me started on the grey hair and wide ass.

It didn't get much better after that but you pick up a trick or two about avoiding burnout. This is why it is not so easy for some of us oldies to be at the bottom of the pack again. We got nearly trampled to death the first time.

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[SalemK]

AMEN TO THIS. njbmd has been my go-to source of inspiration time and again. Thanks for saying what I know many of us are feeling, SkyeJ (and the best of luck to you).

 

[SkyeJ]

Thank you, SalemK, and the best of luck to you too! njbmd is indeed an inspiration.

 

[mooshika]

He is my hero. And I get a LOT out of his blog too.

 

[wholeheartedly]

He is my hero. And I get a LOT out of his blog too.

i think njbmd might actually be a she...

 

[tkim]

i think njbmd might actually be a she...

confirmed.

 

[Nasrudin]

Necrobumpage.

I have recently learned that njbmd was not who she said she was. Blew my mind.

Giving the amount of inspiration and adulation this individual had caused in our sdn subpopulation. And the degree to which she represented the never to old be a surgeon machisma. And for various personal subplot reasons.

I think we deserve a public reckoning on what exactly she was or was not. And what she was untruthful about, that caused her to be inelegantly exited from the premises and position of sdn authority.

The long arc of this alleged deception deserves us the knowledge of her authenticity.

What do you guys think? Or know?

 

[ridethecliche]

An SDN conspiracy! CRAY!

 

[southpawcannon]

When anyone gives me the 'man you will be how old when you get out?' Speech or question how long I will be able to contribute to medicine, I tell them like this...someone who wants to be a head college football coach is often in their mid-40s to 50 years old before they get their first try. These guys bust their tails for years to work their way up from undergrad to grad assistant to other gigs at various coaching positions(often working very long hours) before getting the opportunity to become a head coach(and atill working very long hours) And, when they become head coach, many work into their 60s or 70s, because they LOVE what they do. So, my point being this...if someone attempts to cast doubt into your mind, many people have followed equally demanding paths and reached their goals to do what they love to do for a long time.

QUOTE="SkyeJ, post: 9167644, member: 91356"]I've followed your replies to waffling oldies for years. I am in my 30s and applying again this year after getting my schtick together. Your story is an inspiration and your no-nonsense approach to studying and getting through medical training is exactly what we need to hear. It sucks to be a decade or two older than premeds, not to mention carrying all sorts of financial, family, social and professional baggage.

I think the worst part for me is succumbing to all the negative bull I hear from others about being too old. You begin to internalize that stuff. Your energy and optimism always bring me back from the edge. Keep doing what you're doing and thank you for the detailed replies and swift kicks to the saggy ol' butts worried about a career change.

P.S. I was in business for 15 years and can tell you that long hours are definitely not exclusive to medicine. For the first 8 or 9 years, I spent most of my waking hours and almost every weekend working. One minute I was a 21-year old, fresh-eyed kid in high heels bringing lean management to the world. The next minute I was 30, jaded, tired, with lots of lower back pain and damaged wrists from 80-100 hours per week of sitting, standing and stressing. Don't even get me started on the grey hair and wide ass.

It didn't get much better after that but you pick up a trick or two about avoiding burnout. This is why it is not so easy for some of us oldies to be at the bottom of the pack again. We got nearly trampled to death the first time.[/QUOTE]

 

[Law2Doc]

Necrobumpage.

I have recently learned that njbmd was not who she said she was. Blew my mind.

Giving the amount of inspiration and adulation this individual had caused in our sdn subpopulation. And the degree to which she represented the never to old be a surgeon machisma. And for various personal subplot reasons.

I think we deserve a public reckoning on what exactly she was or was not. And what she was untruthful about, that caused her to be inelegantly exited from the premises and position of sdn authority.

The long arc of this alleged deception deserves us the knowledge of her authenticity.

What do you guys think? Or know?

Meh,
If someone inspires you to reach for the brass rings and you get further career-wise than you would have dared if not for the inspiration, I'm not sure any real harm was done.

This is the internet. We are all pimply 12 year old kids eating Cheetos in our parents basements until proven otherwise...

 

[jl lin]

Necrobumpage.

I have recently learned that njbmd was not who she said she was. Blew my mind.

Giving the amount of inspiration and adulation this individual had caused in our sdn subpopulation. And the degree to which she represented the never to old be a surgeon machisma. And for various personal subplot reasons.

I think we deserve a public reckoning on what exactly she was or was not. And what she was untruthful about, that caused her to be inelegantly exited from the premises and position of sdn authority.

The long arc of this alleged deception deserves us the knowledge of her authenticity.

What do you guys think? Or know?

Woe, what? Dude, I hope this isn't true. But you know, it should go without saying that you have to take things online with many grains of salt. IDK, what's SDN supposed to do? You can only vet members so much--there is a line they must be careful of not crossing. Truthfully, when I saw mention of her name on a skim reading, after all the tragedy I have seen this week, well, I thought it was something like she died. This could be not as big a deal as you think, but there are standards, and while it doesn't necessarily negate some of her advice and support, it still may have crossed the company's line, so to speak. How far over? Well, I think it may be like WH said. Something like, 'Don't say you graduated from Harvard, if it was a state school, or Don't say you graduated summa cum laude, when it was magna or just summa." Shoot most people don't know or care about those differences anyway. In the end, it's got to be about something you earned for you--you are the only one that will really value the effort you put into it.

Plus, we humans tend to jump to conclusions about things.

As far as online stuff, well, just look at FB. There are people--many people whom I know that just out and out lie about their education, work, you name it. I mean some of it is really stretched out embellishment--flat out lies. Can Zuckerberg's people police all of that nonsense?

But I get how getting advice from someone about important career choices makes people feel more vulnerable. And look at the above poster, who was so influenced by the opinions of others. We can get advice and so forth, but we have to do our research and then test the waters for ourselves. Frankly, some of the stuff I've read from med students and a few others here is, well, a bit disturbing sometimes. But overall, I guess online you really have to be more like this:

 

[deleted480308]

Just leave her be