Me age 4: *miserable rashy baby who had to sleep with socks on her hands* I want to be a dermatologist when I grow up!
Me age 10: I want to be a dermatologist when I grow up!
Me age 16: oh damn, derms make a lot of $$$! You say it’s hard? Ha, I’m always the top of my class, even when I’m stoned I make A’s. No problem. I’m going to be a dermatologist when I grow up!
Me age 18: I’m doing chemical engineering for my undergrad because I want to be a dermatologist and it’s a great premed track per my OB/GYN.
Me halfway through first semester freshman year, a whooole lotta parties, dating my future ex husband, also still thinks doing homework is studying: C on my chem midterm?!?! I’ve always excelled in science, wtf? I’ll never be a doctor with grades like these. Well, I can still be in healthcare as a nurse, helping people is what matters to me anyway, and this career will be more amenable to family life.
Side rant - any career that requires 14 hour days, holidays, and limited ETO is NOT family friendly, especially if you end up single along the way./rant
Me age 20: 3.5 gpa, 400 applicants for 72 spots in the nursing school - rejected. Welcome to the real world.
Me post Mrs degree and finally in nursing school: Yeh, screw this, I still want to be a physician. I want to figure out the problem, not push drugs and answer call lights all day. Oh damn, that pregnancy test is positive.
Me in the ED: Whew, I would have been bored out of my mind looking at moles on butts all day long. I want to be an ER doctor - I don’t want to just set up the chest tube, I want to insert the chest tube.
Mr: No, you can’t go to med school.
Me: ....here’s my plan, this fall I’ll take...then biochem... you know it’s been my life’s dream.
Mr: Fine, you can go to med school, just don’t expect me and your son to come with you.
Me: chardonnay, Pinot noir, cab sauv, gin and tonic, girly romance novels, candy crush, running, overtime, shopping. Also, divorce 10 years overdue.
Me last year: Call lights are the fifth circle of hell - I want my patients SAP’d, Doe status without family, and night shift gave the bath. I’m not taking the rotisserie if you don’t make them 1:1. Still want to go to med school. Derm is a whole lot harder than just ABCDE’ing some moles, plus they do get to help people feel comfortable in their own skin. Botox is bank. Still would rather play with nec fasc in the unit than look at moles on butts all day.
Me now: NP school. I want to know all the things. Let me fluff that pillow for you while I walk on sunshine because I escaped hell and don’t have to answer call lights anymore. Shock is my jam. I’m going to med school in a few years and I’ll do whatever it takes to get there. Mad respect for derm - that s***’s hard, makes ABG’s look like third grade math and chem had a baby...oh wait.