Good Things Take Time

Success! I finally found my mentor. After many, many interviews I was finally able to not only get a mentor, but a pediatrician surgeon. This was such a breakthrough for me for so many reasons that brought me to this point in my ISM journey. This honestly something that I did not think would happen. Of course, I knew I would get a mentor but I had doubts on if they would be a pediatric surgeon or even a surgeon. So that makes this moment even more special.

Having Dr.Alder as a mentor is truly a dream come true. Even though Dr.Adler is such an acclaimed surgeon, that is not why I am grateful to have him as a mentor. Even when I had an interview with him, I learned more than I had from any other interview. That made me realize that when selecting mentor, it is not the level or acclaims of a person that makes them a good mentor. It is the will to teach and spread their knowledge. My interview with Dr.Adler went on for about 80 minutes, not entirely because Dr.Adler is such a successful surgeon, but because he was willing to teach me more than just the basics. He drew diagrams and told me about the numerous cases he was working on which really made me excited to begin work. To see the interest I have in getting mentor, being reciprocated in a mentor wanting to teach me was truly humbling to me. Even though my options were limited at this point, I truly do not feel like I am walking away with the short end of the stick with Dr.Adler. In fact, I think I got such an amazing opportunity that I really want to make the most of it with my final product.

I think in a lot of ways ISM teaches you about your career before you even get a mentor. The more difficult it is to attain the career, the more difficult the process of getting a mentorship. As a result a mentor in pediatric surgery is more difficult than getting a pediatrician, but less difficult that a pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon. This will prepare me for the later in life when dealing with schooling. When I see many of my friends being able to start work by the age of twenty-two, I won't get discouraged and try to choose something easier. I’ll be able to see the bigger picture and see that sometimes the best things take time.