Welcome to Our Voices, Our Future, the podcast
where we amplify the voices driving change and
equity within medicine and beyond. Brought to
you by the Gender Equity Task Force, a committee
of the American Medical Women's Association,
we're here to challenge norms, break barriers,
and unite conversations that matter. I'm Megan
Etsy, and in each episode, we'll bring you candid
discussions with leaders, change makers, and
advocates working to create a more inclusive
and just world. No more silence, no more waiting.
You're listening to Our Voices, Our Future. Let's
get into it. Today we're welcoming Miss Christine
Wilson. Christine has a master's degree in medical
health science and a bachelor's in exercise science.
She is currently pursuing her second master's
degree in physician assistant studies. Beyond
her academics, she has a wife and a mom of two
boys. a three -year -old and an almost two -year
-old. She had her first son during her undergraduate
degree and had her second right in the middle
of her first master's degree. She has served
as the president of her AMWA chapter at the Utah
Valley University, and she's held other leadership
roles in both her undergraduate and graduate
educational pursuits. She's an overall goal of
becoming an OB -GYN PA and working in leadership
at a hospital as a board member and in PA advocacy.
Thanks for being here today, Christine. Thanks
for having me. Yeah. So can you kind of just
start by sharing a bit about your journey into
medicine and what's inspired you to pursue becoming
a PA, especially while creating the little family
of yours? Yeah, I would describe my journey as
fairly typical. I didn't have an insane one experience
that led me to the medical field, but I was a
gymnast. I was a competitive gymnast growing
up. And so I learned I was very performance motivated.
I wanted to learn everything. thing that would
enhance my gymnastics career. So I actually started
doing like my own little research on YouTube
and probably learned a lot of misinformation
on my way. But I went in and did a ton of research
on my own just to figure out how I could become
a better athlete, how I could gain muscle while
also maintaining flexibility, all this stuff.
Kind of just fell in love with the process of
learning about anatomy and the body in general.
And so I decided to pursue that. I have a whole
plethora of experiences that kind of steered
me towards medicine in addition to those, but
that was kind of the main thing. And yeah, I
decided ultimately that I wanted to be a doctor.
So I was pre -med for three years. I pursued
that wholeheartedly. I joined all the clubs.
I learned as much as I could. I'm also a first
-generation college student, so I kind of had
no idea what I was doing. But but yeah, I just
kind of went in head first into that field. And
I was super lucky and got married in between
my sophomore and junior year of college. And
I was still just, you know, head first into medicine.
And then I found out I was pregnant shortly not
not long after getting married. And that was
a huge surprise to me. I have always wanted to
be a mom, but I just was like, oh my gosh, what
is this disruption in my timeline that I'm looking
at here? So that was kind of a big surprise.
And it led me to do a lot of thinking and what
I kind of reevaluate what I really wanted. And
ultimately, I just decided that for me personally,
the home life balance wasn't great. with what
I was going to be trying to achieve as a as a
doctor. So I started looking into PA and I loved
it. I started shadowing some PAs and I just felt
like this was exactly what I wanted. I applaud
and admire any woman who becomes a doctor and
is also a mother or wants to be a mother. I think
it's absolutely possible and beautiful. I just
I personally wasn't willing to make some of the
the thing or make some of the decisions that
would be required with with that decision. So
again, I respect it so wholeheartedly. It was
just for me. I decided that P .A. was exactly
what I was looking for. Yeah. So ultimately,
that's what led me here. When I was pregnant
with my first, I never really even thought about
taking a break from school, which is so funny.
But, you know, I just was like, oh, this is what
I've always wanted. to be a mom and to be a provider.
So I'm just going to make that happen. I can
be pregnant at home or I can be pregnant at school.
So let's do this. So I never really, really took
a break. But and I'm glad now that I didn't because
I think it just kind of kept the motivation up
for me kept kept the momentum. So yeah, I just
while I was raising my little family just decided
that this is ultimately what I what I've wanted
the whole time. So I might as well keep going.
I love it. And congrats on being a first -generation
college student and on your second master's degree.
That's incredible. So you've described being
a mom in medicine is not only possible, but deeply
fulfilling. What does that balance kind of look
for you in day -to -day and what helps you kind
of stay grounded in both the mom role and the
student role? Yeah, so it is deeply fulfilling.
I always tell my friends that I'm I get to come
home to my greatest why every single day. And
I feel like that is such a huge blessing. It's
not something that I, you know, rarely remember
that one experience that led me to medicine,
and I can think about that when it gets hard.
But I come home to my biggest little motivators
every single day in my life. So I feel super,
super lucky to have that perspective. And as
a student, it's a daily juggling act. The balance
is, you know, some sort of combination or recipe,
I guess, of like four ingredients for me. And
the first ingredient is that I have to dedicate
time to just being mom, just mom time. The second
is that I have to dedicate time to pretty much
just being a student. And I say pretty much because
I can never really turn off mom brain. I'm always
thinking about my kids, but dedicated time to
focus on my studies is absolutely essential to
my success. And then the third would We I do
have to dedicate a little bit of time to my husband
every single day Just just something sometimes
it's a few minutes that I'm just talking with
him, but he's also doing so much for our family
right now So I have to recognize that he needs
breaks and he needs time, too So that's definitely
part of part of the daily juggle and then four
is just a tiny bit of time for me But yeah, so
that usually looks like I wake up early and I
get my workout in and that's kind of my me time.
I've always loved that. So that's how I've kind
of channeled that into having some me time. And
it's just time to like quite literally work on
myself. So I love that. And then when I'm at
school or in class, that is my pretty much dedicated
student time. I can still, you know, check in
on my kids and send a text here and there. um
to see how they're doing but ultimately when
I'm at school I try to be as productive as possible
so I can I can enhance my time to just be mom
when I get home so super productive at school
um as as much as I can there's good days and
bad days of course but yeah but that's the goal
and then when I get home the first really I try
and make it at least an hour sometimes it's longer
but just a solid hour where I put down my phone,
I put down everything, I'm sitting on the floor
playing with my kids, just dedicating some time
to them. And so it's kind of, it's something
that I definitely look forward to every day and
something they look forward to every day too.
It's just, ah, mom's home and we hang out for
a little bit. I also kind of mesh in some mom
responsibilities here and start some laundry
and stuff like that. But you know, just the essentials
of life. But I do try and make that a special
time for them. And then, like I said, that's
usually like an hour or so. And then it's study
time. And something that I have to be really
disciplined with is I don't go in another room
and study because I just feel a little bit too
much mom guilt with that. I feel like it'd be
like me leaving all over again. So I actually,
I have my desk in the living room and I'm right
there with them as I study. And it's become this
like beautiful thing because my little three
-year -old he'll come up, especially when I have
a microscopy image on my screen, and I'll be
like, oh, mom, is that a germ? And he'll start
talking about it. He'll be like, oh, so what
happens if a germ gets in my eye? Or what happens
if a germ gets in my toe? The most random questions.
But it's this beautiful little moment for me
to explain things to him in the simplest ways.
And it's so fun to include him in my studying.
And it helps me remember that he is not a distraction,
but he's part of what I'm doing. So the goal
has always been, like I said, to be a mom and
a provider. So I'm doing it simultaneously. I'm
not being a provider here and then being a mom
here. It's happening at the same time. And that
just solidifies that, just including him in my
studies. And then at bedtime, I prioritize. their
bedtime. I stop what I'm doing no matter what
I'm doing and spend that time with them. That's
like a non -negotiable for me and I'm a religious
person so we read verse together every night.
We pray together every night and that's just
our non -negotiable time as a whole family. All
four of us get together and do that every night.
So just it's it's honestly with little kids it
is little short high quality moments and that
is absolutely balanceable in school. And it's
just a little way to kind of just another way
to include them in my day. And then, like I said,
I always need to include a little bit of time
for my husband. And most of the time, if the
balance is struggling, this is what struggles
the most. Like we make time for each other, but
it's very simple. There's not elaborate date
nights very often, but. Just time where we chit
chat every night and check in on each other.
I try and make sure that he has time to go to
the gym or he has time to go hang out with friends
and just do things that help him feel like, you
know, prioritized in my life because he is. He's
the reason that I can be so successful. Like
this being a mom in medicine is it takes a village.
It really takes a huge support system. So he
is that for me. um along with my family but he
is the primary like he's working from home right
now so that I can go to school and and balance
is watching the kids at the same time so he is
absolutely amazing and I try and make sure that
we um communicate well so he can get the time
off that he needs to but but yeah it is a deeply
fulfilling juggling act every single day and
um as long as those four ingredients are really
hit we're we have a recipe for success. Love
it. So you have, along with this schedule that
you go through every day that is beautiful, you
mentioned that you create like little traditions
and routines where they feel a priority. I think
I've seen before your Sundays are a little bit
different, right? So can you tell us a little
bit about that? Yes, absolutely. So one thing
that I do is I take Sundays completely off. There's
no studying happening. no schoolwork happening
on Sundays. If something's due on a Sunday, I'm
doing it Saturday or hopefully earlier than that.
But I really schedule my time pretty strictly
during the week so that Sunday can be just mom
all day. And it's been an essential part of that
recipe for my kids and for myself. I think that
everyone should do it. I don't know. It amazes
me that people can just go hard every single
day. But it's a great break for me mentally.
And I do need to do laundry, and I need to do
dishes. I need to be a mom. And so that's how
I kind of structure my life. And it helps me
on the days where I'm super unmotivated. We're
starting to get to that point where when we get
home, it's dark outside, and everyone's tired.
And I know that, OK, I have my Sunday. So I'm
going to work super hard right now. and I can
get through this day. So it's motivating on multiple
levels. But yeah, I make that day different.
It's part of my faith observations as well. We
go to church together. We pray together. It's
just a beautiful day that we have to just be
a family and prioritize that. And yeah, another
little fun tradition that started kind of accidentally
at first was when I started working out early
in the morning, that kind of that kind of meant
that I would not see my kids until after school.
And I hated that at first because, you know,
they're not awake that early. And I did not like
that. Just from a mom guilt perspective. Well,
sorry, perspective. I just felt like that was
a really, really hard thing to do for me. So
what I started doing was I left my kids in note
one day. I left them a note on my whiteboard.
I made it fun colors and when they woke up there
was this my whiteboard's kind of big so they
were like oh my gosh like look how cool and they're
they don't read yet but my husband reads it to
him and sometimes I'll draw a little picture
so they know more of what's going on in the message
but I started writing these little notes and
they really responded well to them they loved
them. And so I started making it a little bit
more than that. Some days it's still like, mom
loves you and is thinking about you. But sometimes
I leave them a secret agent mission while I'm
gone. And I give them a task. And one time I
said something about how I left them in charge
of the kingdom. And they were the knights guarding
the kingdom. And then I built a fort for them
to play in. So they woke up to that. So just
something really small that takes me like 10
minutes to do in the morning that they kind of
have a piece of me while I'm away and it gives
them something to look forward to and something
interactive all day long. Like when I have a
test, I'll trace my hand on the whiteboard and
so they can give me good luck high fives. And
my husband says that they'll go high five that
whiteboard a bunch of times throughout the day.
So it's just this little fun thing that we do.
that helps me more than them, probably, because
I just feel like they know that I'm thinking
about them. And then, of course, during long
days, I always call them during lunch and chit
chat with them a little bit. They love FaceTiming
and seeing my school. And then I dedicate a little
bit more time if needed to that after school
time if the day is really long. So I just want
them to feel loved and that's my primary goal
and I want them to feel that love in my absence
and in my presence. And so those are some things,
yeah, that I try and do to help them feel like
a priority. I love it. So switching over a little
bit from mom to medicine, you've been working
on policy reform since your master's, your first
master's program, and you have found that only
about a quarter of medical schools even have
a paternal leave, parental leave policy. What
is it like to uncover that gap and kind of what
emotions and realizations do that spark for you?
Yeah, so I found out that I was pregnant four
days after I got accepted into my program. So
I was like, okay, I'm doing this program. I just
found out that a little a little boy is going
to be joining us. And I want to know all my options.
So I started scouring the website. I was looking
everywhere. You know, I already knew what my
program was. I already knew the school. I was
trying to just find where my options were basically.
And I was looking everywhere, and I couldn't
find anything. And I was like, this has got to
be user error. Like, I can't find anything about
this. So it led to me having to... I was so intimidated
to do this, but I had to confide in my program
director super, super early that I was pregnant
because I could not find my options. And even
though I wasn't really ready to tell them, I
was a brand new student, I didn't... You're never
really sure what first impression that's going
to leave somebody. So I was really nervous just
tell them that, but I also needed to plan my
life a little bit. So I had to confide in my
program director and tell them that I was pregnant
in order to say like, hey, there's no policy.
And I can't find it, is what I was saying. So
I actually met with him in person. and we had
this discussion. I said, I'm pregnant and I need
to know what my options are because this is when
I'm due and I got it. And his response to me
was, oh, I don't think we have one. And I was
like, oh, what? What do you mean you don't have
one? Like, this is a 20 -year -old school. Like,
what do you mean? So I was a little bit dumbfounded
that they didn't have one at all. And so I was
like right then and there I was like well can
I write one can we like get the ball rolling
like maybe we can have this in place by the next
student catalog and that'll be perfect timing
for when the baby comes out um and he he didn't
have a problem with that he was like sure write
one up and we'll see what we can do um so that
led me to doing research at home I started looking
online to get an example of like other schools
maternity policies right and then I was scouring
their websites and scouring other websites and
I couldn't find anything. So then I turned to
like PubMed and stuff like that and found that
number, that 25 % of medical schools in the country
have a maternity policy. And the number really
actually decreases to about 16 % when you exclude
the maternity policies that are specific to employees
of that university. So a lot of that 25 % even
includes just employee policy. So this was, ultimately
I was appalled. I, you know, all these schools
claim to be protected by Title IX, which states
that you must provide the medically necessary
time off following childbirth. However, most
schools just have a full year leave of absence
option. So you're facing delays in graduation.
You're facing loss of loan grace period. It's
just a big deal. And when we're on a super long
path to medicine, we don't really want to take
an entire year to not be moving forward and progressing
in that super long path. So I think that turns
a lot of women away from having children in the
first place. But for me, I was just kind of...
I just couldn't really believe that this is what
was happening because we claim to be protected
by Title IX, but we're actually really not unless
we take it that full year. So yeah, I just feel
like this is crazy because in medical school,
the prime reproductive age is the age of all
the people there. So I just am shocked that they
don't have a maternity policy more. that's not
more popular in medical education, but unfortunately
it's just not. So when you did your research
and eventually proposed your own policy and began
advocating for this reform, what kind of challenges
or resistance did you encounter and how did you
stay motivated through all these, we'll get to
it or push aside kind of moments? Yeah, there
was a lot of those. Still is, unfortunately.
I, when I had this conversation with my program
director and concluded, you know, that I was
going to write my own and give it to him, it
only took me really a few days. After I had done
some research and drafted that policy, I sent
it in right away. I try and be proactive with
that kind of thing. And I was also pregnant.
So I was like, let's get this ball rolling because
this baby is coming, whether or not this policy
comes. So I put it in right away and I was really
expecting this Couple month long conversation
to happen. I was expecting to have it sent back
with edit critiques or advice or request to change
wording. I was expecting this to go really back
and forth, but it was kind of just radio silence.
I sent it in and first of all, I didn't know
who to directly sent it to send it to. My program
director didn't either, but he said sent it to
me and I will do what I can with it. And I do
trust that he was, you know, had good intentions
on getting it to. the places it needed to go.
So I sent it in to him and then you know I'm
also trying to be successful in school so unfortunately
a couple months went by before I really heard
anything and so I reached out to him and I was
like hey like what's going on what are the updates
for me and he responded and said oh I forgot
to tell you at this point they The committee
feels like there's enough framework in place
and that it's not needed. So they threw it out.
I was like, okay. So what is the framework? That
became the next conversation. I'm like, okay.
So I was looking everywhere on the website, knowing
that I was pregnant and you're telling me that
there's already framework in place. So what?
So I ended up having to meet, and my program
director didn't know. That's where the conversation
ended with him. He was like, sorry. So I reached
out to ADA accommodations. I met with different
program directors at my same university. I met
with a bunch of people. And I was like, what
are my options? Someone please tell me my options.
And it ended up being that my ADA accommodations
guy, he was... the one who was kind of in charge
of pregnancy because it's considered a temporary
disability when you're in school. So he was like,
oh yeah, well send me in some information and
I can get back to you. So I was like, okay, so
I had to disclose some really personal information.
I had to send him ultrasound images. I had to
send doctors information. I had to sign a medical
release. And I also had to give a conception
date, which all of it just felt really crazy.
Yeah, so I'm like, okay, this is my university
where I'm, I was in a master's program to kind
of help you get into your next program. That's
kind of the main goal of it. And so a lot of
the students go into DO after this, and a lot
of the students go into PA. So my goal is still
to move forward and get into the PA program.
So I was really, really scared to kind of be
annoying. and to say, you know, well, I'm pregnant.
And so I need these rules in place. So it felt
it was really, really hard. But yeah, I just
I just had no one really to go to. And so so
I went to him and he told me, oh, I after all
this information was sent in, he told me, OK,
so I think the policy is 10 days. I literally
have that quoted in writing, I think. And so
I said, okay, can I see it? Like, can I see this
policy that everyone seemingly referring to,
that the framework is, that I can't find anywhere?
I just wanted to know so I could be sure. This
was, you know, my second baby. And my first one,
I had some complications. He was in the NICU.
He came very, not very, but pretty early. So
I was kind of, you know, trying to be very aware
that this could happen again. So I... I wanted
to be proactive about it and go off of the odd
chance that he could be the NICU and I needed
to know my exact days. So I wanted to see the
policy, but no one could give it to me. It was
still just I think and word of mouth. And unfortunately
for me, I just felt that it was too high of a
risk. If I went into labor, also the policy was
10 days from the start of labor. what he said.
And with my first, I was in labor for three days
because they were trying, they were, you know,
giving me the FEDDP and all the things to try
and stop it. So I was concerned with the timing
and I felt a little bit defeated at this point.
You know, they just thrown it out so fast and
that was my only option. And time was running
out for me. So I ended up having to take a full
calendar year off of a 10 month master's program.
And that was very discouraging and very hard.
I really, really felt like I could have done
it. but also because the timing of when I took
leave, I had to completely start over. So I was
not only fully paid for a semester that I got
absolutely no credit for and acquiring the interest
on that, but I was taking a break for a whole
year from a 10 month program. And it was really,
really hard. But when I came back, I was so hungry
for change. My school has a lactation room. So
I would sit in there and pump for my son every
single day. And I thought if enough women spoke
up about needing a lactation room, then obviously
they had to have given birth, right? So what
is the deal? And I was super motivated. I was
ready. So I actually ran for and was elected
for a student senate position to represent my
program. And this got my foot in the door with
the dean. And I was meeting with him once or
twice a month. because of this position. So after
I was elected to it, I started bringing up that
conversation again about the maternity policy.
And this is when I felt a lot of pushback in
person, like to my face for the first time, because
it had all been very, very personal to me because
I was pregnant at the beginning. So I think this
time people were more like, oh, like Does this
even apply to you if they didn't know my story?
So I got a lot more push back to my face and
that was a little bit hard for me. I'm not a
super computational person, but I was very motivated
and having been impacted by this so personally,
I just felt like it was so necessary. So I continued
to have conversations. I brought it up. I sent
it to the dean. I met with him and presented
it to him as well as presented him with a research
paper that kind of showed the numbers of student
satisfaction in universities that had maternity
policies and versus universities that did not.
And He was saying, okay, I'll bring this to the
committee and that's pretty much all I can offer
you at this point. So just sit tight. And this
committee that no one ever has told me what the
title of this committee is or if it's the actual
board or I don't know anything about it. But
it's some mystery committee that he has been
conversing with. that has not been able to provide
a straight answer, yes or no, or provide any
changes that I can do. And I told him, I'm super
flexible. If there is something that needs to
change about this policy that I've written up,
which adheres to your 10 -day rule while also
maintaining flexibility for Title IX requirements
that we're already claiming to sustain, if there's
something that I need to reword or something
I can change, please tell me. I just want the
women who are pregnant in this student body to
find and access their options somewhere. Even
if that stays with the 10 -day policy, I just
think that it should be available to them so
they don't have to go through all the hoops of
sending in ultrasound pictures and all that information
just to, you know, have some sort of information
given to them. So yeah, so I just kept pursuing
it. We kept having that conversation and there
has been countless, we'll get to it moments,
but I still have a fire under my feet and I'm
hoping that through just kind of keep just keeping
bugging them, hopefully that can eventually be
enough. So you have said that your goal is not
to just reform at the university, but in a broader
national way. What steps do you see that are
critical to achieving this and medical education
around this parental leave? Yeah, so It's actually
been really cool because since we met a lot of
things have happened I have always wanted to
take this to Beyond my school and with how my
school is handling it and all the back -and -forth
conversations and the lack of forward movement,
I have felt like, okay, how can I get around
my university and get my word out there? Because
there's still that 25 % number and that 16 %
number haunting me. So how can I get my ideas
out there? And right now we're working on an
abstract that we've submitted to a research conference
in California. Hopefully that will make it through
to just help get the word out a little bit more
and be able to have a wider audience and expand
some of the awareness to this issue. And I think
that's going to be a huge issue because I have
felt like I've been battling this by myself for
two years. My son is about to turn two. I was
pregnant. It's been over two years. And I have
felt like I have been absolutely all by myself.
But I know for a fact there are other women out
there. I actually, after returning back to school
with this fire under my feet, I had a friend
who confided in me telling me that she was pregnant.
And she was super inspired by my story and just
felt like she could do it. So she proceeded and
was pregnant. And after congratulating her and
being so excited, I was nervous because I had
received so much pushback for my situation. Ultimately,
I ended up watching her go through a lot of the
same things I did. She had to, you know, tell
them the same information and give all that and
sign the medical release and everything. And
it's just it's just a lot that the system is
just really kind of against us. But I was really
upset when she messaged me and said, Well, this
policy is officially inconsistent because I've
been given five days. Oh my gosh. So right there
I was like, okay, there is a big problem here.
This is an issue. So I think awareness is the
biggest thing that really needs to happen at
this point so that I'm not fighting this alone
because I'm definitely not. There are other girls
who are fighting this seemingly alone wherever
they are too. So I want to help get it out there.
I've also started looking into other conferences
we could potentially take it to if this one doesn't
make it in. And then the next step would probably
be a position paper to hopefully make some waves.
Let's get this moving. Yeah, absolutely. So for
students or trainees who want to start these
families but feel impossible to do both, Me myself,
I'm about to start residency and this is nerve
-racking, right? Like, I'm like, I want babies,
but I'm like, you know? What kind of advice and
encouragement do you offer from your own journey?
So it's so special to me because I'm like, yes,
all the babies have all the babies. I want to
be an OB -GYN. Like this is what I want to do.
But ultimately it comes down to like, you are
going to receive push back. You're going to,
you know, have a lot of biases against you and
be put into a little tiny box from the start
if someone knows you're pregnant. And it's really,
really hard. But ultimately, we know what we're
capable of better than anybody else. We know
what we're capable of. And I don't think a school
should be telling you what you're capable of
doing by putting that their rules on you. You
know, we're paying to go to school and receive
an education. So we should be able to make decisions
in our personal life regardless. And it should
be, it should be easier to me to have a baby
when you're in medical education versus when
you're being paid to do a service. I have always
felt that way, but it's just not how it's designed
right now. But really, we know what we're capable
of. I knew the second I found out I was pregnant
after, you know, four days after I'd gotten into
my program, that I was like, well, this is, you
know, this is what I want to do. This is who
I am. Like, I'm okay with going to school pregnant
because I'm either going to be pregnant at home
or pregnant at school. So I just, I want that
in my life. And I think that the... The motivation
we feel to have children is so inherently maternal
and it's such a part of that caregiver role for
me that I want to explore that and I want to
develop that nurturing and that empathy that
comes with being a mother and be able to give
that to my patients. So we know what we're capable
of. We know what we can do and what we can manage.
And if you feel like you can absolutely handle
both, It's going to be scary. We're never going
to know really what it looks like until we're
there. But if you feel like you can do it, then
by all means you can. And if I can do it, absolutely
anyone in the world can. Because people look
at me like I'm some sort of queen of organization.
And I promise you, I am just doing my best this
day. And I'll do my best tomorrow. And sometimes
that's different day to day. But if it's my best,
then that's what I'm giving that day. And I always
say that you're not distracted by motherhood,
you're driven by it. So my kids, I mentioned
they are my why, they're everything to me. They
have given me a perspective that is absolutely
invaluable because I can see someone, even someone
who's older than me, as somebody's child. someone's
loved one and I can treat them as such because
I know what it's like to give of all of yourself
to a person despite what they're doing, despite
their behavior, despite how close you are. You
can love somebody and give them the care that
they need and that they deserve no matter what
because that's what you're trained to do as a
mom. You're also trained, not really trained,
but you develop the ability to show up no matter
how exhausted you are. to be a caregiver 100
% of the time. And to maintain your ambition
and go to school at the exact same time is going
to be, you know, not only develop you further
as a person, but it will help your kids witness,
you know, the strength and the perseverance that
can come from doing multiple things at the same
time, from chasing your dreams while you're raising
them. It's just, it's beautiful. And I really
feel like anyone who wants to have children during
their medical education is already halfway there.
Once you're having that desire, you already have
the caregiving, the loving that's already coming
up inside of you. But once you have the ability
to actually nurture that baby and to... have
that baby in your hands and you experience that
moment of, wow, this is my greatest why, then
everything else comes so much more naturally.
You're able to see your patients in that perspective
almost instantly because you're like, wow, someone
loves them so much. No matter how they treat
me, I am going to give my 100 % to them. And
I don't think that your desire to nurture life
diminishes your... So that's a wrap on this episode
of Our Voices Our Future. We hope today's conversation
inspired you, challenged you, and reminded you
the power of raising your voice. The fight for
equity doesn't stop here. Join us in the movement,
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