A Father’s Letter to His Graduating Daughter: Advice to the Medical School Class of 2013 as They Go Forth Into Uncharted Waters
Perm J 2013 Spring; 17(2):e111 https://doi.org/10.7812/TPP/13-064Online OnlyIntroductionOn March 15th, 16,390 American medical school seniors successfully matched to first-year residency positions in the National Resident Matching Program.1 The more than 40,000 registrants made it the largest resident match in the program's history. In many ways, these first-year residents will be facing a rapidly changing health care world, probably with much more uncertainty than when I graduated from medical school in 1973, and possibly even more than when my father graduated in 1944. My daughter, Julie, is one of these medical school graduates. The following is a letter I wrote to her to provide encouragement and some direction as she goes forth into uncharted waters. I'm presenting it here in The Permanente Journal with the hope that a few of her 16,000 classmates might benefit from the advice. — Lee D Jacobs, MD, Associate Editor-in-Chief Dear Julie, I want to tell you how proud your mother and I are of you. You have worked hard and endured a tough journey. I'm certain that you'll always look back on graduating from medical school as one of the major accomplishments in your life. You did it! As you venture out from medical school to start a residency, I want to provide some suggestions that may help you, your colleagues, and, most importantly, your patients over the next few years. First of all, you will be entering a health care environment in a state of flux, a condition that will probably remain for years to come. Regardless of the array of complexities—and there are many—people will continue to be patients. People not too much different than the people your grandfather cared for in northern Vermont in the 40s and 50s. In light of the MD after your name, people will believe in you and will trust that you will meet their needs. With that in mind, here are a few imperatives that definitely have not changed with time:
Your medical license is like a new car—there is no telling where the vehicle will take you and what horizons will be opened to you over the years. Family, friends, and neighbors will all know you have skills and knowledge that might help them with their health concerns. Here is a philosophy that I have found important in my medical life:
In conclusion, my daughter, I want to again congratulate you on an amazing accomplishment and wish you many wonderful years as you care for those in need. Your loving father. References1. www.nrmp.org [home page on the Internet]. Washington, DC: National Resident Matching Program; updated 2013 Mar 27 [cited 2013 Apr 1]. Available from: www.nrmp.org.
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