So with all the talk of a virtual interview season, I thought I'd do a quick reflection about how I chose #medpeds.

So without further ado...

(Had to have a WoW reference in here) #iykyk

My first real medical experience came during my time at @ClemsonUniv. I majored in Health Science and did an internship with a forensic pathologist in Greenville, SC.

And that was the semester when I knew that pursuing a career in medicine was in my future!

So hear me out... This was my first real experience in the world of medicine. I had not yet spent time in the clinical world; managing patients and treating diseases was not something I had been exposed to yet. So the logical question is, what intrigued me so much?

Each autopsy was a puzzle. What was the cause of death? What comorbidities and medical history did the patient have? And most importantly, how could we have prevented it?

So as I continued, I was mesmerized by each area of fibrotic myocardium from a myocardial infarction that I saw. Each atherosclerotic artery pointed to an underlying disease process that I had yet to understand.

And the histology... Nothing intrigued me more than being able to see the effects of systemic disease on the microscopic level. So naturally, I had to know more...

The next step in my journey took me to the Medical University of South Carolina, where I met some of the most amazing and influential people that who would shape my future career. @MUSC_COM

The preclinical years did little to change my interest in forensic pathology. The anatomy of the human body, pathophys and histology kept pushing me towards pathology as a career.

But there were other things that started to pique my interest. Pharmacology and it's interplay with pathophysiology. The various mechanisms that can cause a symptom, such as anemia or shortness of breath. Managing these things in the hospital.

So before I knew it Step 1 was over and the clinical years were starting. The question that all of #MedStudentTwitter has heard started shortly after: What do you want to do with your life?

Despite my continued interest in pathology, I went into third year with a completely open mind about my career goals. How was I supposed to know what I wanted to do yet? The only thing I had done in the hospital was some brief rounding and autopsies...

So I went through several rotations. First was family medicine then psychiatry followed by OB/GYN. Each one had aspects that grabbed my attention but I didn't feel like the perfect fit was there. (Though ask @paige_luttrell about the OB/GYN dilemma of 2016... strange times)

Then boom, rotation 4 hits... Internal Medicine. Honestly, I was nervous at first. As an introvert, patient interaction did not come easy to me. I was nervous about being scrutinized and being wrong or looking like a fool. And presenting coherently was HARD

But with the unwavering support of my resident and attending, things started to become interesting again. The nuances of clinical reasoning, diagnosis and management of patients with multiple complex or undifferentiated diagnoses grabbed me and didn't let go...

And the patient interaction got better. I started to find fulfillment in trying to make one of the worst times in their life a little bit better and giving them the knowledge they needed to manage and understand their diagnoses!

So internal medicine was cool! But I kept an open mind because the other specialties still interested me. From radiology to pathology to even OB/GYN, they all had me at one point during third year...

And then the kiddos came. Last block of third year! Congenital disease (including heart), Type 1 DM, genetic disorders, asthma, metabolism, cystic fibrosis and even peds malignancies. The management and diagnostic dilemmas were just as intriguing here!

And watching kids bounce back. It's something that I can't really put into words. Watching a kid running around the hospital room on the day of discharge after an acute illness took some of the frustration away from discharging adults knowing the management was only beginning.

But how do I do both? Luckily I had the #medpeds program director as my attending and the answer was right there in front of me!

And as they say...

What I learned during this process:
1. Be open minded about your career because you might be surprised what grabs you
2. It's never too late to choose (I chose LAST block of 3rd year)
3. Take and appreciate other people's advice but make YOUR choice

So to wrap this up, I just want to thank everyone who helped me get where I am today. I'm proud to be #medpeds and can't wait to see what the future brings! Best of luck to everyone in making their decision! Happy to help in anyway I can! #MedTwitter #MedStudentTwitter

PS: Please let me know what you all think about this thread! Would love the feedback! Also, thinking about possibly doing an interview reflection so let me know if there is any interest in that as well! @IUMedPeds