#LatePost

I have successfully completed all my national board examinations for medical school! I’m really about to be a doctor come May 2021.

My STEP 2 CK scores came in yesterday. I wasn’t scarred when I saw the email. I just sat there and smiled. I knew that I studied enough to pass the exam, but I was just waiting to see what my score would be.

I went on my Starbucks app, ordered a white chocolate Frappuccino with 3 pumps of hazelnut and vanilla to have a celebratory drink while on my way to Grady to round on my patients. —(Try it out, thank me later).

I clicked the link, logged in and downloaded my score report.

I passed and I got exactly what I prayed for.

Swear Cry GIF from Swear GIFs

My practice tests looked real dim…lol. I feel like the scaling for those NBMEs are out of control. So, about 2 weeks from my exam I just said to myself I wanted a score that would be higher than my STEP 1 score and a score that would still be competitive enough for my top residency programs of interest. As the saying goes, from my mouth to Gods ears…I got it! Ya girl is officially in the running to become a Pediatrician. 👩🏾‍⚕️

It felt a little weird because I got what I prayed for but I knew within myself I could have done better. I was under a lot of stress which stemmed from the leadership positions I took on as a student leader and personal responsibilities as well. I was able to back away, “somewhat” from the personal ones and even turned down lucrative opportunities so that I could maintain my focus, but the other obligations remained. So, I was torn.

Should I just drop all my responsibilities and focus solely on STEP 2 CK or should I maintain somewhat of a balance… realizing that with maintaining both I would not be able to reach my ultimate potential. It was tough but I decided to find a way to balance it all and do both. I literally just gave everything to God because I could not handle the stress of everything at once. (I couldn’t sleep. I tried meditation music, nature sounds and all. I would have to take Benadryl nightly…just to fall asleep.)—Would not suggest doing that!

In the end, everything worked out. My score will get me where I need to be and the work I’ve done will set me apart as an applicant. So now, I’m just chillin. LOL! Well not really…. I’m completing my remaining clerkships for 4^th year which are pass /fail (4 left). I should be able to submit my residency application within the next week from there it’s residency interviews then matching into a pediatric residency program.

I am such an over achiever, so it used to be hard for me to celebrate every success. I would just cross the goal off the list and move on to the next one until I reached the ultimate goal. I’m so much better now….shout out to Dr. VG. Lol.

To Therapy Cheers GIF from Totherapy GIFs

This journey to becoming a doctor has been so long…with so many obstacles I’ve had to overcome. I’ve learned to celebrate every single one of my achievements. It’s helped me create a “success mindset” so I changed my frame of mind to thinking of myself as someone who is successful rather than someone who’s always trying to become successful. So, it’s time to bask in this. I can finally take some time to relax because I made it.

-Future Dr. Jones ❤