Hi, all. I am very excited to have won the Listserv. I never imagined it would happen, but now I would like to share whatever knowledge I can.
I will share with you all what I have been struggling with recently. I am a 28 year old working as a physician assistant in primary care. I have been working as a PA for 3 years, but I am starting to question why I chose medicine. When I had to choose a major in high school, I chose biology and pre-med because I wanted to help people. I feel that I do like helping others, but I feel like I will never be good enough and I don’t enjoy the challenge of diagnosing patients. I feel like I just never discovered my natural talents and what I am truly passionate about and would enjoy doing every day. I am still debating whether to find a job in medicine or science that is non-clinical or maybe try to work for a non-profit in some capacity.
My advice to anyone in high school, college or recent graduates would be to consider your options for different careers. If you have the time and can afford to, do internships or shadow and interview people working in different fields to feel confident that you are making the right decision. I still have plenty of time to figure things out myself, but it is much easier when you are younger before you have to worry about having gaps in your resume.
My therapist says that what people should be aiming for in life is contentment, not happiness because happiness is fleeting. I do believe he is right and I am still trying to find that. A good way to understand it better, I think, is that the grass is always greener on the other side, but to feel happy or content, you have to be okay with that. And try not to compare yourself to others; I can’t tell you how to do this because I struggle with this myself, but I know it is important.
I live in CT and I recommend coming to visit. There is a lot of history here; we also have beaches and mountains, as well as some of the best seafood and pizza in the country.Sometimes I wish I could live somewhere it is warm all year round, but I do love the seasons here. I don’t know what I would do without New England foliage in the fall and occasional snow days in the winter.
Books I Recommend
- Turtles all the Way Down by John Green
- Learning Not to Drown by Anna Shinoda
- The Road Less Traveled: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values, and Spiritual Growth by M. Scott Peck
- Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff (and it’s all Small Stuff) by Richard Carlson
If you are struggling any way in life, including with a mental illness, don't feel like a burden to the ones who love you; please seek help. If you would like to talk further about mental illness or other topics, please email me.
Also, if anyone has any stories about their own career change or advice for what I should do, please free to email me. Let me know if you know of any cool opportunities in the tristate area. I am open to any and all input and it would be greatly appreciated.
I wish peace, happiness and success to all of you.
Stephanie D.
CT, USA
[email protected]