Sometimes in life you meet people who seem to have a limitless supply of grit or fight in them. You see their struggles and disappointments and wonder how they have the drive to keep going. Especially when they are pursuing a career in medicine.
For me, I always use Quanecia’s story as an example of what that looks like. She is currently in her last year of residency in a community hospital. During the COVID pandemic, she and her coresidents have had the duty of not only learning their craft, but also being the first line of defense against COVID-19.
Story: The Journey to a Career in Medicine
Ryce: What made you pursue want to pursue a career in medicine, specifically a doctor?
Quanecia: Let me start by saying that I feel like a lot of things happened to get me here. There were several obstacles that happened to ultimately get me on the path I’m on now. Each one of the setbacks primed me for the career in medicine that I’m currently experiencing and I cannot discount that.
We can start my story at Auburn (obviously this is the best university ever). While I was at Auburn, I had no clue how to really study. It wasn’t a skill that I developed in high school and couldn’t figure out during my undergraduate career.
I realized I wanted to be a doctor when I was a senior in high school because I was diagnosed with scoliosis and would go to the doctor all of the time. So with the frequent visits, I realized that I wanted to pursue this career. I initially thought I wanted to be a radiologist. I loved being in the hospital and just going for some odd reason.
Ryce: That’s a first. I’ve never heard that before.
Quanecia: I guess that’s why I’m a doctor. We are all a little weird. On top of that, my mom was a nurse and would always bring home Band-Aids and syringes that I would be excited to play with.
The Pre Med Story
So knowing this, I decided to go to Auburn and pursue a degree with a pre-med track. I had a lot fun at Auburn (and my GPA reflected it). The thing is I didn’t want to give up. There were so many people that started with me that wanted to be pre-med but gave up. You had to have a love for science to keep pursing it.
I kept pursuing the degree and the MCAT. I had no clue how to really study after high school and three years of college, but I was determined to have a career in medicine. My MCAT score wasn’t the best to say the least.
I went to my advisors for guidance and informed me that my scores weren’t good enough and gave me statistics that didn’t apply to me.
Ryce: What do mean by that?
Quanecia: Minorities (African Americans specifically) and women are not well represented in the medical field. So when you look at the scores of MCAT and the grades of African American applicants as whole, they are slightly lower than those of other applicants. But even with the lower admission standard, there is no leniency on grades in med school. You still have to perform.
Second Degree: Masters in Public Health
Ryce: So did the information you were given change how you viewed your ability to pursue medical school?
Quanecia: Absolutely! Given the information the advisor shared (which were largely statistics based on my white male counterparts), I felt like I wasn’t qualified to apply at to med school then. I knew I was going to get cut off by my parents and needed to do something, but I didn’t feel like med school was it based on the “guidance” I was given from the advisor.
I started looking for alternative careers in medicine, but the job outlook wasn’t great with just a general biology degree. So, I thought I should pursue a master’s degree to improve my application or set me up for a good job. I applied to a mix of biology master’s programs, post baccalaureate (post bac) programs and the public health master’s at Meharry.
I was accepted to the post bac program and was ready to move, but got into an accident that derailed that plan. This left me in a depressive state for about two weeks.
It was during this time that I found out that I was accepted to the program at Meharry. Initially, my parents weren’t on board with this move, but I was adamant about it and went. It ended up being one of the best things that happened to me.
It allowed me to learn more about different cultures and experience support and encouragement of the professors that didn’t judge you based on race. I really value having both the HBCU (Historically Black College/University) experience and the Auburn experience.
The HBCU Experience
Ryce: I can totally agree with that. Having gone to a HBCU for pharmacy school, I know first hand how valuable it is to learn the material, but also apply that knowledge to minority populations. Those things proved to be valuable on rotations and in residency when I served patients of color.
Quanecia: Yes! My professors prepared and uplifted me and I loved that experience! It was like a bubble and it encouraged me so much. I appreciate what I learned at both, but I think it was necessary to experience both. I needed the community around me that had like goals. It made pursuing my goals easier.
Ryce: I agree. You need that reality check at some point so that you have a glimpse of the world before you’re in it (at work). You can get out into the world and really not have any concept of how you are perceived because you look different.
Quanecia: Exactly.
Obstacles: A career in medicine is not always linear
Ryce: So what were some other things you had to overcome?
Quanecia: Even beyond getting the score I wanted, the process of applying to medical school came with it’s own set of challenges. There was so much waiting! You apply. Wait for secondaries (essays). Then you wait for the results and then you have to pay. We spent so much money just to apply. After all of that came a wave of denials. “Sorry to inform you.” “We regret to inform you.” I even got one from Meharry.
That had me down for a while, but I had support and it helped me to navigate that season.
Even with my support group and all of the studying, I took the MCAT again and scored lower. I even had a dream out this happening and it really did. So, of course, I had to deal with the defeat again. I had really bad test anxiety and had to address that. I took it again and doubled my score.
Ryce: Yassss!
Interviewing for Medical School
Quanecia: My scores came up so many times during interviews and I had to tell them that I literally did the same thing I had been doing and just needed to adjust my confidence.
Ryce: It’s so easy for people to see the end product and think whatever they want. The truth is that we all have to gas ourselves at times to get the results we want. It’s not a straight forward process at all.
Confidence and believing in ourselves is one of the biggest things we have to overcome. A lot of our disappointments and shortcomings are because of a lack of self-belief. We get caught up in “why isn’t this happening?” that we forget that we have a God that’s all-powerful that’s standing beside us.
Quanecia: That’s it. After my new scores, I started getting interviews at osteopathic schools and then the waiting game started again. I got waitlisted and just thought it wasn’t my time. Well after the time of acceptances, I got a call that I had been accepted and I was excited to say the least.
Ryce: Sometimes you wait for things and you think it’s not your time or that you are behind. But when God has a seat for you, it may not feel like it, but it’s always there waiting for you.
Getting In
Quanecia: Exactly! I finally got into my medical school and had to weigh the pros and cons of going to a newly established school, but I was in! I interviewed in March, but the acceptance didn’t come until June. So I was on my way. I had no clue what was waiting for me after acceptance.
Ryce: So you mean that after you got in, you had challenges still? I thought you got in and that was the end of the struggles.
Quanecia: Ha! Yeah right? I really had to figure out if the school I was accepted to was the right fit for me. I was considering deferring and waiting on other schools acceptance letters. Sounds crazy right? But I was really unsure. After talking to my parents, I decided to just go for it.
Ryce: Wow!
Medical School
Quanecia: I can honestly say that it was a decision I wonder about a lot. A word of caution: be careful with newly established schools. They are working out the kinks on you. You are the guinea pig. I can remember that I failed my first exam in medical school and was so hurt.
People told me that you will fail in medical school, but it’s ok and you’ll get through it. At a newly established school, I was made to feel like I was a failure. I had to learn what I did wrong on my own. Since there was no blueprint, they really couldn’t offer support.
Ryce: The first year is always hard. I couldn’t imagine going through professional school without a support system from the school. How did you get past that?
Quanecia: There was a group of us that had to figure out on our own. We formed a group and just figured it out in a way that get us through the program.
If you are considering a new program, be sure to ask how many physicians are going to be involved in developing the curriculum and guiding instruction. This is huge when it comes to a career in medicine. Medical school is tough, but it needs to be tough with a purpose.
Medical School Round 2
I ended up having to go through remediation because the school changed the grading scale at the end of the second semester. During remediation, the professor quit. We were all sitting ducks. I had to reteach myself information because there was no path set up. After everything was done, I ended up having to repeat the year.
Imagine my frustration having to start over and go through the growing pains again. However, I learned how to teach myself and extract what was important for medical practice. That wasn’t even the end of it. I made an 85 in a course, but got a letter that I failed the course because I missed online assignments. To say that I was frustrated was an understatement.
Action: A career in medicine is possible if you work for it
Ryce: Sheesh! How did you navigate the rest of the program?
Quanecia: During my second year, I decided that I had to just be on top of everything and assume that nothing was safe. I double-checked everything and made sure I was clear on everything so that I wouldn’t be hit with the okie doke again. When it came time to take the first set of boards we didn’t get much time to study for them. So, I didn’t pass them. I knew I wasn’t ready, but that fell on deaf ears.
So I got yet another “remediation course” that was supposed to help. But this time I was ready to go above and beyond and teach myself and find resources with a track record of being effective in helping pass the board. The people that didn’t do this, failed again, but I passed.
My third year was my best year. I went to Panama City and was with a group of physicians who knew that I hadn’t passed the first board the first time. Those physicians set me up with a pharmacist so that I could get a better understanding of pharmacology because my foundation was weak. Even with all of the support and confidence I gained there, I was still beating myself up about past failures and ended up failing the next board.
Road to Residency
One of the biggest misconceptions about a career in medicine is that you only need to graduate medical school. No. You need to be able to match for a residency. That dictates your career in medicine. Every time I failed a board exam, it hurt my chances of matching and that weighed on me heavily.
Ryce: I think at this point, most people would have abandoned ship. What things did you learn during this part of the journey?
Quanecia: During this encounter with failure, I found out who my friends were and who they weren’t. I had to take a step back and work on me. I watched other people go off and start rotations and start playing the game of “pick me” while I had to get over this hurdle. Again, I had to sit in front of the school committee and explain how I was going to get out of this. At this point, I knew the drill and had made up my mind that they wouldn’t intimidate me and I was going to do it again.
Taking a Pause
I did decide that I wasn’t going to go to my first rotation and let the coordinator and director know that I wasn’t coming because I needed to get myself together. My program understood, but people from my school didn’t. I am so grateful for the one physician on the committee who redirected the meeting to ask how I was preparing.
After that meeting, I failed again. I begged my mom to get me into an extremely expensive program to help me to prepare myself. At this point my school was useless because they didn’t know what resources to offer. (did I mention you should truly vet new schools?)
Later on the course I used became the standard at my school. The classes after me have been using that course ever since. It’s actually embedded in their tuition.
Ryce: Thank God you went through the hard stuff so the school could support future students. Everything you experienced wasn’t for nothing. There are people thriving now because you failed first. I know it doesn’t seem great, but I’m sure there are people now who are glad you took those Ls to help them.
Quanecia: There were other factors, but I’m sure my situation didn’t hurt the cause. I needed the course for confidence really. As I was going through it, I realized that I knew way more than I thought I did. I was second-guessing myself again. It was worth it though because I took the exam and trusted what I knew.
Finding the Right Match
Ryce: Sometimes we need that reassurance and that’s ok. How did that affect your ability to find programs for residency?
Quanecia: During the time that I was preparing to take the board again, I started doing clinical rotations and felt behind b
ecause other people had begun the process of interviewing and figuring out their careers in medicine (residency). I was able to get a few interviews because I had rotated at some places, but you need scores to get interviews most places and I didn’t have them until late.
Purpose & Plans: A career in medicine is attainable
Ryce: So how did you navigate that and land the residency that you have now?
Quanecia: Your rotations matter. You never know who’s watching and what they see in you. I was determined to go to Tampa for Pediatrics. I also knew that I needed to cast a broad net, so I applied everywhere (Hawaii, DC, you name it). Between the second and third attempt on the boards, I found out that I failed before I ranked the programs. I told my program and they said they wanted me anyway.
Ryce: That’s favor!
Quanecia: But I didn’t rank them!
Ryce: What?!?!
Quanecia: I listened to my school. I still don’t know why I did that because they hadn’t been helpful the entire time. Honestly, it was all God.
The Right Place is Waiting
Ryce: You can’t mess up anything if it’s your purpose no matter how hard you try.
Quanecia: Exactly! One of my mentors told me later that he had never seen anyone match without their score. He literally said “That doesn’t happen.” Obviously, I passed after that, but it was truly a God thing because it wasn’t supposed to happen.
Ryce: Talk about a seat being prepared for you!
Quanecia: Yes!! I mean after I matched, I really felt the pressure because they were waiting on me. Not mention that there were other people in my position who didn’t even get the opportunity to scramble. So it just made it even more real that it was meant for me to be here.
Ryce: Just … wow!
Trust the Process
Quanecia: Lets talk about how things work out the way they are supposed to. When I was initially looking for locations, I was set on Chicago because I was dating someone there. We didn’t end up together and I would have been there because of someone that wasn’t in my life.
I wanted to be in Florida, so I’m glad that didn’t work out. I’m in a great location and with a great team, so I’m happy to be here.
Residency is the complete opposite of school. I have a license and I am not dealing with theoretical situations. These are real lives! The best part about my program is that I have an ethnically diverse team similar to what I had during my Master’s program. I get to learn and practice in an environment where my race doesn’t dictate how I am taught or evaluated. It’s a beautiful thing.
Quanecia: It’s not to say that I don’t have challenges or that I don’t have do deal with the inner workings of a hospital, but I don’t have the pressure of being the voice of black people while doing it all (like some of my peers do).
The Journey is Worth It
Ryce: What pushed you to keep going even though you failed so many times?
Quanecia: One thing was my fear of failing completely. I didn’t want to come so far and be so close and just give up. I had a lot of people and classmates and friends who encouraged me that God did not bring you all this way to leave you. He wouldn’t allow these things to happen if you didn’t need them to get through your journey.
I had to repeat a whole year of medical school. It was humiliating and having to see my class go on without me. But I knew that if I finished, it wouldn’t matter in the end.
Ryce: I know that feeling all too well. I was excited for my friends at Auburn’s pharmacy school, but I was hurting knowing that that could have been me too.
Quanecia: Yeah. My friends encouraged me, but they aren’t in it with you. You know? I did appreciate them though because they did what they could to support and help me throughout school.
Also, my second class worked as a unit. When someone made study guides or had resources, they shared so we could all win, which is atypical in medical school.
Advice to Future Physicians
Ryce: What advice would you give to someone pursing a career in medicine?
Quanecia: You have to prepare to find things that motivate you. When I started, the idea of helping people and having an impact on the community was my main motivation. That lasted for one month. The fear of failure pushed me more than anything. Even with anxiety, I had to figure out how to overcome it and do it anyway. It wasn’t the healthiest, but it’s my reality.
Ryce: Something bigger than money has to motivate you too.
Quanecia: Oh yeah. You can see the earnings and get excited, but if you aren’t prepared financially, you have to pay back everything that you borrowed. Doctors aren’t just rolling in money. It will take a lot of hard work to pay off your debt. You have to be smart about your finances. LISTEN TO ME: BE SMART ABOUT YOUR LOANS!
How to Face Discouragement during a Career in Medicine
Ryce: I know what you mean! I needed this advice before. Now I’m trying to get that part of my life together. What would you tell the person who is facing discouragement while pursuing a career in medicine?
Quanecia: For undergraduates, I would say to take advice lightly. I had an advisor who said that I wouldn’t get into the Meharry Master’s program and was wrong. So, do it anyway.
For anyone trying to pursue a career in medicine or medical school, you have a desire. That desire is in you for a reason. It doesn’t matter what people say, God won’t put a burning desire in you to pursue a career in medicine (or anything else) for you to allow other people to talk you out of it.
Even if your desire is to be a singer (and you can sing), don’t let other people tell you that’s not your purpose. Find a way. Find another path.
The decision to do my Master’s had people asking why I was doing it because the plan was medical school. They didn’t understand that was me taking another path when plan A didn’t work out.
Your Career in Medicine is for YOU
Ryce: God gave the vision to you. He didn’t give it to other people, so when you are looking for guidance, people can offer their opinions, but ultimately God will direct you.
Quanecia: That’s the main thing that pushed me. I kept thinking that there has to be another way for me to do this. It’s still crazy to me that I’m a doctor.
Ryce: Agreed. Like, we really did it!
Quanecia: We did. We earned it.
Ryce: So what’s next?
Quanecia: I’m not sure. I love Florida and I still have to finish residency. Who knows? I’m hoping that God blesses me with a great significant other and we can figure that out together because I’ll be able to go anywhere.
I do know that wherever I go, I want to do full scope family medicine: from newborns to geriatrics. The beauty is that there are opportunities for me everywhere.
Ryce: I’m so proud of you and know that whoever gets you on their team will have a gem. You will have so much to inspire people with! I can’t wait to see what happens next!
Check out more success stories in the Assess Success Section!
Be sure to connect with Dr. Beasley on Instagram! She has such a cute feed and you get the behind the scenes of a family medicine physician.
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