06/11/2026
1. Ego catches up with everyone.
I trained across multiple major academic hospitals, and one thing became clear: there is always someone brilliant in another operating room, another hospital, another city.
The best surgeons I watched stayed excellent without needing to be the only excellent person in the room.
2. Kind communication is a safety issue.
In some of the most prestigious hospitals, I saw rooms where people seemed more invested in being correct than being useful.
That creates fear.
And when people are afraid to speak up, patients are not safer.
3. Confidence means being willing to clarify.
The best mentors and trainees were not afraid to say, “I do not understand.”
That takes real confidence.
4. Efficiency is not about moving fast.
The best surgeons know where time matters.
Move efficiently through what is routine so you can slow down for what is critical.
5. Your life partner matters more than almost any professional decision.
Ambition is not hard to find.
A partner who wants your dreams for you — and is willing to adjust their own life, schedule, geography, and expectations to support them — is rare.
My husband could have chosen an easier path. Instead, he chose me, our family, and the chaos that came with building two careers.
6. Being particular is not the same as being difficult.
The best surgeons say what they mean and mean what they say.
As a woman, I have had to learn that clarity does not require over-softening.
Confidence in this has been liberating.
What are you still working on?
