First time for everything!
Hey everyone!!! Misty Baker here! Well....this is my first blog....EVER!!!
I want to discuss challenges and overcoming challenges!
I am a podiatric physician and have been for over a decade! I am happily married and have three children! The medical field is quite challenging. First, you have undergraduate schooling of which you are stressed the whole time worried about getting the grades and having the qualifications to be accepted to medical school.
Then...you are accepted to medical school!!! Woohoooo! (Or so you think!) You sacrifice family, fun, and just plain life in order to succeed (or even just pass) the intensive curriculum all the while worried about getting into that perfect residency!!!
Somehow, you survive and obtain that dream residency!!! Whew....residency....need I say more? Kind of like medical school only amplified by about 1000%!!!! I don't even need to discuss any other part of life here as you don't have one!!!
The last year of residency is exponentially stressful (as if it could've gotten any worse)! You must also begin the job search...YES...JOB!!! What's that? You don't know...you've had your head buried in books, research, and attending physicians for over half of your life!!!
Finally, you get to work....for real money....or so you thought!!! My generation entered into the time period of actually practicing medicine for a career when health care reform was surfacing!!! So I thought life would begin here? NOPE!!!! More learning!!! Now, you must not only see patients but incorporate coding, billing, charting, governmental requirements.
What I found after 10 years of finally getting to "practice medicine" on my own was that for me....it just was not worth it. The government is constantly breathing down your neck and performing tortuous audits and not paying claims on time all the while you have to pay your bills (including $250,000 for med school) and staff!
You know what I did? I retired!!!! Don't get me wrong! I love, love, love the patient aspect of practicing medicine AND I love, love, love helping people!!! BUT....is it worth my family sacrificing due to my absence and stress load for a teeny, tiny compensation? Not to me!!!
I am now doing what I absolutely love!!! Staying home!!! I am a taxi, doctor, tutor, cheerleader, mentor, and MOM to my three beautiful kiddos (and now one grandchild)!!!
I am also attempting to build a website utilizing wealthy affiliates to incorporate my years of schooling and practice to help others from a different aspect!!
I have finally re-claimed my life!!! You can too!!! I am here if you need motivation or any advice that I can give! Join me! WE can make this happen!!!
Recent Comments
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Dr Misty - great first blog to lay it all out. I admire your dedication to attaining a profession and also to your family. By putting your tenacity to work here I am sure you will leave a legacy for your loved ones. I look forward to seeing your future activity. On a lighter note, I would never use you in your specialty, but could use your ideas on scrapes, bruises and assorted owies. Larry