A message from a medical board exam topnotcher
Read this if you're taking the PLE this year!
What percentage would you say that your family won’t be surprised when you drop the news that you topped the board?
I don’t know about you, but when I learned this story from the medical board topnotcher Dr. James Daniel Omalin, it blew my mind.
“My family was ecstatic though!” Well, of course, who wouldn’t?! Seeing your son’s / brother’s name on the list of examinees passing the board exam will make you jump for joy whatever time of the day (or night) it is! What more if that name is on the top 4 spot?
So, what’s next after topping the boards?
To be honest, it varies.
It depends on what your priority is. Specialty training? Start to sustain yourself with your own income? Moving/practicing to another country? Family? Mental health?
For Dr. Omalin, the last option seemed to be his priority. “Nothing in particular [made me decide to take a break after boards]. I just wanted to relax and regain my sanity and yes, I am very happy with that decision.”
I bet any medical student can relate to the ‘to relax and regain my sanity’ part. In fact, mental health problems are prevalent among medical students anywhere in the world.
Even the Council on Medical Education’s 2019 report tells us that medical students, residents, and physicians have a greater incidence of depression and suicide than the general population.
Despite this unfortunate reality, we bring ourselves every day to save lives and help people back to good health. This profession has a strong sense of morality attached to it. And it really does provide immense satisfaction!
If you have taken the path to become a fully-pledged physician, there must be something that has motivated you to pursue medicine. If you ask Dr. Omalin what inspired him to be a doctor, he’ll say “I can’t remember the actual trigger, but I have a few theories.”
“First is that memories of us siblings (we are three) getting checked by our pediatrician regularly (vaccinations, mild sick days, etc.) stuck to me when I was a kid so, of course, I’ve been inclined towards that kind of profession. Getting checked regularly by our ophthalmologist since age 8 also influenced that. It’s more of an exposure theory at this point”, said Dr. Omalin.
He added, “Another theory is that I got praised by my biology teacher a lot back in 2nd-year high school and encouraged me to take up medicine as she saw a lot of potential in me. Lastly, I thought being a doctor was badass and I want to be badass.”
Passing the board exam isn’t the final leg of this career. It opens up a new chapter for you. With a medical degree and a license to practice, there are different opportunities to choose from!
Dr. Omalin has tried moonlighting, board exam review lecturer, and pre-residency trainings. “Unfortunately, I had to rethink my decisions,” he told me when asked about pursuing residency.
“Right now, I terminated almost all of my hospital-related work activities. Residency, well, it can wait. I can’t say for sure what specialty I will take or if I will even specialize at all.”
This is totally understandable if you are feeling the same. In the past, I was also undecided on what to pursue after becoming a licensed physician. I felt like I was thrown out to a new planet after being isolated for five straight years in the world of medicine.
And you may find yourself longing for something you have deprived yourself of during the past years. It could be a hobby you used to do but had no time for during medical school. It could be a passion project that has been on your bucket list. It could be anything!
“I am focusing on my passion as a musician as I feel like there will be no time in the future to indulge myself in activities I truly love,” said Dr. Omalin.
You can find his work here:
And since the October-November 2022 PLE is so close, let’s hear Dr. Omalin’s advice to all the doctors taking the medical board exam very soon:
In the book, The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz, the fourth agreement is my advice to all of you: always do your best. Because when you do your best, you disengage with your inner judgements and regrets, whatever the result may be.
Always be aware of things within our control and things beyond our control. Within our control is preparing and studying well for the boards; beyond our control are the circumstances before and during the examination days as well as the results of the boards. Focus on things within our control.
As the Roman philosopher, Cicero said: “Take the case of one whose task it is to shoot a spear or arrow straight at some target. One’s ultimate aim is to do all in one’s power to shoot straight, and the same applies to our ultimate goal. In this kind of example, it is to shoot straight that one must do all one can; nonetheless, it is to do all one can to accomplish the task that is really the ultimate aim. It is just the same with what we call the supreme good in life. To actually hit the target is, as we say, to be selected but not sought.” (De Finibus, Book III)
Remember your virtues, especially when you’re aiming for the top. Getting to the top requires sacrifice; sometimes, those sacrifices can be extreme. Be mindful of what you will sacrifice and be mindful if getting to the top is within your virtues.
Always ask yourself, will this prize make me a better person and uplift the people around me? If yes, go for it. If you have other virtues, justify them and go for them anyway. Do your best.
