“That Ryan Fightmaster, he’s such a nice kid.” “That Dr. Fightmaster, he’s just so nice.” I built my life upon these comments. I sung a tune targeting those praises. Being the nice guy was my compass, goalpost, and doctrine, until it almost cost me... me. Second year of medical school, I ran into a friend … Continue reading The Vice and Virtue of Being the Nice Guy
Santa Barbara’s southern orientation and point breaks offer a surfing delight: no current. Currents were a part of the game in Orange County. I’d paddle out close to where the wave broke, bookmark my place on the horizon with two landscape beacons, and fight the current treadmill back to my spot for the hour-long session. … Continue reading The Gift of Quitting Medicine (I Got My Life Back)
The true litmus distinguishing burnout and the wrong path is… I don’t know. You just feel it. I knew I was on the wrong path but had to try every source of power located externally before realizing I was the charge. Other people’s assessments wouldn’t do it anymore. Accolades stopped doing the trick too.
I resigned Thursday September 22nd, 2022. After a ten-minute walk to the post office, I dropped the envelope in the metal box and meandered home, wondering, Did I really just do that? The response from within was immediate: I did and it was time.
It was the spring semester. Being first year, medical school had novelty, excitement; eyes twinkled in the hallways. We were all figuring this out, and closing in on one year in the books. “No small feat”, we thought to ourselves, almost a quarter done (no one thought about residency yet). A lax first year curriculum … Continue reading The 3 Reasons People Go to Medical School… And My Reason
A passing score occurs when you get excited talking about what you do and they ask a follow-up question. A passing score is dynamic and connecting. After sharing, you’re ready to hear what they do.
This is where I found myself, back in the fall of 2021. Not seeking ways to improve my situation. Interested mostly in ways to change the past and ways to numb the present. But I was growing tired of the paralysis. Something had to be done.
During a really challenging year, I read this book almost every day. As I churned my way out of life as a practicing physician, ultimately choosing to pursue my calling, I needed every single page of this book. The format—a 356 day meditation on Stoic philosophy from Marcus Aurelious, Musonious Rufus, or Epictetus—is the big … Continue reading Book Trail: Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday
The demons were after me hard this week. When I say demons, I mean doubt and resistance . All from within. Perhaps inspired by a sobering after-holidays clarity or the inevitable emotional crash from the launch of this venture, they were there, and I thought a lot about why I am doing this. This headspace prompted … Continue reading Newsletter #4: Days of Doubt
Competition is critical; not for the ego-notched victories but for the learning opportunities. The insights made available through sport are not as clear in our day-to-day, but once we’ve felt it in competition, we get to take it back to the day-to-day.
