We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Dr. Danielle Ward a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Dr. Danielle, appreciate you joining us today. Was there a moment in your career that meaningfully altered your trajectory? If so, we’d love to hear the backstory.
The single most defining moment in my professional career to date was the day I found out I matched into a plastic surgery residency position. It has always been my dream to become a plastic surgeon, but the road has been anything but easy. Initially, getting into medical school was a struggle as it took three separate application cycles over a span of five years before I finally gained an acceptance. Once I was finally in, I thrived as a medical student despite the doubts of many who thought it would be impossible as a non-traditional student and single mother to succeed. Unfortunately, despite my success as a medical student, my future yet again became uncertain when I found out I did not match into residency position. Most people aren’t aware that physicians do not go out and immediately practice upon graduation from medical school. Prior to graduation, we enter into a lottery of sorts known as “the match” where we rank residency programs we interviewed at based on our preferences, and the programs rank their favorite candidates. It then goes through a computer algorithm, and on a single day in March every year, thousands of medical students around the country find out where they will be spending the next three to seven years of their lives. The process can be thought of as similar to the NBA draft, but with medical students. This is often an exciting time, but for some it can be filled with anxiety as there is always the possibility of ending up in a state far away from anyone you know, or in my case, there is the anxiety and grief associated with not matching at all.
When I found out I did not match initially, I was devastated! Not completing any internship/residency training essentially makes a physician’s degree worthless, as it is impossible to receive a medical license without it. Fortunately, I was able to scrabble into a one year traditional rotating internship in general surgery. Over the next year, I worked my butt off and re-entered the match again, but when March came around, I found out yet again that I failed to match. My heart was broken and my dreams felt crushed, but luckily the one year of training I completed was enough for me to obtain my medical license. I obtained my license and was blessed to find work as an urgent care physician.
My work as an urgent care physician was great, but I still felt unfulfilled. I missed being in the operating room and I just couldn’t shake my dream of becoming a plastic surgeon. For two years, every day I stalked websites for open surgery positions and submitted my application to hundreds of programs. I finally decided to re-enter the match, and although I applied to over 350 programs, I only received two interviews. I was beyond blessed and happy to receive any interview at all, and I continued to hold the faith that my dreams were valid. On March 15, 2021, I opened my emails to find that my dreams were in fact valid and that I would be finally starting the path to becoming a plastic surgeon as I finally matched! It was during this moment where I learned that faith and persistence truly pay off.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
At the time of this writing, I am a second year plastic surgery resident physician. As an underrepresented minority in medicine and a former nontraditional student, it has always been important for me to make the road easier for those on the same path. For this reason, I founded the “Aspiring Minority Doctor blog in 2013 where I have documented my journey as a single mother, premedical student, medical student, intern, urgent care physician, and now current resident physician. I am also the author of the book “Atypical Premed: A Non-Traditional Student’s Guide to Applying to Medical School”. I wrote the book to serve as a basic guideline to getting into medical school and to offer encouragement to those who do not believe they have what it takes to become a physician. Additionally, I am a proud osteopathic physician, and I believe it is important for students to know the different routes they can take to becoming a physician. Lastly, public speaking is one of my passions as it allows me to share my story and inspire the masses. I can often be found speaking to college and medical students, and it is something I plan to continue to do.
I am currently evolving my brand as a plastic surgeon, so over the next few years the focus will be largely on my training, but I look forward to continuing my work in the realm of public speaking, writing more books, and mentoring.
Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?
Other than training/knowledge, I believe the ability to pivot, resilience, the desire for perfection, and being an effective leader and communicator (to name a few) are necessary skills for success as a plastic surgeon. Although we are aware that perfect does not exist, as a plastic surgeon striving for the best is a very necessary quality to obtain the best results and care for our patients. Oftentimes, things may not go as planned, so the ability to pivot to achieve a desirable outcomes is a useful tool. Empathy is crucial, as plastic surgeons often work with individuals suffering extreme traumas ranging from everything to burns to cancers. It is important to put yourself in your patients shoes and think of them as if they are your family member. Additionally, the training to becoming a plastic surgeon is also very long (it requires a six year residency, and for some, additional years of fellowship training), so it takes a large amount of resilience to make it to the end of training and succeed in the field. Lastly, plastic surgeons are often innovators and it is very helpful to be an effective leader and communicator so that others will follow suit.
If you could go back in time, do you think you would have chosen a different profession or specialty?
Absolutely not! Despite all the obstacles and the very long journey, I wouldn’t trade my profession for the world. First and foremost, I am a physician and I am completely humbled that people trust me with their lives on a daily basis. It is something I do not take for granted, and it is the most fulfilling aspect of my life. I am also enamored with the field of plastic surgery. It offers great variety, is deeply intertwined with other medical specialties, and it presents a satisfying challenge with, oftentimes, immediate gratification. I love being in the operating room and transforming lives. Plastic surgery truly is my calling, and if I had to go back and do it all over again, I would without a second thought.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.aspiringminoritydoctor.com
- Instagram: @minoritydoctor
- Facebook: facebook.com/minoritydoctor
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-ward-do-ms-b1581b98/
- Twitter: @minoritydoctor
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/@minoritydoctor
- Other: https://amzn.to/3BtpoXv