TTT #18: "The Journey of a Medic" with Dr. Patrice Baptiste

The Tomato Timer May 4, 2020

Medicine can be a tiring journey: a process of five years or more depending on the course you choose.  It includes a string of exams that do not appear to end and an amount of information that seems too vast to absorb. And keeping oneself motivated throughout as you follow it up with again with arduous inputs does speak a lot about one's commitment to their goals.

Dr. Patrice Baptiste is a practicing doctor, entrepreneur, educator, and writer. Managing it all, though challenging when she practiced full time, was achievable, owing to her drive to pursue her interests. To be actively engaged amidst the strenuous route of medicine involves a similar pattern: the inclination towards the field and the ability to remain perseverant with the goal in mind.

If it wasn’t for my own passion, I don’t think I would have got past even the first month of medical school.

She talks about the limitations in her school environment that made it difficult to access her way through such a competitive course. However, she is also grateful for her privileges and the support system she found in her parents.

Dr. Baptiste took note of the lack of adequate resources to guide aspirants forward. To tackle this, she founded an organization to help students have successful medical school applications and be informed about the overview of life as a doctor.

Personally, she remained unaffected by the covert prejudice she was subjected to, a part of which could be due to her experiences in high school. The world is marred by classism, racism, patriarchy, etc. among other social evils. And unfortunately, struggles tend to be unequal for people based on their financial status and ethnicities. But holding on to the zeal and passion for success and owning up to the position you find yourself in, Dr. Patrice believes to be the way to overcome this.

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Ritika Singhal

Along with Zubair Junjunia

Senior year student passionate about social justice and inclusive reform | she/her