I don’t know about you guys, but I’m absolutely SHOOK that it’s been a WHOLE YEAR since I started blogging! I started blogging this time last year when I’d returned to clinical medicine after a year-long stint at business school. As you’re probably used to by now, I wanted to take some time to reflect on what this one-year blogging anniversary means to me. Through this medium, I have learned so much about myself, my followers, and the world around me. Blogging is something that brings me immense joy, and I’m forever grateful for all of you who follow me through this journey!
WHY I STARTED BLOGGING
Last April, the registrar at my medical school basically told me to stop playing games with my graduation requirements. You see, I’d taken a month off of school during my clerkship year, which meant that I missed out on my four-week psychiatry rotation. Psychiatry wasn’t something that I ever saw myself doing, so I was okay with putting off the rotation until as late as possible. However, on my first day back to the hospital, I felt a visceral feeling that something would be different about this rotation compared to all the others I’d done.
As I describe in my first ever blog post, My Journey Back to the Wards, the experiences that I had on my first few days of the rotation were overwhelming in the best possible way. Every day that I got to the hospital I was genuinely excited to talk with my patients to see how they were doing. I enjoyed interacting with the resident and attending on my team. Working with the nurses and psychologists was pure joy. I felt as though my heart and mind were overflowing with thoughts that I needed to process, so I created this blog as a space for just that: I process and reflect on the experiences in my life with the hopes that even one person will benefit in some way from what I have to share.
HOW I’VE GROWN SINCE I STARTED BLOGGING
Man, the growth I’ve experienced in the past year has been so tremendous that it could probably be its own post. However, I’ll share some of the key points here.
I’VE BECOME MORE COMFORTABLE BEING MYSELF
We live in a world where folks often try to present the best version of themselves at all times. With social media as such a central part of our lives, it’s hard not to fall into the trap of doing everything “for the gram.” Through the process of blogging, however, I’ve learned that I feel most comfortable when I share the realities of my life — the good, the bad, the surprising, the disappointing — all of it. Life is complex. MY life is complex. To share anything else would be a lie, which I’m totally not about.
It’s so rewarding to me every time someone reaches out to me to let me know that they relate to something that I’ve shared. Through my openness about the realities of life, I’ve had great conversations with folks of all different walks of life. My vulnerability throughout my blogging experience reminds me of the shared experience of humanity. Regardless of our backgrounds, there’s someone else who’s gone through a similar situation. By being honest about my experience, others have been courageous to open up about theirs. How cool is that!?
MY FAITH HAS GROWN
I wouldn’t say that my faith has grown because of my blog, but my faith has definitely grown in parallel with my journey as a blogger. When I wrote my first post about What Christianity Means to Me, I wrote about how I often felt uncomfortable sharing about my faith. However, over the course of the past year, I’ve found that sharing about the impact of Jesus on my life has become a lot easier and much more natural for me. I still don’t really write many blog posts about Christianity, and I’m not sure if that will change. But sharing openly about my faith is no longer weird to me, and I definitely think that blogging has been a catalyst for that.
I BETTER UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT I WANT TO HAVE IN THE WORLD
Y’all! When I started this blog, I thought I was going to be a consultant! I had no intensions of going to residency because there wasn’t anything I liked enough to “suffer through residency for.” (I literally said this phrase many times when people asked why I didn’t want to do residency).
BUT GOD.
I really like to emphasize the role God played in my change of heart, because honestly if it were up to me, ya girl would be headed to somebody’s management consulting company in a few months. Though I genuinely think that consulting can be a great way to make an impact in the world, God helped me to see that He had a different plan for me. I really love one-on-one human interactions, and psychiatry is basically a way for me to get paid to do something I’d gladly do for free. THAT’S how I know I’ve found my passion.
TOPICS I’VE COVERED DURING MY YEAR AS A BLOGGER
If you had to guess how many blog posts I’ve written in past this year, how many would you think? 30? 40? 50?
Well, I went back to the archives, and it turns out that I’ve written 61 blog posts in my first year of blogging! That’s kind of wild when I think about it, especially considering how much work goes into editing content and photos, formatting pages, and finessing SEO. Thankfully, I truly love every part of the process, so it hasn’t felt like work in the least. Over the course of the year, I’ve touched on a variety of topics ranging from MD/MBA and premed advice to Psychiatry in 60 Seconds short videos to reflections on faith and life.
Below I’ve listed links to some of my posts, by major categories, to help you catch up on what you might have missed!
MEDICINE
MEDICAL SCHOOL
I Matched into a Psychiatry Residency Program!
My Psychiatry Sub Internship Midpoint Reflections
Recap of SNMA AMEC 2019: Mecca of Black Excellence in Medicine
RESIDENCY PREP
Tips to Make the Residency Interview Trail A Fun Process
Tips for Managing Pre-Match Day Anxiety – A Letter to My Fellow Residency Applicants
MENTAL HEALTH
Is My Life Over if I’ve Been Diagnosed with a Mental Illness? Psychiatry in 60 Seconds
Psychiatry in 60 seconds: What to expect at your first psychiatry appointment
Risk Factors Associated with Mental Illness – Psychiatry in 60 Seconds
PREMED CORNER
Premed Corner: Unfiltered Premed Advice from a Soon-to-be Doc
Why You Don’t Need to be a “Premed Major” to Go to Medical School
MD/MBA
What is Consulting: The MD Perspective
MD/MBA Chat: 8 Reasons to Get an MD/MBA
My Last Semester of School…EVER!
FAITH
Remembering the Importance of Bible Study and Community with Other Christians
LIFE
REFLECTIONS
Physicians for a National Health Program: Reflections on the 2018 Annual Meeting
Thanksgiving Reflections: Season of Gratitude
SELF HELP
Be Happy on Purpose: The Secret to Living Your Best Life
Overcoming Imposter Syndrome in Professional Settings
Revamp Your New Year’s Resolution Strategy to Finally Meet Your Goals
WHY I’M EXCITED TO CONTINUE BLOGGING
With all that I’ve achieved in the past year with my blog, I still feel as though I’m at the onset of an amazing journey. I’ve started to find my voice as a soon-to-be psychiatrist who also enjoys the business side of medicine. But at the same time, I’m still Atasha, the young woman who loves to travel and do lots of varied side projects.
Moving forward, my blog will continue to document my journey. However, instead of following the #JourneyTODrJordan, you’ll have the chance to follow the #JourneyWITHDrJordan – the #DualDegreeDoc.
So, will I become more of a niche blogger over time? Maybe. Maybe not! What I care more about is that I continue to use my blog to authentically share about my experiences as a Christian, a soon-to-be psychiatrist, a sister, a friend, a colleague – a woman aiming to make the world a better place, one day at a time.
Thank you so much for joining me on my journey this past year! Let me know in the comments below which posts you’ve enjoyed the most and what you hope to see more of moving forward!
Peace and blessings,
Atasha Jordan, MD (to be)
Photo credit: Krystal Hill
