Strength Has No Gender ™: Jack-of-All-Trades Physician Edition

This post has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser, Brawny®. All opinions (and obviously my story) are mine and mine alone. Strength Has No Gender. #CBias #StrengthHasNoGender

Is there someone that you really look up to in your life? What do you think of when you hear the word, “hero?” …How about when you hear SHEro*? :P

*Someone who stands up for her beliefs and for others, who makes it through life’s challenges with resolve and persistence, and can put others’ needs before her own

Tell me about a lady you look up to in your life! #ad @brawny @walmart #StrengthHasNoGender #Cbias

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Strength Has No Gender: The Jack-of-all-Trades Physician Edition

When I was growing up, I actually used to dislike being a girl because I was constantly being told that the things I wanted to do weren’t “ladylike” or that I simply couldn’t do them “because I was a girl.”

Thankfully, I learned to stop listening to that nonsense and changed my mindset to follow my own path and pursue the things that I loved, despite what anyone might tell me. Case in point: I am loving this Brawny® Strength Has No Gender™ campaign because it celebrates strength and resilience–qualities that got me through a whole lot of life’s struggles to bring me to where I am today.

Spring cleaning is about to go underway and let’s just say that with my schedule, I have a hecks of a lot of catching up to do. (…If only life’s messes could be wiped away as easily as with Brawny® Pick-a-Size 8 Giant Plus! :P) My parents are coming to visit for the first time tomorrow(!), so I’ve been trying to get my apartment under control so they won’t think I don’t have my life together.

You can get these exclusively at Walmart! :]

In college, I double-majored in Exercise Biology and Music Performance, held 2-3 part-time jobs, and also took up both Polynesian dancing and powerlifting. The combination of dancing and strength training is what made me realize that femininity and strength didn’t have to be mutually exclusive.

In medical school, I dragged all my hobbies with me, and in the few instances of free time I had from classes and studying, I would volunteer within my community. In addition, I taught weekly dance classes and was also the one my male friends would call first when they needed moving assistance.

While I was participating as a ring girl at a boxing tournament, I came across a pull-up competition and ended up winning the women’s division (and scored a PR of 275 lbs on my deadlift at a powerlifting competition the following week)!

The road to becoming a physician has definitely been a long one–I finished college, an accelerated master’s program, and medical school (or as I like to call it, “graduating 21st grade“). Four degrees later, I started my residency two summers ago and am currently on year 2 of my first-choice Family Medicine program!

I love that the Strength Has No Gender™ campaign is highlighting the stories of everyday women who are breaking down stereotypes and male-dominated fields. Although the field of medicine is starting to change [slowly], it is still very much a male-dominated field and gender discrimination unfortunately still exists.

People often think of all female staff are nurses (or anything other than a doctor) and that all male staff are physicians. When I’m rounding on my patients and I happen to have a male medical or pharmacy student with me, my patients will often assume I’m a nurse or a student of some kind (or a high school student >_>).

Change is happening though–as of 2017, for the first time, there are actually more women than men enrolled in medical schools in the United States!

Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine: my 4th and final degree! <3

One of the pluses to being on my own and super independent for so long is that it’s made me cease to care what others think (e.g. the time I was told I was wasting my purpose as a woman because I don’t plan on having kids). Since I no longer pay attention to what hobbies/interests are “appropriate” for my gender, I’m able to pursue them all and it’s definitely improved my quality of life! :]

With my story, I want to encourage others to go after their dreams and to do what they love. I want them to know to never let someone’s assumptions define them or make them believe that they can’t do something because of what their gender happens to be.

You know I love good deals, so I’m super happy that Brawny® Paper towels offer more sheets than every roll vs. leading national brand comparable roll and sheet size! It’s definitely made for easier cleanup during my meal prep sessions with my friend (a fellow SHEro pursuing her PhD in Microbiology)!

GIRLS INC. PARTNERSHIP MODULE SHEROES OF TOMORROW: Brawny® will donate a $100K and, will also give your SHEro stories to Girls Inc. to inspire girls to be strong, smart, and bold. Let’s shape a better future and prove #StrengthHasNoGender

• Have you ever been told you couldn’t do something because of your gender? How did you respond?
• In honor of Women’s History Month, tell me about someone you know who broke down gender barriers/stereotyping!