Omg it's been awhile y'all! But don't worry I am back with two posts this week to make it up to you! One of my favorite Instagrammers agreed to an interview, and I am SO excited to introduce you to the amazing Dr. Eva! I have been admiring her page for years now, and one day got the courage to ask her if she'd let me interview her. And now, here we are! As her bio says, she is your coolest doctor! I hope you enjoy learning about her medical journey as much as I did.
1. Tell me a bit about yourself. What is your professional background? Where did you go to school? What year are you? Where are you from?
I am an Internal Medicine Hospitalist. I did my first 2 years of med school in the UK, then transferred to Ross University for my last 2 years. I did my residency in Internal Medicine in Macon, GA. I am originally from Haiti.
2. Do you have a favorite food? Movie? TV show? Book?
Favorite food: Anything Italian I like! And of course Haitian food.
TV shows: I like reality TV
Book: My favorite books are Becoming by Michelle Obama and the 5am club by Robin Sharma
3. Do you own a pet? If so, how did you care for him/her during school or work?
I have a dog named Ginger and a cat named Zeus. For the most art the cat is very easy. My dog stays outside when I’m working (when it’s not too cold).
4. What hobbies do you like to do outside of work/school?
I love to read! When I have a chance I try to read a book. That helps take my mind off work and helps me relax a bit.
5. Why medicine? Why did you decide to become a physician (vs. other medical professions)?
I always knew I wanted to be a doctor ever since I was a little girl. Both of my parents were doctors (My mother a dermatologist and my father a radiologist). Growing up seeing my parents impact the lives of so many inspired me to be a doctor too.
6. What field of medicine did you choose and why?
I chose Internal Medicine because I wanted to do GI (Gastroenterology). You have to go through Internal Medicine residency in order to get into a GI fellowship. But then life happened, I got married and got pregnant, and I decided to stay in Internal Medicine and do Hospital medicine.
7. Are you in a relationship? If so, how do or did you manage being in school and having a relationship?
I am married but did not get married until my last 6 months of residency. While in residency, I was dating my now husband but was mostly focused on my training.
8. If you could break it up into percentages, how do you spend your day?
In the weeks that I have to work, my day usually starts very early. I wake up at 4:30am and I’m usually at work by 5:30am. I come home by 3-4pm. I spend time with the kids til about 8pm then I try to go to sleep by 10pm.
9. What part of this job do you personally find most satisfying/exciting? Most challenging?
The most challenging is having to give bad news, or not being able to help in any way (due to a terminal diagnosis for example). The most rewarding of course is changing the life of someone either by empowering them or by diagnosing them and helping them heal
10. Is there flexibility as far as work hours?
Because I am a hospitalist (I only work in the hospital setting), and I work full time, there isn’t much flexibility. My schedule is given to me and it’s usually 7ON and 7OFF type schedule.
11. What extracurriculars did you hold in undergrad?
I didn’t have much time for extracurriculars in undergrad. I tried to use my extra time either studying or shadowing/volunteering.
12. How did you find doctors to shadow?
I called around or asked others where they did their shadowing.
13. Any advice on how to dress for shadowing, med school interview, or other professional opportunities?
I wrote a book called “Paging Doctor You” which is a guide for those interested in going into the medical field (specifically medical school). In the book there is a chapter on how to prepare for an interview, how to dress and the DO’s and DONT’s of interviews. (Definitely buying this week!)
14. Throughout this entire process, how did you stay motivated?
Staying motivated has been a challenge. But throughout my journey I tried to stay positive and remember the reason why I started the journey to begin with. I also had many people in my corner that were positive role models and were also inspiring me and pushing me to be the best that I can be.
Thanks, Dr. Eva! Make sure to follow Dr. Eva on Instagram @dr.evab and check out her linktree here.
2020 and 2021 have been tough, but remember ... YOU GOT THIS!