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GENERATIONAL
PERSPECTIVES

Following a time-honored tradition to

wear the white coat

By Heidi Held McDonald

My grandfather is a retired neurosurgeon. later, my mom’s graduating class from the University of Texas Medical
My mother is a practicing ophthalmologist. School at San Antonio, included over twenty percent women, and she
My sister is a dermatology resident. I am a was considered bold to pursue a surgical specialty. In recent years, my
fourth year medical student. Each one of us sister and I experienced a new era in medical training. Women com-
is traversing a different phase of the extraor- prise approximately half of our medical school classes and are going
dinary journey through a physician’s life: stu- into any and all specialties, notes are keyed into computers, and our e-
dent, resident, practicing, retired. Each of us text books and iPhones overflow with breakthrough treatment options.
appreciates, respects, and is devoted to our patients, colleagues and Our generation faces new challenges, however, including the enormous
profession. Each is humbled by the great privilege of working in emphasis on national board exams, and a constant tug in two directions
service of others, especially in their times of greatest need. Each one — at one end of the exam room we find our patient, and at the other,
of us offers unique perspective and wisdom about our profession. we are tasked with the tedious and time consuming aspects of electronic
When my grandfather graduated from Vanderbilt Medical School medical record documentation.
in 1955, there were only two women in his class, patient notes were
penned on paper, and the first brain had yet to be scanned. Thirty years In light of my family’s time-honored tradition, highlighted by
professional fulfillment and exponential medical progress, I was

20 San Antonio Medicine • May 2017