“You have to have a test to have a testimony” Reverend Al Sharpton
Quotes really resonate with me, as evidenced in a previous post, regading a quote from Tagore, which inspired me to be true to myself and clarify my dreams.
I have a notebook full of post it notes with different quotes written on them. I used to have those post-its taped up around my workstation. When I left the job, I collected my notes in the notebook.
I would write this Sharpton quote out on post-its and share it with patients who were going through tough times.
For those who don’t know my background, I was a Primary Care Physician with a diverse set of working locations. I studied medicine in Havana, Cuba. That story, and the storms and tests I survived will come in a future post. The main point for this narrative was that I was able to get a low cost medical education in return for practicing medicine in the underserved areas here in the US.
I worked in the South Bronx and Harlem during my Internal Medicine residency. I finished residency eleven years ago and stayed on as an Attending Phyisican in Harlem Hospital. I walked away from that job when I no longer found it fulfilling to work in that setting.
I was blessed to work in the private setting, supplementing the income working in a Nursing Home. This stint in medicine did not last very long. I was able to get a new job quickly, and this time working with the homeless population in New York City with Care for the Homeless. The work was rewarding and I felt like I was fulfilling the oath from Cuba.
I left Care for the Homeless to work for for Project Renewal. I was still doing primary care for the homeless population. It was a lot more hands on, different locations,including Men’s shelter, Mobile clinics and house calls.
I ended up being asked to leave when I would not freely walk around the Men’s Shelter. I felt it was a matter of safety. I stood on my principles was was let go. It was a tough time and I had to apply for unemployment. It took five months to find another job. I decided to go in another direction, that ended up being a fruitful move.
I made the transition to traditional Primary Care, working in a multi-specialty group. I wore myself thin, initially working out of three offices, until I settled on two offices. It was a great three years, especially through the pandemic. I built up a patient panel that would follow me loyally for the last five years of my career in medicine.
Throwing myself into my work, has lead to be very unhappy. Causing crises in my marriage, with my daughters and leading to another instance of being let go from an organization. Back on 2024, I came up with the notion to start this blog.
As I explained, I threw myself into my work again, only to be in a situation where I currently find myself, applying for unemployment, focusing on my daughters and their well being, trying to understand and fix my marriage.
The current tests feel formidable right now. There are days I don’t know whether I will make it through. I have been through many storms, knowing that this is another pivot inmy life. I’m trying to not give up, resting strong on my faith, staying prayerful.
I know that there will be more to my testimony. I just need to not lose myself and stay encouraged!