Dr. Mandal

It’s undeniable. The more degrees you have, the more people you have to thank along the way. Without saying, my family, my friends and colleagues have all supported me all along. Even now I wouldn’t be able to do what I do without them. So before anyone feels left out that I’m not acknowledging them, I definitely am. You know who you are.

That being said, I have two poignant memories of two different men who inspired me to continue on the long road. The first was my math teacher, Mr. Marron, in the eighth grade. The second was John when I was a first year medical student. When I graduated from medical school in 1997, one of the first things I did was write a letter to Mr. Marron. I wrote how he inspired me to become a more diligent student, his belief that I would go on to become a physician never left me. Without going into the negative moments, there were times when teachers and classmates would laugh when I would tell them I was going to be a physician. Why? I really don’t know. I’ve always been a good student. Perhaps they felt uncomfortable with my academic clairvoyancy. Mr. Marron never did.

John, my best friend, was someone I knew since college. He was a year ahead of me in medical school. When I first started med school I felt entirely overwhelmed. I couldn’t imagine how I was going to memorize enormous amounts of information and then spit it out. One day John and I were hanging out in my room. I was staring out into space, not saying much. He just knew what I was thinking and said, “I know you. You can do it.” I still remember those words when I’m feeling overwhelmed or doubting myself.

I haven’t seen either Mr. Marron or John for a long time. I hope they know how much they gave me.