Saying Thank You

Such a simple phrase, yet it’s presence and absence can carry so much weight.

Saying “thank you” can offer benefits to you and the receiving party. This sign of gratitude has been shown to make us happier, improve motivation and productivity, strengthen relationships, and cultivate a positive environment. The other day, my wife received a thank you card from our 4-year-old neighbor and it melted her heart. That card meant the world to her and brightened up her day and soon after, this mood transferred to me. I returned home from a stressful day at work to see this hand drawn message on the refrigerator and a sense of joy overtook me. It just makes you feel good. I was thinking more on this matter and wanted to share (or remind) you how important gratitude can be to the premed student. Here are 5 people I’d like to remind you to thank.

1. Your Teacher

I look forward to reading the Premed of the Week spotlight every Monday. Ya’ll are awesome! One thing that touches me every time is the question about your favorite teacher and how they have impacted you. We all know that teachers are some of the most underappreciated professionals in our society. They have such a huge impact on us and we often forget to simply tell them thanks. I reconnected with an art teacher of mine a few months ago and sent her a thank you note. I shared with her my memories of her class, updated her on my profession, let her know that I still have a passion for art and told her just how grateful I am for what she did for me. She was extremely touched by my message and let me know how it brightened her day. I suspect it encouraged her and let her know her hard work investing in her students pays off. I encourage you all to reach out to that special teacher over the next month, update him or her on your progress, and tell them thanks.

2. Your Mom (and dad!)

For most of us, our parents play a huge role in the woman or man we have and will ultimately become. They will without a doubt benefit from hearing that we are grateful for what they have done for us. It wasn’t until I was in my late 20’s that I learned of so many sacrifices my parents made for me and my siblings. Many of you will recognize this once you begin to have your own children. Some of you may not have a great relationship with your parent(s) but I am a strong believer in forgiveness and mending wounds in order to unlock true peace in your life. Saying “thank you” even if a parent wasn’t as present as we would have liked them to be can mean the world to that person and can turn into a ripple of positivity. I challenge you to say thank you to your parents sometime this week.

“Dear Mama”

3. Your Mentor

Don’t forget to reach out to those mentors and tutors who have offered you wisdom along the way. Every year I run into mentors of mine at the national Endocrinology conferences. I never cease to show them my gratitude and let others around me know they are huge contributors to the physician I am today. I have tried to pick up the best qualities I could find in each of them and although I am still growing, I am proud of how far they have led me. Some simply showed me that someone who looked and talked like me could become a well-respected physician while others encouraged me during my lowest points. I actually contacted a mentor who I shadowed way back in 2003 at the University of Wisconsin during a summer research program almost 10 years later to thank him and update him on my progress. I was surprised he remembered me and he was extremely happy to hear from me. He sent me photos of our lab group’s time together and updates on the research we were working on. It was helpful as this research project came up during my fellowship interview almost a decade later. I am certain you all have mentors in your lives that have been an integral part of your success. Whether it’s a teacher, family member, author, or physician you shadow, don’t forget to say “thank you”.

4. Your Sponsors

This is an area I can admit I failed at many times and truly regret it. Year after year, my mother always instructed me to send a thank you note to those who provided me with scholarship money to attend college. “Money doesn’t grow on trees, you know. Someone is paying for you to attend that school.” I was blessed to receive so much support through college but rarely did I reach out to the financial providers. I am still searching for some of those sponsors and would love to pay them back if I can. Sponsors champion for you and often use their platforms and resources to support you. They certainly deserve a thank you every so often.

5. The Easily Overlooked

I don’t know why but this has always been one of the tools I have used to critique individuals. Does one speak to the forgotten? Do they say hello and thank you to those performing menial jobs? As a medical student, I always paid attention to the interviewing premeds and was impressed with those who showed gratitude for the smallest things and those who did not. I am not sure if is a genuine testimony for one’s character but I can appreciate how far being grateful for the “little things” can take them in life. In residency, I actually became very good friends with the friendly custodian working on the medical floor. She became like a mother to many of us sleepless residents making sure we ate our meals and got our rest. Before we knew it, she became almost like an informant during application season. As she cleaned up after the applicants, many comments were made. Some were kind and grateful towards her services while others were not so kind. Her thoughts on the applicants mattered to us as we wanted to add students who saw everyone as team members. This is just a simple reminder that others are watching and being thankful for the things many others take for granted can take you a long way.

Of course, I personally can’t forget to thank God, who fulfills all the aforementioned roles and has been the rock in my life.

Gratitude matters in life. I’d like to thank all of you premeds and schools out there who support PreMed STAR. Thank you for sharing in our mission. Thanks to those who read this blog and the many others we write. I am very thankful to see you bright stars heading towards the career path of medicine. I hope you have a very grateful day! I challenge you all to join me in reaching out to those teachers, parents, mentors, and others over the next few weeks to simply say “thank you”.