Women's Month Spotlight: A Doctor's Journey of Self-Discovery and Mentorship

I grew up in a small town in Michigan and when I was accepted at The University of Michigan, I was ecstatic (sorry Buckeye fans but I needed the in-state tuition)! I had no idea what I was going to study but was excited to meet new people and learn from amazing professors. During my second year, I was volunteering as a unit clerk at Mott Children's Hospital and that was the first time I thought about medical school. I had no exposure to medicine prior to this experience as I do not have any doctors in my family. I enjoyed this experience and realized that what I perceived as a doctor's duties/responsibilities were what I wanted to do with my life. I decided to apply to medical school. I was again, thrilled when I was accepted at Michigan State (more in-state tuition).

In Medical school I had one big problem which was that I loved almost every rotation.Ultimately, I loved Ophthalmology the most and landed at Northwestern for my Residency. I had a much easier time deciding which subspecialty I wanted to practice as I loved Retina, having so many amazing mentors-one of which was a woman. Dr. Lyon is a skilled surgeon, compassionate physician, and a mom. I looked up to her and am so thankful that I had a woman in the field to model myself after. I stayed at Northwestern for my Fellowship and have been in private practice for 23 years.

I am beyond thankful that I have had the support of my family throughout my education, training and in practice. I am not sure I could have done this without my parents (pictured above at my Med school graduation).

Some of my advice to other women who are in medical school, training or new to the practice of medicine is:

Imposter syndrome is real. You need to believe in yourself and know that you’ve got this.
Do not put too much pressure on yourself to do everything. Let others help you and ask for help when needed.
Do not worry if the laundry piles up or your house is dirty— prioritize family/friends and yourself!

Thank you for letting me share a little bit about myself,

Lisa Borkowski M.D.