Never Give Up, Never Surrender

While failure can be disappointing, it is a part of life. It is from failure that we are presented with two options. We can either run from it, or we can learn from it. Being part of an executive ACR® team is something I have strived for ever since attending the ACR Annual Meeting during my first year of residency. Now at the end of my third year as an attending, my dream has come true.

The first Resident and Fellow Section (RFS) meeting I attended left me amazed at the energy in the room. All the residents and fellows fed off each other and showed a strong sense of community. I was energized. The RFS Executive Committee was comprised of great speakers and leaders — traits I wanted to emulate. However, I questioned myself. I compared myself to these leaders and thought I had no chance of having the same impact.

The second year I attended, I toyed with the idea of applying for a lower-level position and work my way up. I also thought about all those other great residents and fellows at that last meeting, thinking their credentials were so much better than mine. I watched the elections and saw applicants with great credentials lose to other candidates with similar credentials.

One election candidate who sticks in my mind is Amy Patel, MD. She ran for an RFS position and lost. On one occasion while standing in line for coffee, we had a casual conversation. I noticed she was not at all deterred from the loss. I was amazed and realized that if anything, the outcome motivated her further. Much can be said of Dr. Patel’s accomplishments since then, but I can say she is a prime example that perseverance wins.

Keep in mind, I never applied for a position on the RFS Executive Committee, but that was because of some inner thought. First, I wanted to boost my knowledge of the ACR and focus my efforts at the local level. With this approach I became the president of the Tennessee Chapter within the RFS. This also gave me some credentials when running against other qualified candidates.

It was not until after my first year as an attending that I attempted to run for a position within the YPS Executive Committee. I lost to a very deserving colleague, but I knew the YPS would benefit from having that person in office. I ran the following year … and lost again to a very well deserving colleague. Each time I lost, I never gave up. Instead, I reflected on the loss and assessed how I could prepare myself better the following year’s election.

Well, this year was apparently my year as I am now where I have dreamt of being all these years — on the YPS Executive Committee. In the end it was because I never gave up, and I never surrendered.