If you don’t watch "Grey’s Anatomy," it’s okay. You’re not missing out on much...except for surgery on conjoined twins, a “tree man,” numerous cardiac arrests, the enchanting love life of Derek and Meredith, hemorrhages, the famous cardiothoracic surgeon (Christina Yang), saving a dying man in an elevator, and so much more. It’s a show that keeps me on my toes and those who follow me on Snapchat know that this show causes my anxiety to accelerate at times, but it’s worth it. Every episode has taught me a lesson and here are five important lessons I would like to share with you.
1. Find your person.
Your person isn’t your best friend. No. Your person is someone who changes you and pushes you to become someone you wouldn’t imagine yourself becoming in the next five years. Your person is someone who says goodbye in an on-call room by having a dance party, someone who will tell you that you can be so much better, someone who pushes you in a cab so you won’t miss your flight to go across the world to run a hospital, someone who believes in you and is ready to kick butt if someone messes with you. Christina was Meredith's person and it wasn’t a best friend relationship. It was so much more. They were each other’s person. Whenever Christina was facing problems with her husband she ran to Meredith and slept in her bed with her husband just so she can have the comfort and presence of her person. It seems pretty weird, but both Christina and Meredith are unstoppable when they’re together and both of them are able to overcome a shooter, plane crash, bombs, and explosions! It’s the type of friendship everyone desires to have and you may not meet that person at an early age, but when you do, don’t let your person go!
I hope you don’t have to overcome what they had to overcome; seems a little too extreme! Just saying!
2. Life is too short.
Everyone has his or her designated time to go and sometimes that time can come unexpectedly. George O’Malley was a surgical intern who stole the heart of many fans. When I found out that George was the patient who was dragged by the bus my anxiety started to elevate. It was so unexpected. It was truly heartbreaking to see George die. Now, you must be thinking that I’m way too connected to these fictional characters but try watching 12 seasons of a substantial show. As humans, tomorrow we will not know exactly and precisely what will happen. We aren’t designed to see the future, but we do have the power to predict the future. So set out a goal and continue working towards that goal, because at the end of the day you will be one step closer. George’s life may have ended a little too quickly, but he was once a student who set out to become a surgeon, and in the end he was a phenomenal surgeon.
3. Being a woman is my strength, not my weakness!
In the 1980’s only 21.5 percent of women entered the physician workforce. In 2010 that number doubled to 45.4 percent. Nothing makes me happier than to see this number continue to grow. Grey’s Anatomy shows that a woman can be a strong leader, a mother, and a great wife. Meredith Grey juggled a life married to one of the best neurosurgeons in the country, raising her children, and being an outstanding general surgeon in the O.R. She proved that a woman could take on anything life throws at her. Many may not notice Dr. Bailey, but she is the true feminist in Grey’s Anatomy, who was the chief resident, married, raised little Tuck (her son), trained the surgical interns, and was invincible in the O.R. These women showed that though science is time-consuming, we are strong and we can balance our times to be great mothers, wives and prominent leaders. They showed that whatever career field you have chosen, you can dominate. Being a woman isn’t our weakness, but our strength. At the end of the day, our dresses are truly capes and it’s always a beautiful day to save lives.
4. Your career choice may not be the easiest, but it's worth it!
I can’t speak for everyone, but I personally like challenges! I’ve been this way forever. It’s who I am. The challenges keep pushing me and I believe there’s no rewarding field like the healthcare field. It’s full of obstacles, excitement, engineering, and so much more. It is rewarding because as a physician, OT, PT, PA, or a nurse, you watch patients walk out of the hospital, private care, or rehabilitation center and go home to their families. It’s hard to go into the health care field because there is a lot of preparation that needs to be done, it is expensive, and it’s very time-consuming. At the end of it all, it will be worth it. Alex Karev, Pediatric Surgeon, had a rough life and a rough time controlling his anger, but he seemed to push through all the curveballs life threw at him and became one of the most passionate surgeons Grey-Sloan Memorial Hospital had. So never give up, even when life gets hard! Keep pushing and at the end it will be worth it. When people tell you it’s a waste of time going into health care, simply tell them it’s okay (or be like Karev and be a total jerk to them) because you’re the one who’s truly making a change when it comes to a person who’s in need of medical help.
5. Passion will drive you.
Christina Yang is my favorite fictional role model. I’ve never seen anyone who is so passionate about hearts. Because of her passion, she was able to become chief of cardiothoracic surgeon. Yang spent countless hours in the O.R., she dreamt about surgery, she breathed surgery, surgery was her calling and I want to be more like her. My ultimate goal in life has always been to help people. I don’t dream about money or care about being rich. I dream about using my knowledge and creativity to help people in need, especially those in third world countries who need it the most. Life is not about playing a game and winning the jackpot, it’s about utilizing your time and creativity to become the best person you can be and the best person the world needs. If you aren’t passionate right now, then change your major, quit your job, and change the course of your life. It may be hard to do, but you can do it. Let your passion drive you, because my passion is driving me like Yang’s.
“Knowing is better than wondering, waking is better than sleeping, and even the biggest failure, even the worst, beats the hell out of never trying.”
- Meredith Grey
