by Jasmine Riviere Marcelin, Class of 2011

Four months into residency, I am still alive. I survived the Emergency Department, Inpatient Oncology, Outpatient Primary Care, Inpatient Cardiology, several overnight shifts, and I am definitely getting used to this doctor thing. It still feels weird introducing myself as “Doctor Marcelin,” but every day I am more confident. I’m still learning the computer systems, but getting faster. I dislike dictation, but a little less every time I do it. I’m more relaxed than when I started (thank God) and I am having such a great time learning. I’m getting used to not wearing a white coat, and I love that when patients see me, they see a professional who is committed to their care.

What’s life at the world-famous Mayo Clinic like? Absolutely amazing! I am fortunate that I experienced this wonderful place as a medical student, because I fell in love with it. Every day I go to work and interact with experts in every field imaginable, and they treat me as their colleague. During my first rotation, I learned that one of my consultants was an author of a first aid study guide. When I was a med student here, one of my consultants was the leading expert in specific skin infections, and if you Googled those infections, his name would be on every journal article on the first page. Had I known these facts, I would have been intimidated working with these men. In both cases, I never found out these details until after I worked with them and found them to be humble, understanding, and amazing teachers. I love this place!

There is no hierarchy at Mayo – no “med students and interns at the bottom of the ladder” environment. Mayo does not pay lip service to the team care model – we live it. Nurses, doctors, PAs, NPs, and med students are all integral members of the care team and every input is regarded equally importantly. Though the Mayo brothers Will and Charles were the surgeons who originally founded the clinic, every specialty is equal here. How refreshing! I just read an article that Mayo was voted the #3 top hospital in the U.S., and when I look at my ID every day, I couldn’t be more proud to be a Mayo physician. God knew what He was doing when He sent me here last year as a student, and even though I miss my husband every second of every day, I know that this is where God wants me to be.