Hey everyone! I can barely believe we’re already 17 whole days into January, this is the fastest January I’ve experienced in a while! Starting a new decade really brings to remembrance how much life changed for me over the last one, I started the decade in my A-Levels, hoping for good enough grades to get into medical school and finished the decade as a medical doctor with a year of experience under my belt!
The transition over the years was phenomenal, I feel like I grew up at an exponential rate. I’ve always been a go-getter, but I definitely believe the tasks I handled in that period made me have to push myself even further.
In this life, no situation is permanent. I was recently reminded of a lecturer that made my life so saddening whilst I was in his posting, like I had actual physical symptoms as a result of my sadness. He was incredibly lewd, but in a non-overt way so I couldn’t report him for lack of evidence but more importantly for fear of being picked on further. I hated that man. The sight of him would make my stomach churn. His behavior made me think I hated the specialty but when I started working at a different hospital and rotated through the same specialty I actually enjoyed it – and in that moment I realized I had allowed another person to dictate my experience; but that will never happen again. From here on out, I will not cower in the face of harassment, no matter the source, because hearing that the lecturer that caused me grief continued to do the same to other female medical students made me so sad. I’m going to do my best to nip such bad behaviors in the bud going forward.
Why didn’t I share this that time? Fear, ladies and gentlemen. But it’s a new dawn and fear will no longer dictate my actions. I pray not to come across any more sexual predators but in the instance that I do, I’m ready. No more will I blame myself for other people’s lack of decorum, I used to think it was my fault when these sort of ill-happenings occurred, I’d ask myself “Did I provoke him?” “Did I make too much eye contact?” Because clearly it wasn’t a case of how I was dressed but do you guys know what? None of these are relevant issues. The way I dress or how I speak is not an invitation for harassment at the end of the day! Predators are to be blamed for their own actions solely, nothing like “she provoked me with her dressing” – that excuse won’t stand in court for a second! Be accountable for your own behaviors ladies and gentlemen, stop being a predator – and for those of you who know someone that’s doing this and you’re keeping quiet whilst the victim suffers, you’re just as terrible. This is how we see mothers bring their daughters that have been sexually assaulted by a close family member into a hospital and try to pass it off as her being promiscuous all in the name of “not bringing shame to the family.” Wicked nonsense.
It’s a new day, month, year, decade – change for the better.
This article took an unexpected turn to be honest but I’m glad to have written about this. *sips tea*
Till next time,
Dr. ETP xo
