Professional Identity Formation: Open to the Unknown
This is the third blog in a series about navigating the non-linear journey of forming a professional identity. We interviewed a wide variety of health care professionals about their journeys. Their lived experiences and related concepts can guide you in each stage of your career.
“We want desperately to take uncertainty out of the future. But when we take uncertainty out, it is no longer the future. It is the present projected forward…In fact, what distinguishes the future is its unpredictability and mystery.”
– Peter Block
Tracy’s Journey
In this blog, we share Tracy Bumsted’s story and themes that shaped her journey in medicine and health care.
After being rejected twice, Tracy Bumsted almost gave up her dream of going to medical school at the University of Utah. But she decided to give it one more shot.
As the saying goes, Tracy’s third time was the charm. Much to her surprise, she was accepted, becoming the first person in her family to go into medicine. Today, Tracy is a pediatrician, professor, and associate dean of undergraduate medical education at Oregon Health & Science University Medical School.
Throughout her journey in academic medicine, Tracy understood her limits, engaged mentors, embraced the unknown, and stayed true to her commitments.
Listen to the complete interview with Tracy Bumsted on the RealMD podcast.
Being Called Into the Profession
Tracy was one of 25 women in a class of 100 incoming medical students at the U in 1996. She found herself surrounded by supportive faculty mentors who recognized her potential and wanted to help her be successful.
She was interested in primary care but uncertain about what specialty to pursue. During her third-year pediatrics rotation, it all became clear. She was learning about different pediatric conditions and problems. During a lunchtime learning session, the professor asked, "What's the first thing you want to know more about?" Without hesitation, Tracy raised her hand and said, "Does the kid look sick or not sick?"
The professor pointed at Tracy and said, "There's a budding pediatrician! That's exactly right.” In that moment, his encouragement and confidence helped her decide to pursue pediatrics.
Knowing Your Limits
As a trainee, Tracy made a point of asking for help when she didn’t know the answer or needed a sounding board to consult and advise. Now, as an educator and an attending, she advises her students to know their limits and never be ashamed to ask for help.
As an academic leader, she seeks support and input from others and challenges herself to be decisive amidst the unknowns. “You don't have complete information. You don't have perfect information. But you do need to make a decision,” she explains. “Wallowing in indecisiveness and [maintaining] the status quo is not often the best answer."
Stepping Into the Unknown
Tracy has had the opportunity to serve in several newly created positions at Oregon Health & Science University Medical School, including her current role as associate dean. This was a major transition in her career journey as a leader and educator.
She was charged with reimagining and transforming the medical student curriculum. It required her to build up the confidence to rely on her internal voice to make lasting educational changes. But this path has not come without its challenges. Tracy had to take risks and overcome opposition.
Redesigning the MD curriculum required bold changes. She remembers people telling her it would be better to let another school do it first instead of being the guinea pig. Rather than obsessing over potential failures, Tracy chose to take a realistic and optimistic approach.
Despite what often felt like an uphill battle, accepting the challenge to create a new blueprint for medical education is a choice she will never regret.
“Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you, spend a lot of time with them, and it will change your life forever.”
– Amy Poehler
Influential Mentors
With each new step in her journey, Tracy had a village of mentors cheering her along.
In medical school, her preceptor Wendy Hobson Rohr, MD, MSPH, created a supportive environment for gaining clinical experience. She became an important pediatrician role model for Tracy. Over the years, they have stayed in contact and connect at national meetings for medical education. Tracy’s first physical diagnosis teacher Gregory Elliott, MD, helped her develop clinical skills she still relies on today. Along her path to pediatric residency, Howard Kadish, MD, MBA, was her guide and advocate.
One year after finishing residency at Oregon Health & Science University, Laura Ibsen, MD, encouraged Tracy to become the pediatric clerkship director. A few years later, Scott Fields, MD, MHA, selected her to join a pre-clerkship course and serve on the educational leadership team—solidifying her journey into academic medicine.
George Mejicano, MD, MS, became her “fiercest ally and supporter.” Together, they took on the herculean task of designing a new MD curriculum. Mejicano was a steadfast collaborator who helped Tracy navigate disagreements and hard decisions.
Staying True to Your Commitments
Tracy makes no bones about it—choosing a career in medicine is hard work. “Ultimately, people who are in it for themselves…are in for a rude awakening,” she says.
Throughout her career, Tracy was willing to step out into the unknown towards an emerging purpose in medicine, education, and leadership. She could do this because of her commitment to things greater than herself—taking care of patients and educating future physicians.
Her journey helped her find her own authentic way as a clinician, educator, and leader. While the future remains open and unknown, Tracy remains optimistic about her ability to navigate it with meaning and purpose.
Other Blogs In This Series
