quiet time , she loves reading , especially memoirs and “ rom com ” easy-read books .
When she visits career fairs or has people shadowing her , she often tells them about the deferred gratification that comes with being a physician and the many years of training . And now , finally , she ’ s seeing that gratification for herself . The future is bright , but not crystal clear , something she cherishes .
“ When you ’ re in medical school , there ’ s these four-year chunks of time : undergrad , medical school , residency . Now I ’ ve just passed my four years working and I ’ ve done my boards and all that stuff , and for the first time in my life there ’ s no end point – and honestly , it ’ s refreshing . I just want to be a good doctor , take care of my patients , and enjoy myself and my family . I want to have a long career ; I don ’ t want to burn out . I want to live a life that ’ s sustainable and
( clockwise ) Dr . O ’ Brien and Trevor at her University of Louisville School of Medicine White Coat Ceremony . Dr . O ’ Brien with her newborn daughter , Rowan ; Dr . O ’ Brien and University of Louisville School of Medicine classmates . The O ’ Brien ’ s family dog , Ruby , alongside her son Mac .
enjoyable ,” she said . “ I ’ ve worked really hard to get to this point in my life and now I want to be here and enjoy .”
Kathryn Vance is the Communications and Event Coordinator at the Greater Louisville Medical Society .