Life hacks from a Travel-Hacking Doctor, Pt 3
Going to Iceland with the Monsoon Diaries.
So you told me a story about how you used bartending to get into med school…
Haha. Yes. I spent most of my time in college getting involved in clubs and organizations. I was on a few executive boards and I danced with a few teams. Later, I became a VJ for MTV U. By the time people were applying to med school, my counselor let me know that my grades were shit. She told me not to apply. But I went ahead and did it anyway.
During my med school interview, I talked about my side gig in bartending. As a bartender, you’re always on your feet and waiting for the party. You never know who will come through the door and no matter what happens – whether the night is busy or slow – you have to make the best drink as quickly as possible.
The same goes for the ER. No matter who arrives, you need to do your damn hardest to take care of a patient as best as you can, and as efficiently as you can. Our motto as ER doctors is: anyone, anything, anytime, anywhere.
Cuba was my most recent trip. It was also the most successful; 40+ people came.
Tell me about being on the brink of failing school and why you chose to keep working on your travel company, Monsoon Diaries, on the side anyways.
I decided that I’d rather be a good person first, before becoming a good doctor. I realized that I’d rather enrich myself through travel and meeting people, etc., than to put everything and everyone on hold by studying all the time. And while that didn’t make me the best student and put me on the edge of failing school many times, I took that chance. I’d rather fail and remain a good person, than to sacrifice my humanity for a field that would be meaningless without it anyway.
I also had no idea what I was doing. One time I told my friend I was studying for the GRE’s so I could apply to med school. Uh, you’re studying for the wrong test, she said. (I was supposed to be studying for the MCAT’s. Whoops).
The time we went skinny-dipping in Antarctica.
This was one of my most accomplished trips because we managed to charter a boat and get 20 people to Antarctica on a budget.
So why didn’t you just give up the thought of being a doctor, and pursue traveling full time, if that was your first passion?
I was always running away from being a doctor because my dad had always pushed it on me. I didn’t want to be that “stereotypical Asian American” going into the medical field. But then I realized that I was fighting so hard not to be something, that I wasn’t making decisions based on my true self. I realized that I love being a doctor. I love taking care of people.
Many people said it was impossible to maintain my lifestyle and stay in med school. Yes, it was overwhelming and there were many, many points where I wanted to give up. I almost broke down during boards. Both times.
But I think the book, The Alchemist said it best: “You must understand that love never keeps a man from pursuing his destiny. If he abandons that pursuit, it’s because it wasn’t true love.“ It took a lot of hard work and belief in myself, but after that, all the other things just fell into place.
One of my travelers got her nail ripped off from a rusty nail. This is when traveling with a doctor finally comes in handy.
You and I talked a bit about your dad passing away. Can you tell me how that impacted you?
When my dad died, I felt like I lost everything. My mom got Parkinson’s Disease one week later. Then we lost our apartment because my dad didn’t leave a will. I had no idea how I was going to pay for med school; I thought I was going to drop out. But it is those moments of total loss where we become free to do anything. I let that freedom become self-destructive at times. But I realized later on that everyone needs a little destruction to make space to build something new. And so I did.
What’s your typical day like, when you have to go from the hospital to one of your trips?
For an upcoming trip for example, I will be working overnight shifts from 7pm to 7am. I will bring my backpack to work, and then take a cab directly to the airport for a morning flight. For people who say that schedule is too crazy for travel, here’s why it works out even better: I don’t need to waste any time adjusting to a new time zone because I’ll be used to a week of overnight shifts by then. When the trip is over, I’ll sleep on the plane and resume my week of overnight shifts as if I never left.
The time we found an old US navy plane in Iceland and when I took this cheesy shot.
Bam! Just like that, huh? So it sounds like your secret to doing so much is using your time efficiently. Can you share any tips?
Before I see patients, I stop and plan instead of just going ahead and tending to the first patient that comes in. I’ll start with the thing that takes the longest. So for example, I’ll put in an order for MRI because that takes a while. Then I’ll check in with a patient to see if he needs a CT scan. If that person needs it, I’ll put the order in for a scan. While those two things are cooking, I’ll start talking to a new patient, until the food is done (when the MRI and CT scan are ready).
Also, I get 8 hours of sleep. That’s really the secret when people ask me how I do so much. I went to a pretty tough school and it eventually came down to deciding if I should stay up to finish a paper, or sleep. So I said “fuck it. I’m going to sleep.” I’d get 8 hours and wake up feeling awesome. Then I’d finish my paper on the bus.
I kept that up throughout college and most of med school. If I got below 6 hours, I’d make it by sleeping on the subway. Or I’d stop seeing patients and take a nap in the stairwell. They say that you’re supposed to see 8-12 patients in a 12-hour shift as a first year resident. I’m able to take care of people really quickly and I can comfortably see up to 16 patients. Sleeping improves your mood and makes you feel like you can take on the impossible.
In Iceland with another group of "Monsooners”.
Tell me how and why doctors are good at partying, since you always seem to compare things to planning a party.
We use our time and resources efficiently. So for my 26th birthday, I had to work at 7am the next morning. I brought my white coat to the coat check where my birthday party was held, partied, checked out at 4am, and then crashed at my friend’s place next to the hospital. Then, I went straight to work with all my medical stuff. At one point, I had to stick an IV in myself to stay hydrated and awake. Now that I’m in residency, I realize many other doctors do this when they feel under the weather at work… or when we all go on our annual ski trip… But that’s another story.
They also say that the worst criminals make the best cops. A good ER doctor SHOULD know how to party because we take care of the patients that roll in intoxicated on a Saturday night. We need to know first hand how to get our patients to a good place. First-hand experience helps.
Sexy Cuba at night.
Is there anything you can share about getting good travel deals/ traveling on a budget?
Most of the deals we get through Monsoon Diaries, were through friendships and asking for peoples’ trust. So if you’re a good person and mean the best, people will want to help you.
So if you don’t have the money to travel, try to think about your skills and resources. For example, if you’re a really sociable person with a big network, you can crowd fund or organize a fundraiser party. If you have an apartment, sublet it. Or learn to budget, even if it means eating Ramen noodles for a part of the trip, or foregoing a drink at the bar. Everything is flexible.
Iceland.
What have been your most memorable trips?
Most fascinating: North Korea, Myanmar
Most surprising: Iran
Personal favorite: India
Most adventurous/most accomplished feeling: Antarctica
Best trip I organized: Cuba
I love them the most simply because they have the best stories.
Is there a life hack you want to leave people with?
Live life to a point of freedom where you can sleep without alarms. Floss everyday. Eat your veggies.