I entered medicine like many young doctors do: eager, determined and drawn to its promise of excellence.

The white coat, the respect, the thrill of diagnosing a rare disease or saving a critical life — all of it called to me with undeniable force.

I studied relentlessly, passed my boards, published research and spoke on conference stages. Those achievements came with a sense of pride, even joy.

But they were not the full story. They were only the prologue.