Be Confident and Change the Game

Raj Chovatiya, MD, PhD

I’m not afraid to admit it: I’m a Chicago Bears fan. A lifelong Chicago Bears fan. Substantial parts of my life have been spent hoping, wishing, praying for the simple things: a modern offense, a competent offensive coordinator, good draft picks, a game plan not dependent on touchdowns by the defense and special teams, and, above all, a quarterback—the most important player on the field. Bears fans have been on a century-long quest for quarterback greatness, and I’ve been forced to spend miserable season after season reminded that the last great Bears quarterback played during the 1940s when the forward pass was a relatively new concept in the NFL.

Now, my wife has heard me say this almost every year, but I think this year is different. Really! For the first time in our franchise’s history, we have a generational quarterback prospect. This young man was selected first overall in the NFL draft at the ripe young age of 22, won the award for the best player in college football in his sophomore season, and has been scouted as a can’t-miss prospect since middle school. To date, he has been on pace to shatter every Bears rookie quarterback record, and he’s looking better each week. And you know what really stands out to me more than anything else? No matter the pressure from all sides, the noise from media pundits, and the occasional poorly thrown ball, his self-confidence is unwavering. No one believes in him more than himself.

Confidence can be a tricky thing, especially for those who achieve immense success at an early age. I look at our young quarterback, often conflated with cockiness or conceit, and I realize that despite the innate talent, despite the spotlight, despite the external pressure, and despite every single award on his shelf, he continues to work hard and grind it out every day with a singular focus toward greatness. And you know what? Who cares if he is a rookie—confidence like that is well deserved.

In dermatology (and medicine in general), we’re ingrained to think of success and worthiness as direct correlates of time. Hierarchy is ingrained in us early on in our training (eg, subintern vs intern, intern vs resident, junior resident vs senior resident, junior attending vs senior attending), and we are made to think that the major contributor to professional standing and acknowledgement by your peers is simply how long you’ve been “doing it.” There is always another hoop to jump through before you “get there.” This ideology is a significant contributor to the imposter syndrome that runs rampant among all of us—we are encouraged to embrace a sense of uncertainty because there always seems to be another step to take before we can feel like we officially “made it.”

But is the relationship between worth and time-on-task still valid? Who or what should decide whether we have passed enough thresholds to make it? There is no question that longevity builds experience, but just look outside of dermatology for a moment. We see young children becoming digital video mavens, teens becoming innovative social media superstars, high school graduates revolutionizing technology, and young adults living the entrepreneur lives of their parents’ dreams. These kids are putting in the work. And this trend doesn’t seem to be slowing down.

Looking at dermatologists—especially many of those cited in this issue of Dermatology Times—it feels like we are seeing the same trend. Cutting-edge research, multicenter clinical trials, peer-reviewed literature, specialized clinical care, media coverage, and podium presence—it’s happening with a youth movement driven by undeniable talent and hard work. We’re seeing so many dermatologists achieve great success earlier in their careers, and, frankly, they deserve to be confident. You made it! No matter how long you have been in practice, if you continue to work hard, hustle every day, and accumulate the goods to back it all up, you’re allowed to be proud of yourself. Though your learning is never done, and you will never know everything, you have earned your achievements.

“To all the current and future game changers out there: Be confident in who you are. Be confident in what you have achieved. Put in the work. Keep learning. Stay hungry. And don’t stop.”

Raj Chovatiya, MD, PhD, MSCI, is a clinical associate professor of medicine at Rosalind Franklin University Chicago Medical School in Illinois and founder and director of the Center for Medical Dermatology and Immunology Research.