Before I am a Surgeon: Choosing Womanhood Without Leaving Surgery Behind.

By: Daniela H. Rodriguez Manrique

“Since you want to become a wife and have kids,” he said, “are you sure you want to do surgery?”

I smiled politely, but I cannot recall what I said next. The only thing I remember is the question lingering in my mind after I left the operating room. “Do I want to be a woman, or do I want to be a surgeon?” Prior to this moment, I had not imagined that these two identities could be mutually exclusive. For the first time, I had doubts about becoming a surgeon, and as a medical student, I questioned if pursuing surgery meant I had to sacrifice the woman I wanted to become.

Many women in surgery have encountered some version of this question. Sometimes, the question is asked out loud. Other times, it is implied. As I think of a future surgical residency, I have wondered about its compatibility with marriage, pregnancy, and motherhood. I have found myself searching for the “perfect” time to be a wife or a mother, as if these had to wait until surgery allowed them.

As time passed, I began to wonder if the question itself was faulty. Should we be asked to choose between being a surgeon and a mother, a wife, a daughter? I believe the real issue lies in why women are asked to divide their identities when pursuing surgery.

Before I am a surgeon, I am a woman. I am also a daughter, a sister, a friend, and a woman with relationships and values that extend beyond the operating room. Surgery will be one of the things I will do as a woman, but it will never become the only thing I am. The various identities that a woman holds are not in competition with the surgical world. Instead, women bring experiences, perspectives, and ways of connecting with patients that deepen the profession.

Thus, the hardest question I have faced as a medical student interested in surgery is not if I am capable of becoming a surgeon, but if I am willing to give up on being a woman to become a surgeon. I have learned that the best surgeons are not the ones who forsake their humanity to be in the operating room. They are the ones that prefer to take their humanity with them into the sterile field.

If I were to be asked again if I want to be a woman or a surgeon, I now know my answer. I choose to be both. Because one day, I hope to look back and realize that I did not become less of a woman to become a surgeon. Instead, I deeply wish to see that I became a better surgeon because I never stopped being a woman.

My desire is for the future generation of women to not have to question their commitment to surgery because they want to be mothers, partners, or simply women outside of the hospital. I hope they can be confident that there is room for who they are – a surgeon and a woman.

Daniela H. Rodriguez Manrique is a fourth-year medical student at Ross University School of Medicine with a strong interest in General Surgery. Born and raised in Villa Clara, Cuba, she is passionate about global surgery, mentorship, and advancing opportunities for women in surgery. Throughout medical school, she has remained actively involved in student leadership and community outreach, including serving as the Journal Club Coordinator for her school’s Surgery Medical Student Interest Group. She hopes to pursue a career in academic surgery where she can combine clinical care, education, and advocacy. Outside of medicine, Daniela enjoys spending time with her family, serving in her church community, and discovering new local restaurants and cuisines.