Second Acts: Embracing Surgery as a Career Changer

By: Vaisny Balamurali

Starting medical school as a “mature” student, after navigating a successful career in healthcare strategy, was both humbling and unsettling. Rather than confidence, my prior experience fueled imposter syndrome and a sense that I needed to justify my presence.

Walking away from a stable career with growth opportunities was not a decision I made lightly- I was advised against taking that leap. I knew this type of career change was extremely laborious and challenging but nonetheless my desire to provide direct patient care in a clinical setting was unwavering .

The skepticism became most pronounced during my clerkship years, especially when I shared my interest in pursuing a surgical career. 

Some words of “wisdom” I received along the way:

“Are you sure? What if you change your mind again? Surgery will cost you everything, and it might not be worth it!”

During moments of exhaustion, I allowed those voices to creep in. I questioned whether my sacrifices would be worth it in the end. However, the most fulfilling and defining moments of my training thus far have come from surgical rotations. Notably, I recall participating in a sigmoidectomy & colovesical fistulotomy case, during post-op follow the patient expressed an emotional thank you as they were so happy to no longer have feculent matter in their urine. There is something grounding about being present at pivotal moments in a patient’s life, where decisive hands-on intervention can immediately improve their lives.  I came to understand that while residency is challenging across all specialties, passion fundamentally helps to overcome those challenges and change the experience. When you care deeply, long days become opportunities rather than a laundry list of to-dos. Choosing a career in surgery was not an escape from my previous work, but a deliberate commitment to a career I found rewarding despite its rigorous demands.

Although I was initially hesitant to share my non-traditional path, those experiences are what made me a stronger student. They helped me navigate team dynamics with ease and contribute meaningfully without overstepping.

The operating room felt surprisingly familiar. It mirrored the conference rooms in which we presented healthcare strategies to executives. As a young analyst, these rooms were daunting. They demanded precision, preparation, and accountability. Surgeons, like executives, are meticulous not because they are unapproachable but because the cost of error is high. Understanding this parallel reframed the OR for me; it was no longer as daunting. We shared one goal– to positively impact patient outcomes. My role wasn’t to know everything, but to show up prepared, reliable, and genuinely curious. Once I embraced my role as a learner, my confidence and effectiveness grew. A healthcare executive previously told me, half the battle in attracting boardroom buy-in is confidence, and the other half was easy: “show up prepared”. This stood true for the OR as well. When you show up prepared, engaged, and certain of your interest in surgery, people invest in you! They want to teach and mentor you.

My mentors didn’t just teach me technical skills; they supported my goal of combining my two worlds together and guided me through opportunities I didn’t know existed.

Choosing surgery as my second act was not a rejection of my past, but rather an extension of it. I arrived at surgery with intention, resilience, and clarity-there is no doubt that this is exactly where I belong. So, I say to my peers pondering a career change that it’s never too late and just let your passion guide you!

Vaisny Balamurali is a 4^th year medical student at Ross University School of Medicine. She has a deep interest in General Surgery, motivated by the ability to provide patient care that combines hands-on intervention with immediate impact alongside patient advocacy in high acuity settings.  Her non-traditional journey to becoming a physician was driven by her desire to leverage frontline experience as a clinician to advocate for improved & equitable healthcare access and improved patient care outcomes.