How an autism diagnosis helped this resident doctor find her place in medicine
CBC White Coat Black Art26:30The Real Good Doctor
Dr. JJ Mrek knew since she was a kid that she would one day go to medical school. But once she got there, the journey was rockier than expected.
Despite previous success in school including a master's degree in social work Mrek struggled to find her footing in medicine.
Exams proved harder than expected. She felt ostracized by peers who, she says, saw her as "too loud"for a hospital. A strong sense of justice, and a need for structure, led to conflict with her supervisors who perceived her as too direct.
Then, just before she finished med school, Mrek got a diagnosis at age 32 that felt like a puzzle being finished: she is autistic.
"It felt like every uncertainty I've ever had about myself was answered in that moment a lifetime of feeling just slightly out of place," the Edmonton-based student told White Coat, Black Art host Dr. Brian Goldman.
"It really tied together every difficulty I'd ever experienced from a social perspective and gave me a singular answer, which we love in medicine. We love the unifying diagnosis."
