Posted on 03.26.10 by Sharon Lin, DO

March 18, 2010 was an auspicious day for family medicine as I know it.  As thousands of medical students across the country celebrated their residency placement on Match Day, I celebrated the birth of my firstborn child. 

On that eventful morning after, I waddled through seeing my patients in clinic, I joined my residency in calling the newly matched med students with applause and group cheers, welcoming them into our family and the larger family medicine field.  For the rest of the work day, we ran a workshop on creating the primary care medical home within our residency.  Thirty-minutes into the closing, our three hour long workshop, I felt a gush-my water had broke!  Surrounded by my fellow residents, faculty, and staff, everyone started cheering and applauding as they sent me off to bring our newest family member into the world.  Who knew Match Day would apply to me in such a way!

Now, as I sit here with my newborn curled up beside me, I am just now getting a precious moment to sit back and reflect on this beautiful experience. Fellow resident Dr. Michelle Mertz, our resident faculty Dr. Gary McLeod, and the nurses on our labor and delivery floor helped me birth a healthy baby boy while I was on all fours.  We birthed together with chaotic rapid decent and then a Zen-like purposefulness, this team that provided my new family with the security of continuity and trust-my own primary care medical home.

This year, I will be stepping up to the role of President of the resident wing of the California Academy of Family Physicians-another exciting opportunity to represent a voice for family medicine.  I hope to bring my experience as a resident, as a healer, as a (new) mother, and as an American to anyone who will listen.  In this year of health care reform, one of my goals is to make sure the ideals of our specialty our reflected in the reform details.  Traveling to meet with our legislators on a constant basis is empowering and I hope to help provide that opportunity and training for residents throughout our state.