I still remember my first real job after all my training. 4 years college. 4 years of medical school. 4 years of surgical residency. 1 year of surgical fellowship.

Salaries were predetermined according to your post-graduate level for residency and fellowship. But, my first job – that was the first time I was given an offer letter. I had no clue what to do with it. My brother urged me negotiate the salary, but I wasn’t sure how.

Are women really more competitive with each other? Does this narrative hold true across all fields? And, is there any way to change it? I came from a residency class in which there were 6 women and 1 man. I know many of our attending physicians were concerned that infighting and cattiness would dominate our program – but I don’t think that was the case at all.

The scariest decisions are ones in which you have to truly trust in yourself to get something done – but they also have the potential to be the most rewarding.