One day, I was listening to a favorite podcast when my ears perked up: this woman physician was talking about participating in long distance, multi-day sailing races. She described the intensity of working in close quarters with team members, leaning into the constant uncertainty, and the skill of using the limited resources you have on long trips.
It reminded me of our dreams of sailing (currently shelved while we build our homestead, which is a whole different adventure). I knew I had to have her on the Lean Out podcast!
Dr. Stella de la Vega is an urgent care physician in Southern California. She realized she wanted to go to medical school on a long sailing trip in New Zealand, which involved a pivot from legal work and training in anthropology. She talked all about her move to medicine and how it was inspired by sailing adventures in this episode and this episode of the Dare to Dream Physician Travel podcast.
Stella has now incorporated rock climbing, mountaineering, and backpacking into her life of “unusual epic adventures” (her words). In our conversation, we delve into her beginnings in medicine and her all-or-nothing attitude to her work in the initial years. She discusses another realization she had during surgery residency that again involved sailing. We also get a glimpse of what a week in her life is like.
I came out of this interview with a new friend. I know you’ll find her work-life balance inspiring and interesting, just like I did. Stella shares some important info about knowing yourself along the way. Have a listen below, or find the episode in your favorite podcast platform.
Lean Out Podcast: Conviction with SC Gutierrez