The day a girl left the hospital, I understood why I chose medicine

Apr 23, 2026
El día que una niña salió del hospital, entendí por qué elegí medicina
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Endless shifts, difficult cases, days that seem impossible. Yet, Sofía perseveres. Because in medicine, she found not only her calling but also her voice.

@sofiaaylincMedical intern · Medical content creator

Who she is and what she does

Sofía is finishing her last days as a medical intern. Anyone who has gone through that process knows what it means: shifts that extend beyond human endurance, clinical cases that don't always have a happy ending, and an exhaustion that accumulates in both body and mind.

But amidst all that, Sofía does something more: she creates content for social media. Not the technical and distant kind of content that alienates people from medicine — but the kind that brings them closer. She explains in simple words what is happening in the body, why things occur, when to worry, and when not to. Because for her, medicine shouldn't be a language only spoken by doctors.

Why she chose this path

Sofía didn't grow up saying she wanted to be a doctor. What she always had, however, was an unquenchable curiosity.

She was the child who played sports, who swam, who played flag football — and who at the same time asked questions that few children ask. How does the body know it needs to sleep? How does it know it's hungry? Why do the things that happen inside us happen?

That curiosity led her, without her fully planning it, toward medicine. And when she understood that this career would allow her not only to answer those questions but also to accompany others in the most vulnerable moments of their lives, the decision was clear.

"I chose medicine because I love how you can touch the lives of others."

What she believes about medicine

For Sofía, the most valuable thing a doctor can do is not always in the procedure or the diagnosis. It's in the conversation. In being able to look at a frightened patient and tell them: what you feel is real, it has an explanation, and there are ways we can improve.

She knows there are many people carrying unnamed symptoms, unanswered fears, illnesses they don't fully understand. And that uncertainty, often, is as difficult to bear as the illness itself.

"Being that voice that gives meaning to some fear, some symptom, some illness. That's what I value most about this job."

That's why she combines consultations with content creation. Because if she can reach someone before they're afraid, before they don't know what to do, she's already practicing medicine.

The moment she won't forget

It was in pediatrics. A small patient with a very complicated diagnosis, a prognosis that didn't look good. The kind of case that tests the entire team — and oneself.

But the entire hospital worked together. Doctors, nurses, laboratory, everyone in their place doing their part. And in the end, that child left the hospital. She went home with her mom.

There's not much more to say about that moment. Sometimes the most important things don't need many words.

How she stays on her feet

Internship is not just physically and mentally exhausting — it also tests the relationship you have with yourself. Sofía knows this, and she has learned to take care of herself in ways that perhaps aren't in any medical manual.

Sometimes it's a song on repeat until she feels recharged. Sometimes it's a complete skincare routine before bed. And sometimes it's opening a notebook and writing down the small achievements of the day: today I didn't cry on my shift. Today I ate. Today I slept three hours.

"For me, to completely recharge is to be kind to myself."

A lesson that, incidentally, also applies to her patients.

Where she's headed and what she tells beginners

In ten years, Sofía imagines herself as a specialist — pediatrics, with a possible subspecialty in oncology or infectology. She imagines herself teaching, traveling, and yes, still creating content. Because that bridge between science and people who don't understand science is something she doesn't want to let go of.

She has a powerful message for her future self:

"Thank you for not letting yourself be extinguished. For continuing to believe in yourself even when others didn't. Thank you for not giving up when things seemed impossible."

And for anyone who wants to follow in her footsteps, the advice is honest and direct:

Do it even if you're scared. That's worth double. You don't need to have everything figured out to start — nobody does. And along the way, don't forget to take care of yourself.

"You are your most important project."

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