Q&A with Noam Raiter

What are your career goals and how did you decide what you wanted to study?

My aspiration to become a physician started when I was five years old based on interactions with the medical system. I am fortunate to lead a normal and healthy life today but these early life experiences played a large role in sparking my interest in this career. These aspirations were validated when I was in high school and fell in love with the sciences and found my passion for leadership. I completed my undergraduate degree in neuroscience and found my interest in mental health. When I entered medical school, I was pretty convinced I would end up in Psychiatry but I quickly found a greater passion for preventive care and a holistic full-body approach to both mental and physical health. With that, I decided to complete my residency in Family Medicine which would allow me to practice medicine with these passions at the forefront. Aside from my job as a physician, I also am a content creator on social media. My content focuses on the importance of wellness, work-life balance, and humanizing the experience of medical training. Creating a platform online has allowed me to connect with so many fellow students, physicians, and other young professionals and I have found so much joy in sharing my journey and hopefully inspiring others along the way. I am currently in my final year of residency and although I don’t know exactly what my plans are for medical practice post-grad, I hope to find a way to fuse all my passions and interests in a way that benefits not only my immediate patients but also the greater community. 

How do you balance your work as a resident doctor with your career in social media?

There are a few key reminders that have helped me find balance throughout my two careers in medicine and on social media. Number one, balance is not always “50/50”. There are some weeks where I am working 80 hours a week at the hospital and I barely post a story on Instagram. There are others where I have more free time and can post more and batch-create content to post at a later date. Don’t beat yourself up if you aren’t doing everything “perfectly” all of the time. That brings me to number two, organization is key! Find whatever methods work for you but I love creating to-do lists and having a color-coded calendar synced across all my devices. Number three, make sure to still prioritize your well-being despite how busy you may be. For me, this looks like going to a workout class a few times a week, eating foods that keep me energized, and finding time for my hobbies like baking and pottery. I can’t expect to be my best self either at work as a doctor or online as a creator if I don’t take the time to fill up my own cup first.

Do you have any advice for students deciding on a career path?

Don’t try to squeeze yourself into boxes that other people have designed. As we get into higher education, people may often tell us to “focus” and “minimize distractions outside of school”. Of course, these things are important but at the same time, there is so much value in being multi-passionate. Find ways to fuse your passions and let them support and propel each other forward.