For years, I thought saying "yes" was the key to success. Yes, to my parents’ dream of me becoming a doctor. Yes, to the long hours in medical school. Yes, to a career that others admired, even as I felt a growing sense of unease.

I loved medicine’s ability to make a difference in people’s lives, but deep down, I had questions: Did I truly want to be a doctor, or was I fulfilling the role others expected of me? Every yes felt like another step away from myself.

One pivotal moment came while I was working in a hospital in the Cook Islands. I treated patients with heart failure so advanced that basic mobility was a struggle. What struck me most wasn't the lack of resources; it was the sense of familiarity. Even in the U.K.'s world-class healthcare system, I had seen patients left behind—ignored, dismissed or underserved. These moments clarified what I valued most: fairness, justice and confronting systemic inequality.

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