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Our Careers Are Constructed Like a Strong Wall, Brick by Brick

By Ítalo C. Ferraz, MD 

When I was a child, facing my very young father’s incurable disease, I dreamed of becoming a doctor, a haematologist. I wished to discover his cure. I even built a small lab in my backyard. Unconsciously, I was laying a strong crushed stone wall base for my career.

With strong family support, I focused on being accepted to medical school. The first of many courses of bricks were set.

Orthopaedics attracted me during university years and I was diverted from haematology. After working my hardest, I was approved for orthopaedics residency in the best university of my country.

Many more bricks were slowly set on my career’s wall during residency. In the end, I decided to practice in a medium-sized city. However, an invitation to become a partner in a famous orthopaedic private clinic (a dream of many colleagues at that time) made me change my route towards a bigger metropolis.  

After two years of general orthopaedics practice, a feeling of “need more” came around. Having decided to fully dedicate myself to hand surgery, I needed to get my Hand Surgery Specialist Certificate. With my beloved wife’s support, I applied to a hand surgery fellowship in one of the best universities in the world.  

Accepted, I went abroad and lived a very cherished dream: study in the USA! More bricks were carefully cemented during the fellowship.

Back to Brazil:  I’m currently in mixed practice, private and public. Our Hand Surgery Residency Program, now 10 years old, has educated around twenty board certified hand surgeons so far. Local populations now have much easier access to very well trained hand surgeons and doctors do not necessarily have to travel to far places in order to be trained.  

Nonetheless, our colleagues nowadays can be trained locally, we still don’t have a hand surgery service available around the clock for the entire population. It would be a great accomplishment to see all major hand lesions being treated from the beginning by a board certified hand surgeon, in private and public hospitals. My career would be crowned if I one day convinced the government of the importance of arranging something like that in our service and if I was the one to press its “Start” button.  

Besides that, I still have some other goals in my career: pursue the highest levels in my practice, always keeping in mind the best for patients’ health and satisfaction; keep learning, refining my skills, improving techniques and teaching younger colleagues; do more of what I know best and improve at what I’m not so good.  

Finally, my most desired accomplishment is to be recognized in my community as a skillful, honest, respectful, compassionate, humble, and inspiring hand surgeon. I think it would be a beautiful and reinforced top layer for my career’s wall.

Comments (8)
Ivson Carvalho Ferraz
September 11, 2020 3:34 pm

Congratulations my brother! Go ahead, and inspire the next generation. You are a winner. Thank you to share your life experience.

Reply

ITALO CARVALHO FERRAZ
September 11, 2020 4:49 pm

Thank you, bro!

Reply

GILBERTO FERRAZ
September 11, 2020 5:05 pm

An example of a high level to be followed by every good citzen!! Congratulations!!

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Anonymous
September 11, 2020 9:08 pm

Thank you, brother!

Reply

Lucila Ferraz Cornélio
September 11, 2020 6:12 pm

Parabéns pela belíssima carreira! Você é um exemplo a ser seguido, como profissional e como ser humano. O desejo de reconhecimento colocado no último parágrafo certamente já foi atingido, pois todas as qualidades citadas estão com você. Sucesso sempre!!!

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Anonymous
September 11, 2020 9:08 pm

Obrigado, Lucila!

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Luciene Ferraz
September 11, 2020 6:19 pm

Muito orgulho de ser prima do magnífico ser humano que trilhou muitos caminhos, com garra, determinação, muito estudo e hoje é referência mundial em cirurgia mão de altíssimo padrão!! Você é Grande Vencedor primo e tem muitos ensinamentos ,legados…! Sucesso sempre !Que o governo invista em serviços de mão 24h e a população seja beneficiada com você dando o start medicina do mais elevado padrão.Em frente sempre primo!!! Parabéns !!

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Anonymous
September 12, 2020 10:40 pm

Obrigado, prima Lu!

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