Beth Vukin’s journey in medicine stands as a testament to resilience, self-discovery, and the courage to change course due to chronic illness.
After dedicating two decades to her role as a pediatric hospitalist and educator, Beth found herself unable to continue her clinical duties amidst growing exhaustion.
A diagnosis of polyarteritis nodosa, later compounded by a suspected case of scleroderma, forced her to reevaluate her career path and ultimately step back from the only profession she had ever known.
As Beth embarked on this challenging journey, she learned to navigate the opinions of others while honoring her inner voice in pursuit of fulfillment.
Beth is the first member of her family to pursue a career in medicine.
Her parents, immigrants from Thailand, held high expectations, hoping she would become either an engineer or a physician.
While preparing for the MCAT, Beth developed a purple, web-like rash—known as livedo reticularis—and was subsequently diagnosed with lupus.
Fortunately, her symptoms subsided, allowing her to attend medical school at the University of Cincinnati where she discovered a passion for pediatrics.
However, her choice of specialty was met with skepticism from her peers, who suggested that pediatrics lacked the prestige and rigor of other fields.
Despite the discouragement, Beth remained resolute in pursuing pediatrics, recognizing that her reasons for choosing this path outweighed external opinions.
In her third year of medical rotations, Beth encountered another obstacle: severe fatigue.
Initially attributing this to the demands of clinical training, she soon experienced a recurrence of the livedo reticularis rash.
Her condition worsened, leading to a wrist and foot drop that necessitated a visit to the doctor.
After months of testing and consultations, she was diagnosed with polyarteritis nodosa—a disease more commonly found in older males.
Even as she questioned this diagnosis, Beth’s symptoms improved with immune suppressants, allowing her to complete medical school and enter her residency at the University of Utah.
Fast forward two decades, and Beth has no regrets about her journey.
Listening to her inner voice throughout her career has brought her great satisfaction, particularly in her role at Primary Children’s Hospital as a hospitalist and faculty member in the pediatrics department at the University of Utah.
Beth found joy in mentoring medical students and coaching them through clinic and learning communities.
However, she continued to grapple with health issues.
Despite years of consulting various doctors, she remained unsatisfied with her health status, experiencing persistent exhaustion and joint pain.
After developing noticeable swelling in her hands, she sought further consultation from her rheumatologist.
Believing she had scleroderma, she presented her self-diagnosis to another rheumatologist, who validated her feelings.
This affirmation was pivotal; subsequent testing confirmed her belief—she did indeed have scleroderma.
This experience underscored the importance of trusting her inner voice, a valuable lesson she now shares as an advocate for empathy in healthcare.
Feeling as though she could only function at a 15% battery charge due to her illness, Beth ultimately made the difficult decision to leave her beloved clinical practice.
This transition allowed her to redirect her energies toward her family and explore new avenues for her skills and interests.
In grappling with her career crossroads, Beth found inspiration in self-authorship research by Baxter Magolda.
Magolda’s work emphasizes the need to listen to one’s inner voice when navigating significant life and career decisions.
This can often manifest as feelings of loss related to the past and uncertainty about the future, but it can also lead to new opportunities for growth and fulfillment.
Though her path has taken unexpected turns, Beth learned to reconnect with her voice and to harness her natural talents outside the confines of the clinical environment.
A colleague once highlighted her knack for refining electronic medical records (EMR) to enhance user experience for healthcare teams.
“You are so much more than a physician,” the colleague remarked, prompting Beth to reconsider her talents and grant herself permission to explore these new interests.
This encouragement has opened doors for her, leading to exciting roles such as improving EMR systems, mentoring students through the RealMD program, and hosting podcasts like “What We Didn’t Learn in Med School” and “Real Talk with Kid Docs.”
Beth’s decision to step away from clinical practice is emblematic of the broader struggle many healthcare professionals face in balancing passion with personal well-being.
With dedication and intuition, Beth Vukin continues to inspire others while discovering new meaning and purpose beyond the medical sphere.
image source from：https://uofuhealth.utah.edu/notes/2025/04/professional-identity-formation-where-one-door-closes-another-opens
