User:Mariah Isabella McDermott

I'm Mariah Isabella McDermott. I was born on March, 1983 in Geneva, Switzerland.

I was almost 2 years old when I lost my mother and baby-sister, Sophia Helen, in a horrific car accident in Marbella, Spain. While I don't remember much about the accident, it profoundly damaged my family. But it also made us stronger.

After living in Switzerland, Spain and The Netherlands, I lived with my 'aunt' in Chicago (later i moved with her to new York). With the support of my family I went to medical school. And while I did not become a doctor for the money, for fame, or to create a legacy, in reality, I studied medicine because my grandfather insisted that I should do something 'useful' with my life. As a student and young adult, I did fairly well in medical school. But after completing my residency and fellowship, I was not sure that medicine would be the right career for me. So, I considered other options. But, unfortunately, nothing really panned out.

During the hectic time of my residency, a friend asked me if I could help her with reviewing a manuscript she was working on. Although tedious, I actually enjoyed it. Having the ability to write, I wondered if this could be a worthwhile, 'useful' career. But I realized that my family, especially my grandfather, would be upset if I 'wasted' my education by becoming a writer.

About two years after my residency and fellowship, I got sick, and was forced to stay home. Being extremely restless I enrolled and started taking Online Journalism Courses. After completing a first series of classes, I submitted my notice of resignation, left clinical medicine, and enrolled in a 6-week online writing course for professionals with advanced degrees, including M.D/Ph.Ds. After completing these courses, I was confident that writing would be the right and 'useful' career for me. So, without considering all the consequences, I started my own freelance medical writing and consulting business. And while difficult at times, today, with the growing success of my business, I have a lot of freedom to just focus on writing assignments I like and the (medical) fields I want to cover. Some assignments are within my own specialty, others are not. And this allows me to always learn something new and exciting.

While my family regrets that I'm no longer practice medicine, I'm really happy that I don't. I feel 'useful' and appreciated, and I have the luxury to set my own schedule, travel extensively and meet new people. And while my grandfather is no longer alive, I think he would agree that I'm doing something 'useful' with my life. I know that he would be happy and proud.

So, in the end, I ’m truly confident that I've made the right decision to become a journalists and writer.