Episode 19: Emily Rademacher

May 6, 2019

I’m always on the lookout for when we get emails for NYMC clubs and stuff. I’m still looking for one thing that really sparks my interest, something that I can be really passionate about. In undergrad I played lacrosse and that was definitely my outlet. Being on a team with people who have so many different personalities but are working towards a common goal, it forces you to take a step back and think from multiple other perspectives. I was supported but pushed at the same time in the best way. As cheesy as it sounds, there is no better feeling than competing out on the field with some of your best friends, knowing that everyone on the team would run through a brick wall for you. I think it was special too because it had an expiration date - I always felt like come May 2015, that’s going to be it, so I have four years to get it out and have a ton of fun. The transient nature of it all definitely made me appreciate it more. I cycle now or run, I played pickup soccer in post-grad, which is not the same but still a good time. For me, having activities that aren’t necessarily school related that I really enjoy helps me to stay grounded and excited about medicine.

I went to boarding school for high school just outside of Boston. I was 13 when my parents dropped me off. It was a really good experience but it was also really hard because I came all the way from Virginia. A lot of people when they go to college get kicked back on their heels, but for me that was high school. My boarding school was also very liberal and coming from VA initially I was pretty religious, I went to church every Sunday. Over time, I felt like I was in a space where there wasn’t really room for that - religion was viewed fairly critically. But, when I went to Davidson for college there were so many people that were very purposeful about religion and that was such a perspective changer for me. I took a lot of religion classes, which encouraged me to think more about how people make meaning, how people have different systems of meaning and then bring those systems into the same space and meet at the same level.

When my parents later moved from Virginia to Boston my mom came across these old letters my grandfather had written. He died when I was young, and before he passed he wrote them for my mom and aunt. They were stories that came to his mind about memorable experiences in his life - his honeymoon with my grandma, vacations he took, and a lot of stories about his time as a doctor: his first scary night in the ER, first time treating a snake bite, etc. Finding those letters made me want to go into medicine. I had thought about medicine as a career, and objectively thought that it was a good combination of humanities and science. But these letters were all about how much medicine meant to him and the heartfelt experiences he had with patients and colleagues. It was the first time I really thought about how this profession goes beyond just the clinical aspects, and how much meaning it can give to your own life. When my grandfather died my grandma got something like hundreds of letters from his patients and colleagues--handwritten letters about a conversation they had or a time when he was kind. When I’m having a tough day or I’m just going through the motions, thinking back on that motivates me to be a lot more present and make sure I’m doing things with intention.

If I had absolute free time I would get another dog. Free time is so far away from our reality, but in an alternate universe where I have unlimited monies and free time, I would definitely be a crazy dog lady with like 5 dogs.

What are your 5 Most Recently Played Artists on Spotify?
Khalid, Kacey Musgraves, Maren Morris, Luke Combs, Maggie Rogers

If you could have any superpower, which one would you choose?
Talk to animals - I’m tryna be like Eliza Thornberry.

Pick something or someone from NYMC to give a shout out to!
@Fiona for being a 10/10 roommate, always being down to watch TV and eat brie, and for being an all-around wonderful amazing person and dog whisperer!

If someone wanted to talk to you, they should lead with…
A quote from The Office.