From Libero to Pathologist

A strong play in volleyball consists of three main components: bump, set, spike. The spike is the main attack, which will hopefully earn the team a point. However, the spiker cannot hit the ball without the setter placing the ball in a good place for the spiker to hit it. Furthermore, the setter cannot set the ball for the spiker without a good first bump or pass, which is where my position - the libero - comes in. The libero is a defensive specialist whose job is to make a good first pass to the setter from the opposing team’s attacks. Without a solid first pass or defense made against the opposing spikes, the points and game are lost.

While they may seem worlds apart, medicine is somewhat similar to volleyball. The goal of spiking the ball in a way the opposing team cannot return is like the goal of treating a patient’s disease to hopefully prevent it from recurring or progressing further. The treating physician acts like the setter, trying to find the best treatment that will set the patient up for success. However, the treating physician cannot effectively treat the patient without the correct diagnosis, which is where the pathologist, similar to the libero, comes in. Just like the setter relies on the libero, the treating physician relies on the pathologist to determine the right diagnosis to help them decide on the best treatment for the patient. The pathologist is the ultimate defender against disease - vigilantly watching for how and when disease attacks the patient’s cells, discovering ways to screen and test patients for diseases, and researching and teaching colleagues  about how disease affects normal tissue.

I love pathology for similar reasons that I love playing libero. Pathology is an intriguing, but also difficult field, as patients and their possible diseases can be very complex. I am motivated by the challenges it encompasses and the discipline and good work ethic it requires. Pathologists are a crucial part of the medical team. Even though they may not be the one directly interacting with the patient and treating their illness, their job of analyzing the patient’s case and delivering the correct diagnosis is vital to a patient’s success. I value being able to work with teammates, support them, and collaborate with them. I desire to be someone my colleagues and patients can steadily rely upon. I enjoyed being the foundation of my volleyball teams in the past as a libero, and I look forward to becoming the foundation of my medical teams in the future as a pathologist.

Rachel Sawada, California Northstate University, College of Medicine

Rachel Sawada is a third-year medical student at California Northstate University, College of Medicine, and will be applying for the 2022 Match cycle. Besides playing volleyball, she enjoys photography, music, and during non-pandemic times, traveling.

Twitter: raespath