I Was An MIT Educated Neurosurgeon Now I'm Unemployed And Alone In The Mountains How Did I Get Here?

Summary

Former neurosurgeon Gooby shares a deeply personal journey of his 20-year medical career, including his prestigious education at MIT and the disillusionment that led to his departure from the profession. He candidly discusses the ethical struggles of practicing medicine focused on profit rather than true healing. Gooby's story is a testament to the importance of trusting one's heart and the transformative power of reconnecting with nature, as he embarks on a new chapter of life, capturing and sharing the therapeutic essence of natural landscapes.

Takeaways

• 🎓 Gooby, the former neurosurgeon, had an extensive educational background with a degree from MIT and years of medical and neurosurgery training.
• 💡 Gooby's initial interest in neurosurgery was sparked by a fascination with the brain and the potential of brain-machine interfaces, aiming to help patients like Luke Skywalker from Star Wars.
• 🔍 During his research, Gooby discovered the limitations of brain-machine interfaces due to the body's rejection of foreign objects like electrodes, leading to his disillusionment with the field.
• 🏥 Gooby spent six years training in neurosurgery, learning both brain and spine surgery techniques, but eventually realized that these procedures often didn't address the root causes of patients' conditions.
• 😔 Gooby experienced profound unhappiness and a sense of moral conflict, feeling that his surgeries were not truly healing patients but only treating symptoms.
• 🌱 Gooby observed that patients who adopted healthier lifestyles, including diet, exercise, and stress management, often healed more effectively without surgery.
• 🏘️ The medical system's focus on profitable treatments rather than holistic healing was a source of ethical concern for Gooby, leading to his decision to quit neurosurgery.
• 💔 Gooby felt stuck in his career, causing significant emotional distress, including a 40-pound weight gain, sadness, and anger, culminating in a 'midlife crisis'.
• 🚫 Despite the lack of a clear plan for the future, Gooby chose to quit his job as a neurosurgeon with the support of his understanding wife, prioritizing his mental and physical health.
• 🌳 After quitting, Gooby focused on outdoor activities, healthy living, and spending quality time with his dog, which he documents on his YouTube channel, Gooby and Doobie.
• 🌻 Gooby's story emphasizes the importance of following one's heart, seeking fulfillment outside of traditional career paths, and finding alternative ways to contribute to healing and well-being.

Q & A

Why did Gooby quit his neurosurgeon job?

Gooby quit his neurosurgeon job because he felt it was not addressing the root causes of his patients' health problems and he was experiencing a moral injury, which led to unhappiness and a sense of being stuck in a job he no longer believed in.

What was Gooby's educational background before becoming a neurosurgeon?

Gooby attended college at MIT, completed four years of medical school, and underwent six years of neurosurgery training.

What inspired Gooby to pursue a career in neurosurgery initially?

Gooby was inspired to pursue neurosurgery due to his interest in how the brain works and the possibility of working on brain-machine interfaces, such as creating robotic limbs controlled by thoughts.

What was Gooby's realization about the limitations of brain-machine interfaces?

Gooby realized that the brain rejects foreign objects like electrodes, building up scar tissue that eventually prevents the electrodes from effectively interfacing with the brain, thus limiting the feasibility of brain-machine interfaces.

How did Gooby's perspective on surgeries change after his residency?

Gooby's perspective changed as he recognized that surgeries were not always addressing the underlying causes of patients' conditions and that many patients could improve or even heal without surgery by adopting healthier lifestyles.

What lifestyle factors did Gooby observe as contributing to patients' healing?

Gooby observed that patients who healed well generally followed a mostly plant-based diet, exercised regularly, did not smoke, had good social support, slept well, and managed stress effectively.

Why did Gooby feel that the medical system was not set up for healing?

Gooby felt the medical system was focused on therapies that generate income for hospitals and doctors, rather than on prevention and holistic healing approaches that do not necessarily involve surgeries or medications.

What was Gooby's emotional state during his time as a neurosurgeon?

Gooby was very unhappy and experienced a sense of moral injury, which led to feelings of sadness, anger, frustration, and a lack of hope.

How did Gooby's wife support his decision to quit his job?

Gooby's wife was understanding and supportive, encouraging him to quit when he expressed his unhappiness and the toll it was taking on his mental and physical health.

What did Gooby do after quitting his job as a neurosurgeon?

After quitting, Gooby focused on living a healthier lifestyle, spending time outdoors with his dog, and started a YouTube channel called 'Gooby and Doobie' to document their experiences and share the therapeutic effects of nature.

What is the message Gooby hopes to convey to others through his story?

Gooby hopes to inspire others to trust their hearts, lean on the support of loved ones, and make changes in their lives to pursue what truly makes them happy and fulfilled, even if it means letting go of something that once seemed essential.