The dream is free, the hustle is sold separately. In medical school I was voted most likely to switch careers and go into Hollywood. My response? "I can do both!" Because when you want something badly enough, you put in the work. You power up to push yourself and see it through. Finally recapping the Jaanuu photoshoot in LA for you all! Jaanuu is an innovative and inclusive scrub company that offers high quality apparel to help healthcare professionals perform at their best. The fabric is designed for ultimate comfort, style, and functionality, with durable, moisture-wicking, as well as wrinkle, fade, and odor-resistant properties. The company offers a variety of styles engineered for medical professionals always on the go.

It has been a whirlwind of holiday cheer and reasons to celebrate despite some of the difficulties we are facing in healthcare and the community at large. One of the biggest difficulties I recently shed light on was the cost of education. I shared how I helped pay for my medical school tuition through competing in Miss America pageants. See the Reel below:

My message resonated with so many people around the world. Several of you wanted to find out exactly how to get involved in pageants. I hope the following information on the who, what, why, when, where, and how gives you better insight and inspires you to start your own journey!

For more on my pageant experience click HERE. Keep in mind this post is specifically talking about Miss America (Congratulations to Miss America 2022, Emma Broyles, who won $100,000 in scholarship assistance along with a six-figure salary plus benefits for her year-long reign). There are several other pageant organizations but I am not as familiar with these and cannot speak to their requirements, their rewards, or the cost.

Who can compete?

According to Miss America's website, you can compete if you:

• Are between the ages of 17 and 25 years old
• Are a United States citizen
• Meet residency requirements for competing in a certain city or state
• Must reside in state of competition
• Be enrolled in and physically attending classes on a full-time basis at an accredited college or university
• Be employed on a full-time bases in the state in which you intend to compete
• Meet character criteria as set forth by the Miss America Organization
• Be in reasonable good health to meet the job requirements
• Be able to meet the time commitment and job responsibilities as set forth by the local, state, and national competition(s) in which you compete
• Here is the complete list of eligibility requirements

What is involved in competing?

There is a $35 registration fee, which gives you the chance to win a $1000 scholarship right from the start. In addition, you must complete an application that includes a social impact statement, your resume, and come up with a talent (mine was dance one year and singing the next). My platform was STEAM: Adding Arts to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics).

The only additional fundraising I did to become a contestant was raise money for the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals (CMNH). Miss America has raised over $6.9 billion in donations for CMNH and continues to be a proud partner. Learn more HERE. It is an incredible cause and actually led me to volunteer at our local Children's Miracle Network Hospital.

Why compete?

As described on the Miss America website, "[t]he organization stands for empowering young women across the country to be the best they can be through leadership, talent, communication skills and smarts." In several cases, a lot of growth and development happens behind the scenes. What you see on stage is only a small part of the experience. Competing for Miss America pageants gives you the opportunity to gain valuable life skills, earn scholarship money (regardless of winning), discover new interests, make lifelong friendships, achieve goals, foster a positive mindset, receive recognition for community involvement, and develop a sense of responsibility for helping others.

Miss America gives you access to exclusive professional development series with experts in:

• Public Speaking
• Advocacy and Fundraising
• Resume building
• Career and Networking opportunities
• Health and Wellness
• Financial Literacy
• Performance, Press, and Social Media training

When to compete?

Where to compete?

How to compete?

With Halloween just around the corner, I figured it was time we talk about a topic that makes many feel like they are wearing a costume - and not just for the holiday: Impostor Syndrome.

Defined as a psychological phenomena of doubting one’s abilities and feeling like a fraud, Impostor Syndrome disproportionately affects high-achieving individuals, especially women. They struggle to accept their accomplishments, doubt their skills and abilities, and question their success and intelligence. These feelings of insecurity can be associated with stress, anxiety, and depression. It can occur in work environments, academic settings, and with social interactions. 

The role of attending physician comes with a lot of expectations set by mentors, colleagues, patients, friends, family, and especially oneself. Such standards can easily by overshadowed by the fear of failure, which is why recognizing the pattern before internalizing the emotions is so important.

The rest is building your confidence, knowing your self-worth, and increasing your self-esteem. If you're dealing with Impostor Syndrome, follow these five steps below to help you overcome it:

1. Recognize the syndrome for what it is so you can process and address it. This may be seen as using minimizing language or downplaying your success. There are several different types of impostor syndrome as well including the Perfectionist, Natural Genius, Expert, Soloist, and Superwoman/Man (see below).
2. Remind yourself of your own accomplishments and what it took to get where you are today. Review your resume and personal statements to solidify your purpose. It is true what they say - you know more than you think you do. Trust yourself with this knowledge.
3. Reinforce your perspective with the help of others, reach out for support and guidance. Find a mentor and role model who will inspire and encourage you.
4. Represent yourself and the person you have grown to become. Don’t be afraid to take advantage of opportunities that challenge you and further your career. DO NOT let impostor syndrome hold you back from fulfilling your passions.
5. Review what you have done so far to find areas of improvement. This may mean writing things down and seeking out others for feedback and constructive criticism. Be better than you were yesterday and strive to be the person of tomorrow.

Your girl is one degree hotter! My MBA is officially complete. 

For those of you wondering if it is worth pursuing an MBA, my answer is ABSOLUTELY if what it offers fits your interests, goals, and needs. My two-year journey to learn all about business administration and innovation has led me to so many incredible opportunities. This includes my partnership with AmorSui. I helped create the Alice Hamilton antimicrobial gloves (see below) as a way to protect the community amidst the pandemic. This gave me a firsthand experience in product development and business administration.

I learned about corporate citizenship and social responsibility, strategic insights, entrepreneurship, operations management, finance accounting, economics, marketing, and so much more. My goal is to apply my knowledge to healthcare and the field of Cancer Rehabilitation in a way that puts patients over profit. I’m also hopefully starting my own business so stay tuned!

What are the pros?

Earning your MBA has tons of pros. It is a great way to build yourself professionally and set you apart from others. It can offer new career opportunities, from management and leadership positions, as well as increase compensation and pave the way for job promotions. If you're interested in starting a business, this degree can equip you with the skills and knowledge you need. Learn more HERE.

What are the cons?

One of the major cons to earning this degree is the cost or to put it in MBA turns "return on investment." There are ways to circumvent and/or mitigate the expense. I was able to pursue my degree through my residency program, which offered employee tuition reimbursement. See if your employer will help pay for your degree.

Another concern is the time and commitment. I enrolled in a part-time online program. The curriculum was done remotely and easily manageable with my busy hospital schedule. My program was two years long and, for the most part, I took one course per semester. There are others that are shorter or longer depending on how many courses you want to take and if your program accepts prior undergraduate or graduate course credits.

What types of MBA programs are there?

In addition online vs in person there are several different types of MBA degrees you can pursue. I chose to pursue an innovation MBA or iMBA. Earning an MBA was described to me as learning how to do a job whereas earning an iMBA was described as learning how to do a job, finding ways to do it more efficiently. The coursework taught me how to create an effective business plan to implement them. As a physician, I focus on quality improvement and patient-centered care. Being able to apply my innovative thinking skills to my practice just made sense. There are other concentrated MBA degrees as well such as Executive and Healthcare.

Leave a comment or feel free to message with any additional questions!

xx

Alyssa Cole, DO, MBA ;)