40 | www. Char l es tonPhys i c i ans . com | www.Hea l thL i nksChar l es ton . com MEN WI N HEALTH How would you describe your journey to becoming the doctor you are today? My journey to becoming an ophthalmologist required determination and persistence. The 12 years of training after high school felt like an eternity. While my friends from high school were already climbing the corporate ladder in their late 20s, I was still at the bottom of the totem pole, slowly climbing upward. It’s easy to get lost along the way, and I’m very happy to have met my husband in medical school. He has been my biggest cheerleader and supporter. What routines and habits help you prepare for, or recover from, a day’s challenges? Keeping a planner and daily to-do lists helps me stay prepared for each day. Challenges can happen when least expected, but being prepared helps with the recovery from a tough challenge. Also, spending time with my husband and my 3-year-old son help me recover from a day’s challenges. It sometimes feels as though there is nothing that the joyful laughter and silly jokes from my son cannot fix. What or who inspires you? My patients on a day-to-day basis inspire me. They not only challenge me to increase my knowledge base and technical skills but inspire me to be a better doctor, wife, mom and friend. As a child, did you think you’d be where you are today professionally? I never in my wildest dreams would have thought that I would be a successful business owner, solo ophthalmologist and mother of a rambunctious 3-year-old directly after graduating from residency, but here I am! Describe the person and provider you strive to be. I truly try to be the same as a physician as I am as a person outside of the office: a good listener, empathetic, compassionate and striving to serve others in the best way I can. I’ve always been driven to serve other people, and health care has given me an incredible outlet to do that. What great mentorship have you received? What made it great? During my training, I had a few mentors who were pivotal in supporting me through the process of transitioning to my current role as a solo business owner while completing my ophthalmology residency. The key to that mentorship relationship was that they were always available for questions, to bounce ideas off of and to gripe about problems that came up. The most important piece was that they have been through that process before and had firsthand experience. What advice do you wish you could give to your younger self? Happiness is not going to be found at the next step in your life or career, so start finding that happiness in the now. I found myself over the years frequently saying, “When I graduate from college, I’ll start doing that and I’ll be happy” or “After medical school, I’ll have time to enjoy that,” but time goes by too fast to keep waiting around for the right time for happiness, so find it now. Dr. Nicole Legare MT. PLEASANT EYE SURGEONS Mount Pleasant 843-277-6600 mtpes.com " My patients on a day-to-day basis inspire me. " Photo by Jenn Cady.
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