Finding your Fire with Dr. Calvin Thigpen

Calvin Thigpen MD is an Associate Professor of Medicine and the Program Director for the Internal Medicine Residency at the University of Mississippi. He completed his medical school, residency, and chief residency in internal medicine from the University of Mississippi Medical Center, and then obtained  ABIM Oncology Board Certification. Dr. Thigpen serves on the ACP Board as the Mississippi chapter governor and in various capacities in many other committees. With more than over two decades of experience mentoring students and residents, he has been the recipient of a many awards, including the Nelson Order of Teaching Excellence. What makes you come alive? What lights up your spirit—and sets you on fire? If you haven’t found out what that is yet—make that your top priority. Find out, and go do it. Today, Dr. Calvin Thigpen explains that the world needs people who have come alive. The world needs the people who are living in alignment with what fulfills them most, and brings them passion. In medicine, Dr. Thigpen recalls struggling between what he’s good at—and what he really wanted to do. He advises us to not simply make decisions based on what others may think we’re good at. He shares a story about making the difficult decision to leave oncology after realizing it’s not what he was passionate about. And that as we journey through life, we need to honor our own passions, and not worry about disappointing others. Pearls of Wisdom: Be cognizant of what makes you feel fulfilled. That will guide you in making career decisions. In whatever you do, go all in: It’s the only way to find out what you’re made of.  Be honest with what you want, both with yourself and with your mentors. Know that mentoring relationships develop over time, and need to be built on trust.  What other people say you’re good at doesn’t necessarily mean you should do it. Finding what makes you fulfilled is going to pull you through the tough times.  In life, find whatever it is that makes you come alive—and do it. What the world needs is people who come alive. The world needs passion.  Successful people all have one thing in common: they have come alive, they are on fire for what it is they’re doing. You really have to have that fire to be successful.