To New Beginnings...
Dr. Gustavo Bello and I have made the difficult decision not renew our contracts at GBMC. My last day will be June 30, 2021. We have dreamed about this, been exhilarated by this, cried about this (for me, at times, publicly sobbed about this), constantly thought about this, and prayed about this decision. In July 2021, we will be leading a national Weight Loss Institute from central Florida. We are thankful and truly blessed for this opportunity of a lifetime. I will always reflect on my insightful experience at GBMC with gratitude. I have learned so much, matured as a leader, created a fabulous program, and met incredibly talented, loyal, amazing clinicians and friends. We are hardwired against the unknown. But, in my gut, I knew this was the career move I was meant to take. Change-making creates resistance. It is against the rules. Change is a never-ending journey filled with hard work, triumph, surprise, struggle, and heartbreak. Change is seen as loss. But I’m not going to stop myself. I am giving myself permission to imagine a different way. Decisively, I’m charging into the unknown optimistically and courageously. I came to see that—while incredibly hard—there is nothing shameful about endings. It can be a wise decision to leave one path and choose another. Scary, yes. And that itself was a massive insight for me: something new, innovative, novel is a deliberate choice. However, most of all, I’m utterly heartbroken and shattered to potentially disappoint my patients. I’m humbled by the ultimate honor and privilege to get to take care of so many patients and their families as if they were my own. I hope they will always remain close and focused on their health. I am dedicated to making a seamless transition to Drs. Tim Friesen and Shauna Costinett’s capable hands. The future is a blank canvas. I get to write my own narrative. From now on, my story won’t be simple. But that’s the point. It is becoming clearer to me that the fullest lives are lived by people not afraid of complication, mistakes, or imperfection. Determined to look forward, we leapt off that cliff.
Sincerely,
Betsy
Elizabeth A. Dovec, MD, FACS, FASMBS, DBOM