Welcome to the first ever Friday’s Digest, my weekly newsletter :-)

Who am I?

😎 My name is Shay Sharon, and I’m an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon who traveled halfway around the world from my home country Israel to Boston, MA, United States. I recently started my 2-year fellowship program in Head and Neck Cancer Surgical Oncology and Microvascular Reconstruction. In other words, I’m here in Boston to receive advanced surgical training.

🥼 I’m also a scientist with a major interest in head and neck cancer, immunology, and immunotherapy. Simply put, I investigate the relationship between our immune system and head and neck cancer to push our immune system to fight cancer. I aim to combine my surgical and research skills to transform terminal head and neck cancer into a chronic disease and to treat the so-called “untreatable.”

👨‍👩‍👦‍👦 I’m a father of two and a husband. My family is in Israel and will join me later this month. The last time we met in person was almost two months ago! And by the way, this is not the first time we pulled this kind of stunt… More on that in upcoming issues.

👨🏻‍🎓Academically, I’ve been a student/trainee for the last 19 years… You should see my student card, it is an archeological artifact by now. Over the years, I completed my BMedSc, Masters, PhD, Dentistry School, Medical School, Residency in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Research Fellowship in Immunology, Medical Internship, and nowadays I’m a surgical fellow.

So why a newsletter?

🤔 Well, I thought it would be an excellent way to update my family and friends on what is going on in my life, an original way of keeping a diary, something that my kids will read years from now, a channel that will preserve our memories. In addition, I think it will be a good platform for me to help people in different stages of their lives. I accumulated much knowledge and experience, so it is only fair to pass it on.

“Good judgment is the result of experience and experience the result of bad judgment” - Mark Twain

I love this quote! It reminds me that every screw-up we make advances us toward becoming experienced professionals…

📚 So, in the upcoming issues, I will share my experience and give tips for going through medical school, dental school, oral and maxillofacial surgery residency, USMLE, and head and neck cancer fellowship. I will share my endeavors as a young researcher, recommend books, gear, and gadgets, and describe my productivity and time management system.

I adore this video. Jennifer Lawrence, who never went to acting school, just received the Oscar for Best Actress. So straightforward, not following the conventional norms, and touching the stars. A true inspiration.

A Foreigner in a Foreign Country

🇺🇸 The other pillar of this newsletter is sharing my family’s and my own experiences as foreigners in a foreign country. This is not my first time playing this role since I have already spent time as a research fellow in the US. That time, it was in Portland, OR.

👦👦 However, this is a much longer ride, and the whole family is making the trip this time. My wife, a PhD herself, is continuing her journey in making a real impact on saving our planet. My kids, 4 and 8 years old, will join the American school system. Speaking Hebrew and only understanding some English will be a significant experience for them and our family. I will share our experiences, hoping to help those in the same situation as us.

💬 So, how does a foreigner feel? Well, it is an interesting and complex topic, which I will dive into in the following issues of this newsletter. This time I will give one example:

A Day-to-Day Experience

☎️ In the US, whenever you make a phone call and reach an automatic routing system, you don’t use the dial-pad but instead say the topic you need help with. When the answering system does not understand you, this is when you feel like a true foreigner…

🇵🇹 This week, I used the hospital’s interpretation phone system to talk to a non-English speaking patient, so I had to say the language I needed a translation for. When prompted by the phone, I announced “Portuguese.” The system responded: “You selected Thaeese” (I don’t think this is actually a language). So I hung up and dialed again. This time the system responded: “You selected Persian.” What?! That doesn’t even sound the same!

🙊 My mentor, who stood next to me, smiled and nonchalantly pronounced “Portuguese” to the phone, who promptly responded, “You selected Portuguese,” and transferred us to the translator. Well, I’m fluent in 3 languages, 2 of which with an accent. But this is what makes you feel like a foreigner…

Tip For the Relocators

📱Best value mobile phone plan for me - Mint. There’s also the option to purchase a sim kit for a few bucks and test the reception in your area before purchasing a plan.

Book I Read

📖 Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey. I listened to the audiobook while jogging (twice!), and I highly recommend it over the written version. Narrated by him, McConaughey tells his life story, while not conforming to the how-to-write-a-biography rules. It’s the perfect book for people who value the journey, not just the destination. 

Show I Watched

⛹🏾The Last Dance - My favorite sports team of all time, the ‘80s-'90s Basketball NBA team, the Chicago Bulls. Ten episodes take you on a journey that you can learn a lot from, whether you’re into sports or not. This group is so diverse, but they transcend as a team into something divine. And, of course, Michael Jordan, who has changed the world of sports forever. I recommend it to everyone! Not just the sports fans.

Gear I use

📷 Canon EOS RP - My go-to camera as a surgeon in the operating room and the clinic. Also great for taking dental pictures. Coupled with Canon Macro 100mm 2.8L lens, adapter, and Canon’s ring flash. Previously, I used Canon 5D mark iii, so this camera body is a downgrade in dynamic range. However, given that it is mirrorless and has a rotating touchscreen, it allows me to take pictures in the operating room quickly and reliably (positioning the camera in the OR is extremely challenging). In addition, The macro L lens and ring flash produce excellent results.

Ever since I started taking pictures of surgical procedures, I’ve had tons of people ask me how I do it. It’s such an interesting topic that I think it would make a great issue! I can detail my 8 years of experience in photography and share some tips on how to take great pictures of surgical procedures. Something like - “From OR to Print: A Photographer’s Evolution”. Sounds interesting?

Epilogue

That’s it for this issue.

As you probably noticed, I went for the “first issue” motive.

In the next issues, I’ll give you more life-in-Boston updates, continue the tip-for-relocators/book/show/gear-I-use theme, and write about an interesting topic.

I think that in the next issue I’ll write about sleep 🛌. Let me know what you think.

See you next Friday!

Shay