“The most interesting journeys rarely follow straight lines.” — me, apparently, during this plot twist 🥲
The Unexpected Plot Twist
Hi! I’m a former medical student who’s currently navigating an unexpected (and honestly, terrifying-yet-somehow-exciting?) detour in my career journey. About two months ago, I withdrew from medical school after a period of intense struggle, and I’m now finding myself at a fascinating crossroads between medicine, technology, and creative expression.
This isn’t the story I expected to be telling. But somehow, it’s becoming a story I’m increasingly curious to live.
The Cookie-Cutter Origin Story
My journey began with what feels like the archetypal first-gen narrative: Vietnamese girl born to immigrant parents who sacrificed everything for their children’s future. I internalized the classic immigrant child imperative early—work harder than everyone else, achieve at all costs, bring honor to family through conventional success metrics.
And I delivered on that promise, becoming salutatorian of my high school, crushing my science courses, and eventually earning acceptance to medical school with its impossible 1-2%. The path seemed clear and validated—I was becoming the doctor my family had dreamed of.
There was just one problem.
Finding My Game of CLUE
Ironically, it wasn’t until I was already in medical school that I discovered my authentic answer to the dreaded “why medicine?” question that haunts every medical school application and interview.
Throughout my time at in medical school, I realized I had secretly signed up to play one epic, never-ending game of CLUE for a living—and I loved it. The process of differential diagnosis—collecting clues, ruling out suspects, making your final accusation—lit up my brain in ways nothing else had before.
Clinical reasoning wasn’t just another skill to master; it was a fundamental way of seeing the world that matched how my mind naturally works. At this point, every physician should be carrying a magnifying glass alongside their stethoscope, because fundamentally, they’re detectives solving the mysteries of human suffering. This realization made Detective Le come alive.
When the Detective Lost Her Way
But something happened along the path to becoming the medical detective I aspired to be. The grueling pace, the institutional challenges, the disconnection from joy and creative expression—they all took a devastating toll.
I found myself struggling in ways I’d never experienced before. The person I became was drastically different from who I knew myself to be. The confident, balanced, joyful human who had thrived during my undergraduate years at UT (2018-2022) seemed to disappear, replaced by someone I barely recognized.
Unlike previous challenges I’d faced—like the boyfriend who cheated on me freshman year or failed exams I’d bounced back from—this felt different. It wasn’t a temporary setback on an otherwise upward trajectory. It was a fundamental mismatch between the environment and what I needed to thrive.
The Accidental Tech Journey
Here’s where it gets interesting—while struggling through medical education, I found myself increasingly drawn to systematic thinking, knowledge management tools, and the ways technology could enhance learning and clinical reasoning.
The korok4est started as simply a way to document my medical knowledge and personal growth (and play with pixel art, because why not?). But somehow, almost accidentally, this project became my gateway into the tech world.
From experimenting with digital gardens to learning web development, from discovering the fediverse to exploring the Gemini protocol—these technical explorations started bringing back the spark of curiosity and joy that had been missing.
The Intersection I Never Expected
What truly excites me now is the potential intersection of my medical background (especially my love for clinical reasoning and differential diagnosis) with emerging technologies like AI.
I’m drawn to questions like:
- How might we create interactive tools that help medical students learn differential diagnosis more effectively?
- What would AI-assisted clinical decision support systems look like if designed by someone who deeply understands both the art and science of diagnosis?
- How can we visualize clinical reasoning patterns to make them more accessible?
Rather than choosing between my medical knowledge and technical interests, I’m discovering they might actually be two complementary pieces of the same puzzle.
Where I Am Now
Currently, I’m at this fascinating intersection point where I’m:
- Learning Python through this adorable course called “The Legend of Python” on Codedex (which speaks to both my inner YOG1TRON and my love for Legend of Zelda!)
- Exploring AI applications in healthcare
- Developing my korok4est digital garden as an integration space
- Processing the complex grief of leaving medical education
- Building a more holistic company structure for myself that honors all aspects of this journey
The Reframed Quest
This journey feels less like abandoning medicine and more like discovering a different route to my original goal of improving healthcare—just with a different set of tools than I initially imagined.
Instead of treating patients directly, I might create tools that help countless healthcare providers improve their clinical reasoning processes. Maybe this alternate quest route will end up being a better fit for my character build after all?
The road ahead is uncertain, but it’s filled with unexpected treasures hidden under metaphorical rocks. And every time I discover one, I can’t help but hear that delightful “Ya ha ha!” of a korok revealing itself.
What’s Next?
Go learn more about Master Le, Inc. as an organizational framework and the