Hasta cuando se van a quedar?
Each November, I travel to Bolivia with Solidarity Bridge to support patients and medical teams during a week of complex neurosurgeries. This year, I was once again reminded that the smallest gestures—smiles, thank-you gifts, words of appreciation—can carry extraordinary meaning.
In this post, I reflect on what those moments teach us about connection, gratitude, and staying grounded in the “why” behind our work as healthcare professionals.
Whether you’re navigating burnout, leadership stress, or just feeling disconnected, I hope this story helps you remember what matters most.
👉 Read on below - or reach out if you'd like to explore coaching or upcoming retreats.
I’ve just returned from my annual trip to Bolivia with Solidarity Bridge, “a U.S.–based non-profit organization which works alongside partners in Bolivia and Paraguay to train and equip medical communities to provide high-complexity surgery and other healthcare for patients who lack access to treatment.” For the past seven years, this journey—usually right before Thanksgiving—has been one of the most grounding and meaningful parts of my year.
My role is to accompany the U.S. volunteer team as they navigate the emotional, physical, and spiritual layers of serving in a low-resource setting. I also spend much of my time with the patients and their families as they undergo life-saving neurosurgery. Bearing witness to both sides—the clinicians who offer their gifts and the patients whose courage is palpable—continues to reshape me each time.
A Reunion of Healing
On the first morning of our week-long surgical campaign, as we walk through the hospital doors, we’re greeted by familiar faces—patients and families returning for annual follow-up visits. Every one of them has undergone an extraordinarily complex neurosurgical procedure on the brain or spinal cord, performed collaboratively by our team and our Bolivian colleagues.
They greet us with radiant smiles, strong hugs, and heartfelt words of gratitude. They share stories of transformation:
chronic, debilitating pain replaced by the freedom to work again,
tumors removed and lives restored,
neurological impairment resolved with what can only be described as grace meeting skill.
These moments are what call us back each year. They are reminders that the work of healing is always shared work—across cultures, across disciplines, across humanity.
And then comes the question that every patient and family member asks:
“¿Hasta cuándo se van a quedar ustedes?”
(How long are you going to stay?)
They ask because they want time—time to gather enough money to buy a box of chocolates, time to choose a small souvenir that represents their region, time to craft a simple wooden gift in their shop. They want to express their gratitude in the only way they can.
By week’s end, many of us return to our hotel carrying bags of these small, humble gifts—tokens that carry far more meaning than their material value. They are reminders of relationship, reciprocity, and the power of being seen.
Remembering What We Sometimes Forget
These gestures bring me back to my years in pediatric practice. Even as the healthcare system has placed increasing distance between doctors and the people they serve, moments of appreciation, connection, and mutual recognition still break through.
A patient who thanks you for listening.
A parent who feels understood for the first time.
A colleague who notices your kindness on a hard day.
They may not bring chocolates or wooden sculptures, but the meaning is the same.
In the stress and swirl of modern practice, it is easy to overlook these moments. Yet they are what sustain many of us—the reminders that our work still matters, not because of productivity metrics or inboxes cleared, but because of human lives touched.
During This Season of Gratitude
As we celebrate Thanksgiving this year, I invite you to notice the small gestures of appreciation around you. They are there, even when subtle. They are offered freely, without expectation. And they have the power to reconnect us with the reasons we chose this profession in the first place.
Thank you for the work you do—for your patients, your trainees, your colleagues, and your communities.
Be kind to yourself,
Dr. Joe
Pediatrician, Physician Professional Development Coach, Retreat Facilitator
Whether you are facing uncertainty, burnout, seeking direction, or striving for greater fulfillment in your career, know that support is available. If you or someone you know could benefit from coaching, I invite you to reach out. Together, we can explore how to transform challenges into opportunities for personal and professional growth.
Just contact me at joe@joeshermanmd.com or schedule a free video consultation.