As a fellow, I assumed that finishing training would bring a sense of certainty. I thought that becoming faculty meant finally feeling confident, established, and fully prepared. Instead, my first year taught me that Gastroenterology (GI) continues to challenge and reshape you long after fellowship ends.
My path to academic GI was not linear. I matched into Internal Medicine (IM) training in the United States in 2017, but visa limitations prevented that opportunity from moving forward. At the time, it felt devastating. Looking back now, I realize that setback redirected rather than ended my journey. I completed IM and GI fellowship training in Pakistan, pursued research opportunities, connected with mentors globally, and eventually joined the Inflammatory Bowel Disease fellowship program at Washington University in St. Louis under Drs. Matthew Ciorba and Parakkal Deepak, before beginning my first faculty position at University of Nebraska Medical Center Omaha, NE.
One of the most profound lessons from this journey is that a career in GI is not measured by how quickly you reach a destination, but by your resilience in continuing forward through uncertainty and setbacks. Many trainees constantly measure themselves against others; publications, fellowships, job offers, timelines. Yet medicine is not a race where everyone begins from the same place. Some careers follow conventional paths, while others are forged through perseverance, reinvention, and the courage to overcome obstacles that were never expected.
I have never underestimated the importance of mentorship and professional community in shaping early careers. Some of the mentors, collaborators, and opportunities that transformed my career came through virtual GI communities, conferences, and professional networks to name few Dr Parakkal Deepak, Dr Katie Hutchins, Dr Aline Charabaty, Dr Shaji Sebastian, Dr Shrinivas Bishu, Tina Aswani-Omprakash (Strategic Alliance for Intercultural Advocacy in GI CEO), and there are many more. What initially seemed like distant connections eventually became real mentorship, research collaborations, and lifelong friendships. For trainees entering practice today, meaningful academic communities can exist far beyond your own institution.
The transition to faculty has also changed how I view mentorship itself. During training, I was always searching for guidance and opportunity. Now, one of the most rewarding parts of this year has been helping trainees and junior colleagues navigate their own paths, particularly women and international graduates who may feel uncertain about where they belong in academic GI.
If I could tell my fellowship self one thing, it would be this: your career does not have to follow the same timeline or path as everyone else’s to be deeply meaningful and fulfilling. Stay adaptable. Keep learning. Keep showing up. There will be setbacks, delays, and moments when the path ahead feels uncertain, but those experiences often shape you in ways success alone cannot. Since childhood, when I wished I could become a boy simply so I could pursue an education more freely, I learned early that resilience and determination would have to guide my path. One lesson my father often reminded me of throughout this journey is: “You cannot control the wind, but you can adjust your sails.” Looking back, I realize that many of the opportunities that ultimately defined my career came from learning how to adapt rather than giving up when plans changed. The road may be unpredictable, but there is still a way forward.
Author
Jalpa Devi, MBBS, is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. She completed GI training in Pakistan followed by an IBD Fellowship at Washington University in St. Louis. Her academic interests include inflammatory bowel disease, obesity in IBD, perianal Crohn’s disease, global IBD care, women in gastroenterology, and artificial intelligence in IBD. Dr. Devi is actively involved in international collaborations, mentorship initiatives, and advocacy for women and international trainees in gastroenterology.