It’s Only a Bump: Overcoming Challenges in a Small-Town Medical Practice

Small towns can be places where you can make your dreams come true. Dr. Jona Gorra narrates her story of migrating from a small town in the Philippines to opening several medical practices in the USA.

Bright and determined, she recounts her experiences of applying for a medical internship in the U.S. from the Philippines, her residency through Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons at Harlem Hospital Center in New York, finding an innovative pathway to a permanent stay in the U.S., and settling and succeeding in Sussex County, Delaware.

The book describes her strategic approach from preparing to becoming a doctor, changing her visa status in order to legally stay in the U.S., growing her medical profession from one clinic to three, continuing to serve her patients during the pandemic, and caring for herself when she became ill with symptoms similar to COVID-19. While her story will inspire readers who want to become a medical doctor like herself, it will encourage everyone to acquire a mindset to overcome life’s inevitable bumps and challenges in order to accomplish their goals.