The year is already approaching its end, and I realised I did not want it to pass without another yearly post on The Sacred Skin (lucky you).

Over the past months I have often wondered why I don’t write here as frequently as I used to. Sometimes it feels like I’m standing at a crossroads: continue this platform with intention, or let go and make room for other things. I think the truth is simply that I want to write when I actually have something to say. Sitting here with my thoughts, I realise that time is now, and I am not done with this space just yet.

If I had to summarize 2025, my keywords would be ‘lessons’, ‘successes’, and ‘fuck-ups’. Still, the word that ties everything together for me is 

. Quiet, painful, surprising growth. The kind you barely notice until suddenly you’re standing somewhere you’ve never been before.

On a personal level, this year taught me something I honestly never mastered before: learning to speak up for my own needs and outgrowing the pleaser-mode. This one’s a really hard one for me especially when it concerns friends and family. I discovered that saying “no” from time to time doesn’t make me disappointing. To keep it real I’m still learning to master this lesson, but at least I finally started.

Another major shift: my partner and I finally moved into our new place. After years of living between cities, hospitals and temporary walls, it feels comforting to land somewhere and call it our own. Although I know adventure will return to us eventually, a pause in the nomad life brings a lot of peace of mind with it.

Turning thirty and throwing a massive party, has been one of my favourite memories of the year. I celebrated surrounded by people who truly care for me, and it filled me with the kind of gratitude that settles deep in your bones. If thirty is the beginning of something, I hope it continues like this: honest, imperfect, full of purpose, surrounded by love, and led by curiosity rather than fear.

Professionally, this second-to-last year in training was the most intense one of my medical career so far. It pushed me into situations that asked more than I could imagine: knowledge, instinct, leadership, compassion, courage, but especially endurance. I have experienced periods of deep uncertainty, questioned myself more deeply than I, sadly, every expected to. There were days where the only option was to keep going, literally work through the tears and trust that I would somehow grow through it.

New challenges appeared, of the kind I hadn’t experienced in a while. Shaking my sense of direction, forcing me to slow down (which is a tortuous feeling for someone like me). It made me rethink how to act when life refuses to go according to plan, like at all. I had multiple reasons to give in, but I showed up anyway. Every morning, for my patients, my team, and myself. That consistency alone feels like something to be proud of.

This year also taught me what resilience really looks like, and how powerful a social network can be. Colleagues who genuinely cared and supported me. Friends who reminded me of who I am, and what I bring to the table. Conversations that offered space for me to be vulnerable. Over and over again. I now understand, more than ever, that being a good doctor isn’t only about clinical skill. It’s about mental strength. Empathy. Self-awareness. The ability to stay human while caring for other humans in a system that is just designed to make you feel dependent and insecure.

But it wouldn’t be my chapter, if there wasn’t anything positive to be distilled out of it. Because this year has been about real progress too. My clinical responsibilities expanded, and I feel my knowledge deepens each and every day. I spoke at multiple conferences (feeling like a real girl-boss up there) and discovered once more how energised I feel on stage. I contributed to research, finished my thesis, and continued building towards publication work. I can sense myself growing into the kind of dermatologist I want to become: grounded, curious, patient-focused and scientifically driven. Little me could only dream of the shoes I am stepping into today.

And perhaps the most surreal thought of all: in one year I will be a dermatologist (pinch me please). Standing upright in my last year of residency, makes me dream about a beautiful 2026. A year in which I will graduate and step into a new adventure about which I will tell you when the time is right. A dream I once thought impossible is becoming real, step by step.

• continue building confidence as a future dermatologist

• take care of myself with more kindness, not perfectionism

• protect my limits without apology, while keeping space for my loved ones 

• grow calmly instead of forcing progress

• continue to show interest in the invisible journey of others and embrace them warmly

•  read more books that aren't medicine-related

•  educate myself more on a financial level, with an eye on my future professional life

Thirty. A year that shaped me.

It’s me, your 28-year old future self. More specifically, it was exactly a decade ago that I graduated from high school,  settled in a whole new city and started college. It's as if the past ten years went by in the blink of an eye, and yet I feel like we have experienced more than enough to evaluate how we did. 

According to what I heard, writing a letter to your past self is even a common form of therapy.  It makes space for self-reflection, acceptance, and healing with wisdom that can only come from hindsight.
Remember this letter is by far meant to lecture you. On the contrary, just keep going like you do, because you will be just fine. 

When I think about you as an 18-year old, I have the image in mind of a bouncy, infinite positivist who loves to live and could be called an atmosphere architect.    Cheerful is your middle name, and it's almost as if you don't know how to be in a bad mood. You have many friends and love to gather as much people around you as possible.   And although you're not exactly where you want to end up in life from the start, eventually you'll be  studying medicine: something you'll have to fight for with all that you have.  

You have very ambitious dreams, such as working and studying abroad, expanding your fashion and lifestyle blog, and on top of that becoming a dermatologist too! You strongly believe you are unique, and you act like it.
In short, life is beautiful and it definitely could be much worse. Every day is another party, in every sense imaginable.

Still, you struggle with insecurities and you care a lot about what would later be labeled trivial.  While in retrospect, you have everything in you to get you anywhere. 

You are right in the middle of  what's going to be  the best time of your life. You're busy doing only that what makes you happy, except for the two months a year confinement for studying.   You are learning and growing into the  you that is now me. Needless to say you'll forever stay the wild child  you are.

You are loyal to your friends and family, and have love in surplus to hand out. And so you are when it comes to romance. Despite good intentions from both sides, your current relationship starts to  sow turmoil in your mind. Your spontaneity is your greatest gift, but the amount of people able to handle it is scarce. You will have to deal with jealousy and broken friendships. More than once it might feel like you have to 'dim your light' to make those around you feel comfortable. You'll face professional challenges too, which will make you fall deep initially, only to rise back up stronger.    

  If I'm allowed to give you one piece of advice, it's to stop taking things so personally. It will take you some time to realize other people's  behavior  is  only a reflection of their internal struggles and insecurities.  Keep believing in yourself, your capabilities, the fact that crazy always outplays boring, and continue to always look on the bright side of life. Surround yourself with those who uplift and support you, cultivating relationships that inspire growth and foster positivity. Choose wisely and cherish those who genuinely believe in you. 

And never apologize  for burning too brightly again.

You deserve so much more credit than you give yourself. Stop downplaying your skills and start welcoming challenges as opportunities for personal development.    You are capable of achieving greatness beyond your imagination. Your journey might not always be easy, but your resilience and determination will carry you through the toughest of times.

Embrace your passion and let it guide you fearlessly, but rest when you need to.  Trust in your journey, and never forget that the best is yet to come. The world needs your unique voice and vision.

With unwavering belief in your potential,

A Letter To My Past Self

 never really applied to me. As much as I am grateful for the initial ground where I got the chance to grow,  there's nothing I love more than the rush of discovering unknown territory.

If there's anything I learned during these first two years as a derm resident, it's that nothing is more important than to have been employed in as many places as possible. I've always been thrilled ever since the beginning of my residency, knowing I'd be traveling from  hospital to hospital, from city to city, for the next 18 months.

My residency plan involved 6 months of working in a local hospital and private practice on almost the other side of the country, in a small city I had almost never heard of. You can imagine that, despite my neverending enthusiasm, I was a bit skeptical at first. Afterwards, I was  placed in 2 French-speaking hospitals in 2 different municipalities of our capital city for one year in total. Currently, I'm   finishing off the last 2 months  of this journey in the notorious Saint-Pierre hospital  in the heart of Brussels.     

Eighteen months, three hospitals, one private practice and a ton of memories  later, I can say that it  all turned out  well.  In fact, I couldn't look back at this period of my life with a warmer heart.  Here are 10 things I  experienced during my 

 and that I didn't want to keep from you:

. Trust me when I say that you rely on yourself, and solely yourself, if you want amazing things to happen to you. You really make or break the situation you are currently in by the mindset and behaviour you display.

. You'll  discover that you're capable of more  than you thought you were from  spending time on your own.  Getting out of your comfort zone forces you  to act -maybe it works out, maybe it won't- but in the end in one way or another, you'll always win regardless the outcome. 

. Living the 'nomadic resident' existence, helps you understand life, your true self  and your needs on a deeper emotional level. Undoubtedly confronting at some times, but there's nothing that makes you grow up more. So far I gained the most knowledge about myself and how others see me during this period in my life.

, you're going places. Being flexible in any kind of situation doens't only enhance your resilience, but the people around you will notice you're in control as well. And what you radiate, you also attract. Entirely aside,  I find that flexibility goes hand in hand with having more fun no matter the odds. 

 for other places and certain modi operandi, how trivial they initially may seem, makes you richer in a way no money ever can. You don't need to remember or know everything. As long as you stay curious, you get motivated, and so the road to happiness and success will be open.

6. Growing up and moving around, away from family or friends, comes with 

disappointments and change of perspectives.

 At one point last year, I was having a very difficult time, to an extent I had never really experienced before. It had to do with conflicts within my family and with a friend within my close circle. Although it took me a long time to process everything, until not too long ago, I am happy with how everything turned out in the end. After confronting the individuals in question and being transparent about how we each experienced the situation, I learned to set my boundaries clearly. The result, so far, is that I have a clearer understanding with them. Honesty always lasts the longest. ♥ 

so much quicker. By not being held by the hand, you dare to speak up, show who you are and ask for more. Because if you don't, don't expect anyone to do it for you.   This is how for example, I managed to get invited at an international congress, normally only reserved for derms who finished their residency, or who are at least more advanced in their formation than I am. I met so many interesting people and lived extraordinary encounters I could only dream of in the past.  

 I thought I was an open-minded person before I began residency, turns out it was  not so much the case. To be honest I didn't have the slightest clue of what life was like for some people.   The past 18 months, I came in contact with every  rank of the socio-cultural ladder: the  super rich, the very poor, people who's intelligence was equivalent to Einstein's, people gifted with practical skills, patients from all kinds of religions and countries,... I truly could go and on and on and on.   I am grateful to be someone who can easily deal with  every kind of person, being convinced of the fact that we can learn so much from one another, and I think that I grew in that perspective.

In my opinion, it is so badly underestimated how much more we could accomplish if everyone had at least basic knowledge of some other languages.  A full year's work in a French-speaking, but also multicultural hospital receiving patients from all kinds of nationalities and cultures, enabled me to improve my language skills, which I will carry with me into my professional and private life. I have always found it extremely important to be able to make yourself clear in multiple languages. When I  initially didn't get accepted for Dermatology residency in Belgium, I considered an assistantship in Germany, and went through all the necessary language tests.   Another nomad part of my life that proves you can do anything you set your mind to!  

. Gratitude for the little things that aren't obvious to everyone. Since I've been hanging in and around hospitals for years now -if not as a resident it was as a student or intern- I've always had notion of how nothing compares to good health. Now that I have been able to observe different types of hospitals and different aspects of the lives of people from all types of backgrounds with my own eyes, my appreciation for the things I'm able to do has expanded even more. 

 the existence of our differences is distinct from 

 it directly. Even though we may speak different languages and do things differently, the why of what we do is universal. Being a nomadic resident, I had the chance to see how people interact and work differently, on their own or as a team. This has taught me so much on a personal and professional level.  I am convinced that the more one sees, the better formed one becomes as a person as a whole. I am grateful that I was allowed to experience these wonderful 18 months and will keep in mind all the things I have learned to be the best possible doctor who keeps his gaze at all times not only critical, but most of all open. 

♥ Sandals:    unknown brand from  a store in Monopoli, Puglia 

Hi! My name is Ornella

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