Big Dreams, Barbie, and Brain Surgery: A Conversation With Dr. Barbie

This episode’s idea came from my 10-year-old daughter, Taylor. She wanted me to talk about how Barbie inspires kids to dream big and know that they can be anything they want.

At first, I wasn’t sure how to work this into my spine and brain video series. Then I thought it would be fun to interview Dr. Barbie, a board-certified, scalpel-wielding, spine-and-brain-saving neurosurgeon who sounds suspiciously like my daughter.

So I went behind the scenes with my daughter’s version of what it means to become and be a neurosurgeon. Her answers were totally unscripted, and knowing Taylor, I was hoping the conversation would be equal parts adorable and insightful.

Meet Dr. Barbie: A Neurosurgeon With Big Dreams

I started the interview by asking what inspired Dr. Barbie to become a neurosurgeon.

“Well, I looked up to doctors when I was younger, especially neurosurgeons, because they save people’s lives. So, I thought, ‘Oh, why don’t I be a neurosurgeon?'”

Next came the question of what kind of training or schooling is required. Dr. Barbie said you have to go through “a bunch of years of medical school and college.” On the number of years, she said four years of college. For medical school she first said “like seven,” and I corrected it to four. For residency, she said seven, and I confirmed it. That makes four years of college, four years of medical school, and seven years of residency.

What Makes a Great Neurosurgeon? Dr. Barbie Has Some Thoughts

Then I wanted to know what essential skills neurosurgeons need to be great at their job.

“Well, they need to be like caring and patient and good with their hands because they don’t want to slip anything.”

She also said:

“They need to be able to understand like that patients are going to be scared to have surgery.”

Those are a lot of important skills for taking care of people.

Friday Movie Nights and Healthy Ice Cream: Life Outside the Operating Room

As for balancing the demanding nature of her job with personal life and self-care, Dr. Barbie said:

“So, I make sure um to just do my job correctly as best as I can and then I go home, spend time with my family and do something that we all enjoy.”

She described Friday movie nights, and on week nights, watching a show like AGT or The Voice. They also whip up some healthy ice cream, and as she put it:

“Because I’m a doctor, everything needs to be healthy.”

The Toughest Parts of Being Dr. Barbie

Moving on to the biggest challenges she has faced in her job, Dr. Barbie mentioned rushing to the ER, since it might take a while to get there because of traffic. She also said:

“It’s just so hard seeing people die.”

I said that would be hard, and that talking to family members would be too. She agreed:

“For sure. It’s always so hard to do that. Luckily, I don’t have to do that almost ever.”

An Operating Room Story Featuring a Patient Named Barbara

When it came to a memorable experience from the operating room that taught her an important lesson, Dr. Barbie told me about a patient named Barbara. It was a long, hard surgery, she was nervous and scared, and she had never done a surgery like it before.

“One of my tools I had in my hand it kind of it slipped a little out of my hands cuz I was sweating.”

“God helped me and I he guided me and I was able to pick up the tool, finish the surgery perfectly.”

Barbara was so thankful, and Dr. Barbie said she was fine for a long time after that.

How Does Dr. Barbie Keep Learning?

As for how she stays updated with the latest advancements in neurosurgery, she said:

“I make sure to always be reading the like books and articles and stuff that come out just so I can have a refresher.”

She also explained why:

“If there is something new, I want to make sure I know about it so I can treat my patients better and help them cuz I always want the best for my patients.”

A Little Prayer and a Few Deep Breaths

On handling the pressure and responsibility of performing surgeries, she said:

“I make sure um to say a prayer before surgery and take deep breaths during surgery when it gets tough.”

She added:

“I always think about how God is always there and guiding me. So I know that I’ll do just fine.”

Dr. Barbie’s Advice to Girls With Big Dreams

Finally, I asked what advice she would give to young girls who dream of becoming a surgeon like her.

“Well, I want to tell you girls to never give up on your dreams because I mean it was my dream ever since I was little and look where I am now. I’m a board-certified neurosurgeon.”

“Just never give up and I know you’ll get there no matter no matter any of the challenges that you’ve have to face.”

Wrapping Up

I thanked Dr. Barbie for doing the interview and for sharing her journey in becoming a neurosurgeon, and she said she really appreciated it.

What started as my daughter’s idea for a Barbie-inspired video turned into this interview, and the message from Dr. Barbie is simple: never give up on your dreams.