Larissa Rodrigues has fewer social skills than the rest, which made her a target for bullies in her childhood. As a doctor, she had to learn to look patients in the eye and empathize with their pain. That shy child actually hid a gifted mind.
On many occasions, reality surpasses fiction. The idea proposed by the American series “The Good Doctor” of a surgeon with autism spectrum disorder seems to not be so crazy after all because in Brazil, a doctor with the same syndrome has proved to be the most qualified person to lead an entire hospital, becoming a symbol of inclusion and overcoming, reports UOL.
Larissa Rodrigues is 26 years old, she is a physician by profession and currently walks the corridors of the Leste Campanha Hospital in Porto Velho signing medical records, dictating guidelines and managing protocols before having to intubate patients with COVID. At times, she completes 80-hour shifts a week. Her patients come first, and her responsibility cannot be questioned.
However, her young age isn’t what has caused a stir in her rise, but instead the fact that Rodrigues has autism spectrum disorder, causing the community to doubt her abilities to run the hospital.
Like Shaun Murphy in the TV series, Rodrigues was judged from a young age and discriminated against because of her condition. She doesn’t have the same social skills as everyone else, which meant that both at school and university she was bullied as people tried to make her feel less confident. However, she actually had a brilliant mind.
To become a professional, she had to deal with the demons that haunted her because of the bullies. She had to learn to make eye contact with her patients and stop feeling ashamed of every accomplishment she made. As she went proving her talent, doctors began to assign her greater responsibilities, making her feel more confident.
While still very young, Rodrigues completed a postgraduate degree in Neurosciences at Duke University in the United States, qualifying with honors. Upon returning to Brazil, she was sought after by several institutions to work.
After being called on by the Brazilian Ministry of Health to help out during the health emergency, Luís Moreira, who works for the Ministry, noticed Larissa’s over-qualification, her great mastery in the area and her ability to work under pressure, so he nominated her as director of the Leste Campanha Hospital.
Dr. Larissa considers herself to be “really nerdy“, but it is this personality that allows her to be fond of learning more things, to be extremely responsible and to turn knowledge into medical procedures that end up helping people.
Her colleagues compare her to the surgeon from “The Good Doctor” for her ability to save patients. However, deep down, they believe that she has her own path to follow, with achievements that cannot even be compared even to the most famous fictional doctor, showing how sometimes reality can be even more incredible than people can ever imagine.