“The Bubble Pops”
because every dream’s surface
breaks in search of depth.
Soap’s potential
is not durable tension,
but renewable momentum.
Through a cleansing film,
blow your wishes
till globes of fitful rainbows
burst with the delicious ambition
of your breath.
A Note from Dr. Doshi:
I wrote this poem after seeing dozens of social media posts by medical students who did not match into a residency spot on Monday. The Match is the system by which medical students and residency programs rank each other and then get paired up by a computer algorithm; the results are revealed on Match Day, which can be an emotional tidal wave as students find out where they’re going to spend the next few years, and some find out that their futures are suddenly in question. They can join the Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP) to try and lock down an unmatched position, or try again next year.
I was moved by the bravery and resilience of unmatched students as they came to terms with their situations and resolved not to be deterred on their paths to being physicians, and this poem took shape. If any medical students are reading this, please know that though our training often makes us feel otherwise, you have more than what it takes. You are better than the system.
Dr. Doshi can be reached at
I am about to start my career in medicine. Recently I came across this site and found this interesting poem. It really got me how beautifully it connects to our dream. I really want to thank the author for writing this amazing piece.
Interesting and novel use of the bubble as metaphor for the tenuous possibility of dreams.