Right Where You Left Me: Choosing between love and career
Real-life story
In her latest book, Beth shares the inspiration behind some of the characters in her story. “Just like If I Knew Then, some people in this book exist in real life,” she writes. Among those people is Dr. Danni Diestro, the neurologist who helped Beth in her battle against myasthenia gravis. Beth received Dr. Diestro’s consent to include a character based on him in her book, and he even provided insights into what life is like for a resident doctor.
Building the characters
Another character in the book is based on a female lead in a Thai romantic comedy that Beth stumbled upon while scrolling through Facebook. This character, Sahara Sevilla, is an ESL instructor who Beth found adorable and worthy of a spot in her book. The Judgmental Titas, on the other hand, is a collective persona of the Filipino elderlies Beth encounters on a daily basis. They have the toxic traits of being know-it-alls with a superiority complex.
Despite receiving criticism from some who said that resident physicians are too busy to have a love life, Beth was determined to continue writing about a resident physician who barely has time for love. To ensure the story was plausible, she consulted with actual doctors and teachers, such as Dr. Sharon Borromeo and Kim, a grade school teacher. Moreover, Beth’s romance writer friend Nicole also helped her come up with the ending.
Writing this book, Beth faced the need to include vivid love scenes to fulfill certain requirements. Beth also feared their judgment, but she ultimately decided to focus on the people who believe in possibilities. Through hard work, determination, and the support of her network, Beth was able to create a story that she is proud of, and one that captures the complex lives of resident physicians.
