Satisfaction is:
Seeing your 28 year old patient with type 1 diabetes who initially came to you with an A1c of 14% and pregnant drop it to 6.4% and deliver a healthy baby boy.

This is one of the perks of this job. Sometimes, all you need is a motivated patient + some knowledge and you get a little miracle.

I was pretty worried when I first saw Ms. F at 14 weeks gestation. But she realized how high a risk this was to her, and to her baby, and took reign of her health. It was a coincidence that she went into labor during my call week. When I went in to see her postpartum, her husband picked me up in a bearhug and I hugged him back. The baby, truly, is perfect. A gorgeous bundle of joy, and her reward for her hard work.