Fail It Till You Make It: From Rejection to Redemption - A Physician's Journey

Fail It Till You Make It: From Rejection to Redemption – A Physician’s Journey is a raw, inspiring, and deeply personal account of what it truly takes to build a life of meaning when the path is anything but smooth.

In this memoir-manifesto, Dr. Mel Ona—a successful gastroenterologist, entrepreneur, and lifelong creative—pulls back the curtain on the setbacks, self-doubt, and near-burnout he faced on the road to becoming a physician. But this isn’t just another doctor’s tale. It’s a rallying cry for anyone who’s ever questioned their worth after a failure or felt trapped by the roles they were “supposed” to play.

From high school shame to medical school rejections, from grueling training to personal reinvention, Dr. Ona shares the pivotal moments that cracked him open—and ultimately helped him reconnect with his passions for music, performance, writing, and healing. Each chapter delivers hard-won lessons on resilience, identity, and the unexpected power of embracing what makes you different.

Whether you’re a medical professional fighting burnout, a multi-passionate person feeling boxed in, or simply someone stuck between who you are and who you’re meant to be, Fail It Till You Make It offers both a mirror and a map. It reminds us that failure isn’t the opposite of success—it’s the training ground for a life fully lived.