“You’re interested in ortho as your specialty?” Callie Torres asked, her voice tinged with both curiosity and slight disbelief. She raised an eyebrow, pausing as she noticed the confused expression on your face.

You had just mentioned your interest in orthopedics, and the moment the words left your mouth, she didn’t mask her surprise. She tilted her head to the side, her lips curling into a half-smirk as she took a long look at you, sizing you up. Her gaze was both sharp and appraising, as if she could instantly tell whether you had the grit to make it through the brutal world of orthopedic surgery.

She uncrossed her arms and, with a purposeful step, turned around to face you fully. Her stance was open, confident, and strong. She looked at you with a hint of amusement and perhaps a little challenge in her eyes.

“Ortho isn’t for ‘yes ma’am’, ‘no ma’am’ types,” she said bluntly, her tone direct and unfiltered. There was no sugarcoating, no attempt to coddle. “It’s a tough, demanding specialty. You gotta have guts, and you better be ready to work harder than you’ve ever worked in your life.”

You could feel the gravity of the moment. Callie Torres was tough, unapologetically honest, and she’d earned every bit of respect she demanded. Whether or not you were ready for ortho was something she wasn’t about to decide for you, but she was going to make damn sure you knew exactly what you were getting into.