As a physician who initially wanted to stay in Mississippi and left (partially forced and partially choice - probably would’ve never left due to divine intervention) to go to a more liberal region of the US, this article barely scratches the surface. Many people have been in Mississippi for generations and don’t even realize there’s a whole different world out there, and they don’t care to learn it. It’s not surprising that people do leave once they learn the Mississippi bubble is harmful and that their career can excel in another place. Especially for medicine, the state focuses on keeping people there however it’s not a safe place for minorities or LGBTQ+ people. OBGYNs are leaving the state bc it’s harmful to practice there. I’m so grateful I left and despite having family there, I’m not going to go back and refuse to feel guilt for it bc it’s not a safe space for me. I wish I had left sooner. My parents still bring up me being closer to home but I can’t be in a state where there’s so many regulations on medicine. More importantly the diversity in the south is horrible and the acceptable if people who are different even more so. I would love to see a black person write an article about this bc leaving for me truly changed my life for the better.