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Fail It Till You Make It: From Rejection to Redemption - A Physician's Journey
“Dr. Mel Ona's story is a powerful reminder that failure is not the end, but the pathway to reinvention. Fail It Till You Make It inspires anyone facing setbacks to embrace resilience and rediscover their true passions.”
—Skip La Cour, #1 Authority Helping Older Men Get Healthy and Fit, 6-Time National Champion Drug-Free Bodybuilder
“Dr. Mel Ona shows us that failure is not the end, but rather part of the process. Hard work and perseverance are essential to any great achievement—and this book is a reminder we all can use.”
—Russell Parvin, MD, Chief of Gastroenterology, Saint Mary's Hospital, CT
What do you do when life keeps knocking you down?How do you keep going when you face rejection, burnout, or the painful feeling that you no longer recognize the person in the mirror?
In Fail It Till You Make It, physician, musician, entrepreneur, and creative polymath Dr. Mel Ona shares a deeply vulnerable and transformative journey from collapse to reinvention. Once rejected from medical school, he went on to earn three graduate degrees, become a board-certified gastroenterologist, and rise as a nationally recognized medical innovator—establishing the first office-based endoscopy suite in west O‘ahu, Hawaii, and becoming the first GI physician in Hawai‘i to use AI for polyp detection.
His story reminds us that failure is not a verdict—it is a doorway.
Through raw storytelling and practical insight, Dr. Ona reveals how anyone can rebuild a life filled with purpose, passion, and joy.
You’ll learn how Break free from burnout and emotional exhaustion
Transform rejection into resilience
Reclaim neglected or long-forgotten passions
Build confidence after failure
Heal emotionally while still pursuing excellence
Rediscover purpose beyond your job title
Create a life where success and joy can coexist
Embrace a mindset that welcomes growth—through failure
Fail It Till You Make It is the essential guide for anyone who feels stuck, overwhelmed, or ready for a deeper sense of meaning. You don’t need permission to change your life. You don’t have to pretend you’re fine. You don’t have to hide behind your accomplishments.
You can rise—stronger, clearer, and more alive than ever.
—Skip La Cour, #1 Authority Helping Older Men Get Healthy and Fit, 6-Time National Champion Drug-Free Bodybuilder
“Dr. Mel Ona shows us that failure is not the end, but rather part of the process. Hard work and perseverance are essential to any great achievement—and this book is a reminder we all can use.”
—Russell Parvin, MD, Chief of Gastroenterology, Saint Mary's Hospital, CT
What do you do when life keeps knocking you down?How do you keep going when you face rejection, burnout, or the painful feeling that you no longer recognize the person in the mirror?
In Fail It Till You Make It, physician, musician, entrepreneur, and creative polymath Dr. Mel Ona shares a deeply vulnerable and transformative journey from collapse to reinvention. Once rejected from medical school, he went on to earn three graduate degrees, become a board-certified gastroenterologist, and rise as a nationally recognized medical innovator—establishing the first office-based endoscopy suite in west O‘ahu, Hawaii, and becoming the first GI physician in Hawai‘i to use AI for polyp detection.
His story reminds us that failure is not a verdict—it is a doorway.
Through raw storytelling and practical insight, Dr. Ona reveals how anyone can rebuild a life filled with purpose, passion, and joy.
You’ll learn how Break free from burnout and emotional exhaustion
Transform rejection into resilience
Reclaim neglected or long-forgotten passions
Build confidence after failure
Heal emotionally while still pursuing excellence
Rediscover purpose beyond your job title
Create a life where success and joy can coexist
Embrace a mindset that welcomes growth—through failure
Fail It Till You Make It is the essential guide for anyone who feels stuck, overwhelmed, or ready for a deeper sense of meaning. You don’t need permission to change your life. You don’t have to pretend you’re fine. You don’t have to hide behind your accomplishments.
You can rise—stronger, clearer, and more alive than ever.
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Published August 10, 2025
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About the author
Mel Ona
2 books6 followersDr. Mel Ona is a board-certified gastroenterologist, author, and creative polymath based in Hawai‘i. His memoir Fail It Till You Make It: From Rejection to Redemption—A Physician’s Journey chronicles his inspiring rise from med school rejections and board failures to personal and professional redemption.
He blends medicine, music, and mentorship to help others grow through adversity—and encourages readers to embrace failure not as a flaw, but as fuel.
When he’s not performing endoscopies or singing on stage, Dr. Ona mentors medical students, lifts weights, plays pickleball, and builds meaningful conversations with fellow dreamers.
📘 www.drmelona.com | 📩 doctormelona@gmail.com | 📷 @polymathforever
He blends medicine, music, and mentorship to help others grow through adversity—and encourages readers to embrace failure not as a flaw, but as fuel.
When he’s not performing endoscopies or singing on stage, Dr. Ona mentors medical students, lifts weights, plays pickleball, and builds meaningful conversations with fellow dreamers.
📘 www.drmelona.com | 📩 doctormelona@gmail.com | 📷 @polymathforever
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
July 28, 2025
A captivating story of grit and persistence!
A good read for anyone dealing with rejections and setbacks on the way to achieving their goals. The author provides a very detailed and personal account of his challenges, dark moments, and ultimately, the triumphant attainment of his long-held dream of becoming an incredible physician. He demonstrates that failure is feedback and not necessarily a dead end, so we should fail till we make it. A true story of grit and persistence. I thoroughly enjoyed the read.
A good read for anyone dealing with rejections and setbacks on the way to achieving their goals. The author provides a very detailed and personal account of his challenges, dark moments, and ultimately, the triumphant attainment of his long-held dream of becoming an incredible physician. He demonstrates that failure is feedback and not necessarily a dead end, so we should fail till we make it. A true story of grit and persistence. I thoroughly enjoyed the read.
Displaying 1 of 1 review