I had talked
about starting a blog about my journey to medical school a few months ago with
a few of my close friends and here I am, going to try my best and keep my word (one of my new years resolutions).
I honestly can’t think of anything that I want more than to
go to medical school. Sure, a puppy or a man by my side would be nice, but who
needs those things when you have family and friends to support you every step
of the way? This blog is in no way to come off as me gloating or to keep my
competition up to date with where I stand any competition, it’s just for a
little inspiration and well, for me to keep you guys updated. I don’t really
like using Facebook as much as I used to (starting to find it a little
irritating). This is also a lot easier than just saying “It’s going,” when somebody
asks me how the pre-med life is treating me. This is going to be completely
informal and my over enthusiastic personality (ha!) will probably show quite a
bit. I’ll try to update about every two weeks or so, but no promises. School
comes first and this semester is the semester that counts the most.
Now that that’s all done with, let me tell you a little bit
about myself. I’m going for a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology with minors
in chemistry and psychology. I’m already classified as a senior (wut) even
though it’s only my third year as an undergraduate. I’ve never been much of a
writer but I do have an artistic side. I like to spend my free time taking
pictures and painting a lil bit. Life is all about trying new things, so I
figured this would be a good start. My mouth doesn’t move as fast as my brain
does….and neither does my hand. I can’t read my own handwriting. I’m a
daughter, sister, friend, and coworker. I’d like to think I’m a good person.
I’m overly caring (as most doctors should be). I’m a sorority girl and proud to
be one. I’d hope to be a role model one day for people of all ages. One thing
that makes me smile the most is when people ask me about my future. I have no
idea what’s going to happen, but for some reason all it makes me do is smile.
By no means am I in anyway perfect, but everybody has their star shining
moments. You can always tell when someone is so passionate about something. I
learned this in one of my classes (can’t remember which one…oops), but their
focus changes, they suddenly have reflexes as fast as a cat, and they won’t
shut up about whatever their supposed interest is. That’s me usually about
anything science related (except physics). I love talking to people about
medical school or even just science classes. I’m weird and I’m fully aware.
College is all about meeting people, right? Whenever I tell people I just meet
that I’m a pre-med student, they usually just give me a sound of disgust and
then proceed to ask me a series of questions. I’ve been observant over the
years and they’re usually the same. Ready to hear my responses to them? Ok.
“If you
wanna be a doctor that means you must be really smart, right?”
Actually, I
don’t think I’m super intelligent or the smartest person on the planet. I just
work really hard. I study a lot and maybe I’m so weird because of that. I like
knowing the details. I also have a really good memory. I pointed out a guy I
went to elementary school with in one of my classes. This is the first year I’m
going to try to keep a planner. I’ve been able to remember due dates and when I
work and things of that sort without having to write it down. I’m just getting
to the point in my life where I have way too much going on. This semester I
plan on being a full time student (upperlevels only, yay), studying for my MCAT
(it’s like the SAT for medical school), working a part time job, being an
active member in my sorority, and somehow having time to sleep more than four
hours a night.
“Wow, you
sure have a lot of school left, don’t you?”
Why yes, I
do. I’m going to have lots of debt and serious dark bags under my eyes, I’m
aware. I think it’s completely worth it.
“What type
of doctor do you want to be?”
If we are
being honest, I don’t have any idea. When I meet random people that I’m
probably not going to see again, I just give them a random specialty. I have so
many years to decide and I won’t have to make a decision until my 3rd
year in medical school.
“You must
have a high GPA, right?”
Most pre-med
student who are modest don’t share with too many people if at all (maybe
competition to scare them a little bit ;) ). Again, I work hard and hard work
pays off. Grades aren't everything. They’re a big factor. Would you want a
doctor who got a 4.0 in their undergrad who wasn't involved, or would you rather have a doctor with a 3.5, who is active on campus and has great people skills?
Exactly.
“What made
you want to go into medicine?”
Every
student has their own story. I’ve loved math and science as long as I can
remember. It was all about trial and error for me. My high school/school
district had a charter school that offered specialty courses. I actually took
an engineering class my freshman year; learned that wasn’t for me within a
couple of weeks. My sophomore year of high school I took awhile to look at my
options. I finally decided to take a health science class, I mean what was the
harm in that anyways? I fell in love. It was very basic and I met some awesome
people along the way. My senior year I took a Pharmacy Technician certification
class (which is how I got the job I have now); still completely in love. I
entered college my freshman year as a biology major and I’m still here. I
couldn’t imagine myself doing anything else.
Wow, that
was a lot to read and I’m pretty impressed if you’ve read all of that. I’m
super excited to see what this semester brings and to see what I’m able to
accomplish.
As Meredith
Grey would say, “If there's just one piece of
advice I can give you, it's this--when there's something you really want, fight
for it, don't give up no matter how hopeless it seems. And when you've lost
hope, ask yourself in 10 years from now, you're gonna wish you gave it just one
more shot because the best things in life, they don't come free."
