I want to be a Molecular Pathologist. I am still finishing my undergraduate degree in Molecular Biology, and I've only worked one summer-long internship in a clinical setting; how do I know that I want to pursue a career in medicine, let alone be "bold" enough to confidently declare my choice of specialty? No one in my family is a doctor, and I have very few friends who desire to use their minds at all, forget about a path in medicine. I am also very broke, and I know I will be struggling through medical school very much the way I am struggling now: if I even get accepted. My 3.0 GPA is no good, as there are loads of environmental stressors which have taken their tolls on my ability to focus on exams and sleep properly. (Let me add that I don't find school stressing, although my own lackluster performance certainly digs into me). There appears to be no reward in sight, yet I still cling on. However, when I take the MCAT in August, I'm going to be damn well prepared for it, because I want it badly. And when I start my last semester in September, I'm still going to answer to my responsibilities, despite everything happening around me. Just like I did with this semester. And the one before that, etc. And if I finish UG with a lousy 3.0, I'm still applying to medical schools, and if I get rejected, I'm going to earn a Master's Degree either at the university I attend now (where my academic advisor told me my GPA is not an adequate reflection of my capability) or at a SMP. Eventually, I will get accepted. I am willing to make the sacrifices necessary to do what I love; to accomplish in medicine and in life; to accept, analyze, and overcome every challenge that the medical field will pose; to dedicate my life to learning daily, and to work alongside dedicated colleagues with similar goals and work ethics (although they may not feel as intensely as I do at times, lol); to know that every day that I might be blessed enough to walk into a hospital, or a lab, or an office, and deliver a potential solution to patients who depend on me; to contribute to effective disease control; to teach; to again learn more; maybe even inspire...
I may seem idealistic, but I'm sure I won't always work with the perfect colleague, or the most grateful patient, and I KNOW ****ty days await... that's life. Just remember to keep working as hard as you do, in all areas of your life, and you'll figure out what you want to do with it.