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- Jan 22, 2008
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I never thought it would be me...
In reflection of it all, I'd like to share a bit of holiday cheer & inspiration for those that are/will be in the dreaded application process. It's incredibly challenging both physically and emotionally, but absolutely worth it in the end. In reflection of it all, I would have never imagined that a person like me would be given an opportunity to become a physician. Over 5 years of complete dedication to turn my life around and become something greater than my previous circumstances. Although college was the catalyst to grow in aspects that I didn't know existed, life wasn't always that way for me. Safety, comfort, and a quiet place to grow your intellectual tree...?
No. Violence and emotionally tyranny was the norm. There was a period in life where being shot/stabbed because of the color of your clothes was a frigid reality. Losing friends/family to the fortuitous trials of street life were typical occurrences that afflicted all members of poverty. I remember specifically holding my friend as he attempted to respire with punctured lungs after being stabbed multiple times. I felt powerless as I watched his life slowly escape as I held him in my arms. Having lost another close friend to the circumstances of being socioeconomically disadvantaged, I used the solid platform of rock bottom to build something new. Something. Anything. But what?
I remember sitting in my first Biology class. The most intimidating and uncomfortable situation I have ever experienced. The material was impossibly difficult to understand and comprehend while the exams were written in a language that was familiarly foreign. However, in the depths of being overwhelmed by an ocean of information, that interest, passion if you will, began to develop. After 5 years of living in the safety of the academic cocoon, the dedication to be greater than my previous circumstances has paid off. I am humbled by my opportunities in life. Dead or in prison...that could have easily been me. It really is the strangest feeling to watch the news and actually recognize the nightly criminals as the anchor depicts their horrible crimes against civic longevity. Somehow, I escaped the tethers of poverty and now presented with the chance to better the world. Sometimes I wonder, Why me? After much contemplation, I have arrived at the conclusion that it simply does not matter. It doesn't matter. What's important is what I do from this moment forward...
So those that are still pushing through this obstacle that we share as the PreMed process...I encourage you to continue. Sometimes it may seem impossible, but if it is truly your dream, never give up. The opposite of success is not failure, it's giving up. If you never give up, you will eventually make it...
Cheers!
In reflection of it all, I'd like to share a bit of holiday cheer & inspiration for those that are/will be in the dreaded application process. It's incredibly challenging both physically and emotionally, but absolutely worth it in the end. In reflection of it all, I would have never imagined that a person like me would be given an opportunity to become a physician. Over 5 years of complete dedication to turn my life around and become something greater than my previous circumstances. Although college was the catalyst to grow in aspects that I didn't know existed, life wasn't always that way for me. Safety, comfort, and a quiet place to grow your intellectual tree...?
No. Violence and emotionally tyranny was the norm. There was a period in life where being shot/stabbed because of the color of your clothes was a frigid reality. Losing friends/family to the fortuitous trials of street life were typical occurrences that afflicted all members of poverty. I remember specifically holding my friend as he attempted to respire with punctured lungs after being stabbed multiple times. I felt powerless as I watched his life slowly escape as I held him in my arms. Having lost another close friend to the circumstances of being socioeconomically disadvantaged, I used the solid platform of rock bottom to build something new. Something. Anything. But what?
I remember sitting in my first Biology class. The most intimidating and uncomfortable situation I have ever experienced. The material was impossibly difficult to understand and comprehend while the exams were written in a language that was familiarly foreign. However, in the depths of being overwhelmed by an ocean of information, that interest, passion if you will, began to develop. After 5 years of living in the safety of the academic cocoon, the dedication to be greater than my previous circumstances has paid off. I am humbled by my opportunities in life. Dead or in prison...that could have easily been me. It really is the strangest feeling to watch the news and actually recognize the nightly criminals as the anchor depicts their horrible crimes against civic longevity. Somehow, I escaped the tethers of poverty and now presented with the chance to better the world. Sometimes I wonder, Why me? After much contemplation, I have arrived at the conclusion that it simply does not matter. It doesn't matter. What's important is what I do from this moment forward...
So those that are still pushing through this obstacle that we share as the PreMed process...I encourage you to continue. Sometimes it may seem impossible, but if it is truly your dream, never give up. The opposite of success is not failure, it's giving up. If you never give up, you will eventually make it...
Cheers!
