To state it bluntly, I was always smart. I still am smart. I have always excelled in the classroom, particularly in the sciences. Often times, teachers and mentors associate intelligence with a future career of being a doctor. That’s where my story starts.
I have always been most encouraged in chemistry, biology, and physics. Intelligence is even most associated with these fields. These fields are also most associated with being a doctor. So, it comes to no surprise, that since I was a sophomore in high school, I have been groomed and pushed towards pursuing a science major in college and to medical school following college. This may sound as if I didn’t want this for myself as well, but I certainly did. At least, at the time, that’s all I ever thought I wanted.
But last year, as a junior in college, I began to question this. Maybe I questioned it because the MCAT (Medical College Admissions Test) was rapidly approaching, maybe I questioned it because I needed to gather recommendation letters soon, or maybe I questioned it because I genuinely was unsure of myself and my future. I questioned this all throughout junior year and even at the start of the summer. I even began the summer still studying and preparing for the MCAT.
Eventually, amidst half-hearted studying, I realized I wasn’t prepared for the steps following college towards fulfilling a career as a doctor. I realized I still wanted what I had always wanted, to be in the medical field. My goal had never changed, but the path had changed. I decided to set down all my books and flashcards from Kaplan for the MCAT and picked up all the books and flashcards from Barron’s for the GRE (Graduate Record Examinations). I studied all summer for the GRE and researched all summer in the lab to enhance myself as an applicant for my next step after college.
I will now be working towards my Master’s degree in biochemistry followed by medical school. Just two more years. All I really needed. Two more years to grow as an applicant, but most importantly, to grow as a person. By taking a step back, which was incredibly daunting, and realizing that while I wasn’t quite ready for what I had always planned, I found that it was okay for me to take the time I needed to become ready. Even as a senior now, my plans are still not set in stone. Things are changing little by little each day. My path is constantly altering. But I am always working towards my goal, a medical career.