Okay, so I know what you’re thinking: “How cliché is that title? What is this girl trying to tell me? That is way too obvious.”
If I’ve learned anything from my three years at Western so far, it’s that forging your own path is harder to do than we think. As a student in one of the major STEM programs (Med Sci), I am constantly surrounded by people that are striving towards medical school. I’ve come to realize that this indirect pressure and everyone’s obsession with GPA or the MCAT or OMSAS has clouded my certainty about whether this is the path for me, or not. In no way am I trying to demean the doctor path; I commend and respect those who know that’s their path, but I keep asking myself: Do I want it just because everyone else does and I’ve been surrounded by it for so long?
Okay, so now I know what you’re thinking: “This girl is so weak! How does she let everyone else’s goals cloud her own?” Well, if you ask anyone that knows me to describe me, they would never say weak or dependent. University has made me realize that the saying “You are who you surround yourself with” is more true than I’ve ever thought. Your friends and colleagues are who shape your priorities and sometimes, unknowingly, your goals.
I bet a lot of people could relate to this in many other ways. Do you want a corporate job from Ivey because that is what they guide you towards? Do you want a certain career because that’s what your friends want or because that is what your parents want? Are you sticking with a certain program because that’s all you know?
All I can say is this: You are not alone. If you are having trouble with these questions, go get some answers and have the courage to take the leap to try new things. I hope you get a chance to figure out who YOU are and what YOU like.
I know now that I have to forge my own path and that if I decide the doctor path, it will be because I chose it and not anyone else.