Jumping Into Med School From the Arts
Hey guys!
I thought I’d explain a bit about myself, where I’ve come from, my education and why I started the blog. To start, I’m 21 years old and just graduating from university with my Undergraduate General BA degree in Communications. In high school, I loved the sciences - biology and chemistry fascinated me, and coming from a healthcare employed family, it made sense to head down a similar path. However, by the time senior year rolled around, the struggle to focus more intensely on school instead of my social life became increasingly difficult, and I decided that spending the next 4 years in the sciences was not something worth losing my “butterfly status” over (classic 17yr old). Instead, I decided to pursue another of my passions - literature and writing. I was accepted into one of Canada’s best journalism/communications programs and took the plunge by moving 3000 miles away from home at age 17 to start my real “life”.
The first two years went by incredibly fast. While I struggled to make friends for the first several months (people just didn’t seem as friendly compared to home), I eventually found my niche. I sincerely enjoyed learning about artsy cultural topics; modern media technologies, the impact of the Internet on society, and the power of language were all subjects that I had a passion for learning. As time moved forward however, I began to feel pangs of nostalgia for the good old days of high school biology. About half way through my 3rd year, I decided to take a break from school and really figure out if my future lay in the arts…or in the sciences.
After working at a PR company at home for the next six months, I knew that the field of communications was certainly a place where I excelled professionally, socially, and intellectually. Despite this, my desire to make a difference in the personal lives of those around me felt unsatisfied, and I realized that my interest was slowly turning towards healthcare. For some reason, my only thought was, "I should apply to medical school". I can't quite put my finger on why, given that I knew many people with careers in healthcare who were not physicians. I liked the idea of being entirely in control of my future patient encounters along with each of their medications. I also had wonderful physicians that impacted me positively, and without previously realizing it, had been my role models. Ultimately, I decided to figure out how to be an MD.
I told my mother, about my interests, who kindly forwarded me the link to a Caribbean medical school. This introduced me to the world of international medical schools, and I started to do my research. Thankfully, I knew two women studying medicine at a medical school in Poland, who answered many important questions. In the end, it was the medical school linked to be by my mom that accepted me. I applied without delay, despite being 2 semesters short of credits and critically low on the optimism front. But, with the help of a great advisor, parents in the field, my ex-boss and a professor, I managed to write a wonderful essay, get 2 fantastic reference letters, and carry out a successful phone interview with the administrations. Conveniently, providing MCAT scores to this university was optional. By February, 2014, I had been accepted into medicine for the coming Fall, provided I complete a few pre-requisite science courses over the spring & summer. The day I received my acceptance call was, by far, the best day of my life.
That brings us almost up to date. It’s summer time, and I’m finally in the last stretch of my undergrad, completing the credits that my acceptance was conditional upon. The learning curve has been rough, jumping from the arts into the sciences is no easy feat, but it’s amazing how quickly the brain can adapt when forced. I’ve been able to memorize a hundred times more than I’d ever imagined, with multiple mental break downs along the way. I’m sure there will be many, many more mental and emotional breakdowns throughout the next 4 years, but I’m banking on my desire to help people and make a difference in local and global health to carry me through. My plan is to specialize in psychiatry, but who knows what experiences will change my mind? All I know is that I have something to offer the world, and even if my contributions are small, or not what I initially expect them to be, they will be conducted with sincerity, positivity, and a true passion for helping those around me.
Originally published 11/07/2014
