My Goal in Life to Become a Doctor: Chasing My Dreams

A year ago, I got invited to partake in an opportunity of a “lifetime.” That opportunity was a summer camp known as, NYLF Medicine. The prospects about the event intrigued me, but I was not totally convinced. Ever since I was a kid I was always into anything science, and I would always watch documentaries and episodes of Scrubs or House. I was surrounded by medicine: My cousins and sister are all doctors or training to become a doctor. I knew that medicine was always an option, and I even enjoyed it. This essay on my goal in life to become a doctor is based on my experience at NYLF Medicine, where I realized that my passion for medicine stemmed from my childhood interest in science and patient history work, and that determination is key to succeeding in this field.

That’s when I got a letter in the mail about this program. NYLF Medicine promised me knowledgeable insight into the day in the life of an average doctor or any specific job I may want in medicine. After several weeks of looking into the letter, I decided that I would enter the program. When I finally got to Babson College, the campus where the camp was being held, I was relieved by the fact that there were other students like “me”: people who wanted to know why they wanted to go into the medical field. One of the first things that we did was go to a medical school. One of the things that stuck out the most at the school was when we spoke to a couple of med school students. I asked, “As a med school student, how do you manage your personal life and your life as a med school student ?” One of them said that allowing a weekend, just a weekend, for your activities, family, or friends is more than sufficient. This shocked me at the time, I had a decent understanding of how hard med school really was but wasn’t completely aware at the fact of how detrimental it is to your personal life. I started to second guess myself and started to think that medicine is not what I should really do.

Then we did some patient history work, and, even though most found it boring, I actually enjoyed it. I came to the realization that this is why I want to do medicine. Then we met a doctor that talked about determination and how, if you want to do medicine, you’re going to need it. He said, “The kids who were going through medical school, to become a doctor, who just wanted to do it for the money didn’t make it very far.” I got the same talk from my parents and cousins, but, during that time, it just went through one ear and out the other, until this moment; I realized that ever since I was a kid I was into this type of stuff so I must be destined to follow that path. Hence, if I am determined that I should follow that path without any hesitation. To reach for the stars without barriers. Ever since that moment, I decided to stop second-guessing myself and follow my passions because if I don’t I won’t live the life that I want.