Ever since I was a kid and I found out what a doctor was, I wanted to become one. At first, I liked the blood. Then I liked the broken bones and sprains and, eventually, I became engulfed with curiosity and interest in learning how cancer metastasizes and the reason behind bodily responses like fevers and sneezing. Why is the inside of every orifice on our body covered in something slimy, sticky and gross? How does a pill when swallowed erase pain, reduce esophageal acid damage, or provide essential vitamins and minerals to our bodies? We know that they do these things...but HOW?
Yes, I know that just because I have these questions it doesn't mean that I am poised to become one of the best physicians in the country. I know this. Chances are, I will be an average doctor and I am okay with that. Why wouldn't I be okay with that? Average physicians still perform life-saving surgeries, assist people in dealing with pain and disease and help cure maladies all over the world. To be mentioned among these people would be an honor. Obviously, I don't aim to be average. I aim to achieve greatness and I am confident that in some areas of the profession I will be great. In others, I will be average. This is good because this means that I will go to a good school, learn the necessary skills and behavior of a good physician and I will do what I have always wanted to do. That is to help people. The great Russian writer and philosopher Leo Tolstoy said, "The sole meaning of life is to serve humanity". This is my maxim. Nothing pulls me to medical school harder than this.
The classes I had to take were great but I can't say that I thought that same thing about them while I was taking them (yes, I'm talking about you O Chem and Genetics). I learned a lot and I am a better person having taken these classes. I enjoy learning. I enjoyed discovering the inherent truths in the sciences. General and Organic Chemistry sucked but I look back fondly on those classes. All of the Biology/Anatomy/Physiology classes were a blast and I wish I had time to retake them. They were great. Physics was my worst nightmare. Newton must have been a genius if he thought all of that up while watching an apple fall. I think my best score on a Newtonian Physics exam was a 72% but for some reason I got the second highest score in the class when we were tested on our understanding of Quantum Physics and the Theory of Relativity. Don't ask. I don't know how.
My desire to become a doctor is there. My work ethic too. I've proven this to myself, the doctors I have shadowed and the professors that have taught me and given me grades. Now I need to prove this to the schools. GPA? 3.6. Not bad. That puts me right in the middle of the pool at the schools I want to go to. Shadowing hours? Done. I have plenty. Service hours? I served in Russia for two years. Got it. MCAT score? Working on it. I haven't studied so much for a single exam. But it is the final puzzle piece. The one thing left that I need to chase my dream. No pressure, right?
The good thing about this road is that it has so many destinations for me. I just want to be a doctor. Good thing is that can take the form of several different types of doctors. Will I be the doctor I always wanted to be? Maybe but even I'm not sure exactly what kind I always wanted to be. That is kinda scary. No one likes to have a big question mark as their future. However, there is one thing I do know for sure. The initials at the end may be different but in 5 years I will be known as Dr. Blake Savage.
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