How I became a physician

I knew I wanted to become a doctor from a very young age. One day, my third-grade teacher asked the class to dress up as what we wanted to be when we grew up. The next day, I proudly showed up in a white coat. Even then, I knew I was called to help others.

During middle school and high school, I involved myself in extracurricular activities that would enrich my knowledge base and prepare me for the journey ahead.

After graduating high school, I attended Kansas State University (K-State), majoring in Psychological Sciences/Pre-Medicine. I participated in research within the psychology department—and even managed to conquer my fear of rats (well, sort of). While completing my courses, I also studied for the MCAT, the Medical College Admission Test—a crucial step for medical school consideration.

Speaking of medical school, the application process was far from fun. Between letters of recommendation, MCAT scores, CV updates, extracurriculars, personal statements, maintaining an exceptional GPA, and keeping a clean record, it was an exhausting process.

And even after doing all of that, there’s still no guarantee of acceptance—you have to interview.

After interviewing at multiple locations, the waiting period begins. Let’s talk about that—the waiting period. There’s a lot of waiting throughout this entire journey. Unnecessary waiting that breeds anxiety and stress: waiting for acceptance letters, waiting for results, waiting for interviews. I truly believe that this constant waiting contributes to the high anxiety levels among those pursuing medicine. (By the way, around 75% of medical students are on some form of antidepressant. Hug a med student sometime—they need it!)

It’s hard. It’s stressful. But it’s our choice. You lose friends and relationships. You miss birthdays, holidays, dinners, reunions. You go borderline crazy studying for 7–9 hour exams that take 3–8 weeks to return results. You find yourself knee-deep in a cadaver lab, dissecting someone’s loved one—all for the sake of education. Day in and day out, especially during anatomy, you become so jaded that you almost lose yourself. But if you’re lucky, you find yourself again.

In the end, you realize it was all worth it: 12 years of preliminary education, 4 years of college, 4 years of medical school, and 3–7 years of residency. The joy I feel now cannot compare to what I endured to get here. The ability to help others during their most vulnerable moments is my greatest reward.

I thank God for the journey, the wisdom, and the understanding. None of this would have been possible without Him.