When I was twelve years old, my teacher asked me about what I want to become in future. I could not answer the question because I was confused. I stood still for five minutes without answering anything and my teacher said, ” you probably wanna become a software engineer because you are good at math”. I automatically convinced myself after that conversation that I wanted to become an engineer. Everyone in my family was gleeful with my decision.
I did not grow up living with my parents. As they were shifting countries in pursuit of their career, they did not want to disturb my education. So, they left me with my grandparents in India and they started to experiment with many things. It took them thirteen years to get the perfect jobs. Ultimately, they moved from Malaysia to America in 2013. At the age of fifteen, they decided to take me to America and I did not complain anything. Although I faced short term difficulties, my transition to American schools helped me to get long term benefits.
I started studying 11th grade in Westfield High School. None of the courses I took in the school fascinated me except Human Anatomy. This course intrigued me everyday and it instilled a thought that I would enjoy a career in health care. As part of graduation requirement, I volunteered in hospitals for three months. Through volunteering and shadowing, I gained immense satisfaction from knowing that I had made a difference in the lives of few individuals. Watching doctors provide the most sensitive and comprehensive care they could was truly inspiring. My decision of becoming a doctor did not come in a moment of blinding revelation, but as a result of variety of experiences during my junior year of school. The ultimate experience that I had was going to cadaver lab in NOVA Springfield center.
As I walked into frigid lab, pungent smell mixed with formaldehyde greeted my presence. I encountered feelings of anticipation and excitement. Seeing the cadaver for the first time was mesmerizing. His head and everything below his waist were covered. I had never had contact with dead person prior to this experience. I was terrified for few minutes and I convinced myself that it was just a man but dead.
As I approached the cadaver, my professor removed a heart from the cadaver and gave it to me to examine. As I held the heart, I felt more than just a chunk of flesh. I felt the emotions, experiences that had once occurred through this organ.
I felt like I was holding a heart that is similar to mine. Later, the professor gave me the liver, kidneys, brain, lung and so on. When the circle of life is closed, I realized that this is what we all look like. My experience in the cadaver laboratory was extraordinary.
Those experiences allowed me the moment of self-realization and guided me to my career decisions. It provided a unique opportunity to build a strong foundation personally, socially and intellectually. Through my experience in cadaver lab, I came to learn how important having a sense of compassion is to any health profession. I have a huge respect for the individuals who gave up their bodies for the greater good of science so that thousands of young men and women can train themselves to be doctors and treat millions of other human beings. I still pray for his soul in the morning.
All these wonderful experiences made me see myself as a doctor in future. Through the experiences I had, I can think of no other profession that can make such a profound difference in another person’s life. I am aware that the way to medical school will be challenging and competitive, but I am sure that I have the ability to overcome to the obstacles and be successful in future.
