From being half-way done I am now officially three-fourths of the way done with college. It's hard to believe that I only have one more year here as an undergraduate here at the University of Cincinnati. I honestly wish it would slow down a little bit and that high school would've gone this fast compared to college.
One of the most significant events and obstacles that I have had to overcome (and am still overcoming) this year is achieving the said MCAT score for the Connections Dual Admissions Program at UC. I had studied the previous summer only to have a power outage during my test and ending up with a score one point away from the desired mark. Throughout the year I had taken the test a few more times and failed to meet the mark again whether it be because of nerves or just lack of time to prepare adequately. While the disappointment and frustration certainly built upon each other I realized that at the end of the day I am still in a better place than most people. Not only that, but it took me time to come to terms with the notion that this test does not determine the type of physician I am going to be, there simply is no correlation. It is just another road block that I need to overcome in order to achieve my goal of becoming a physician. This obstacle has also made me more grounded and still motivates me to get the score I need. It has allowed me to actively reflect on a lot and certainly illuminate how much being a physician really means to me and how much I want it.
While I don't consider myself to very talented or gifted in many regards, one skill I am developing is my ability to speak Spanish. I was able to finally use this skill to give back to society through my one week mission trip in Paraguay. Here I essentially served as a medical translator at the many free clinics we set up around the impoverished areas of Paraguay. I would be able to asses patients as to what was wrong with them and then pass this information on to the physicians in order for them to make the diagnosis because a lot of them were not able to speak Spanish. This not only made me feel useful but validated the hard work I have been putting into learning the Spanish language.
While I look ahead to the upcoming year I would tell myself to not worry too much regardless of the many outcomes that may present themselves. I would emphasize that I need to enjoy this final year of undergrad because once medical school starts the opportunities to enjoy will be far fewer than in undergraduate. While I do have a tendency to get very involved and not leave nearly as much time for myself as I would like, I need to try and remember to say no to things and leave time to do nothing. Academically, I would not worry too much. I would remind myself that over the course of your college career you have learned a lot about how you study best and whatever your classes throw your way I am sure you will be able to handle so long as you stay organized and put in the work
In the upcoming year, one goal I have is to run the entire Flying Pig marathon. While I am not a big runner, with adequate time, guidance and training I do believe that I can complete the Flying Pig. When I entered college, I was big on lifting and gaining personal size, and through this process working out consistently has taught me a lot and has a special value to me. With my final year of undergrad left, I would like to switch things up and allow my body to try something new and see how it responds to such a challenge. While it will be tough, my hope is that if I do end up both running and completing it, the entire journey will make me a much tougher person both physically, and more importantly mentally.
Finally, this upcoming year I wish to continue my skill of speaking Spanish to give back to the community. While I do plan on traveling abroad at least one more time in order to help those in need internationally, I would also like to find an opportunity to either volunteer or assist and organization in translating for patients in a medical setting. Again, I feel as if this is something that will allow me to improve my Spanish but also continually reaffirm my passion and pride of how much I want to become a physician.
One of the most significant events and obstacles that I have had to overcome (and am still overcoming) this year is achieving the said MCAT score for the Connections Dual Admissions Program at UC. I had studied the previous summer only to have a power outage during my test and ending up with a score one point away from the desired mark. Throughout the year I had taken the test a few more times and failed to meet the mark again whether it be because of nerves or just lack of time to prepare adequately. While the disappointment and frustration certainly built upon each other I realized that at the end of the day I am still in a better place than most people. Not only that, but it took me time to come to terms with the notion that this test does not determine the type of physician I am going to be, there simply is no correlation. It is just another road block that I need to overcome in order to achieve my goal of becoming a physician. This obstacle has also made me more grounded and still motivates me to get the score I need. It has allowed me to actively reflect on a lot and certainly illuminate how much being a physician really means to me and how much I want it.
While I don't consider myself to very talented or gifted in many regards, one skill I am developing is my ability to speak Spanish. I was able to finally use this skill to give back to society through my one week mission trip in Paraguay. Here I essentially served as a medical translator at the many free clinics we set up around the impoverished areas of Paraguay. I would be able to asses patients as to what was wrong with them and then pass this information on to the physicians in order for them to make the diagnosis because a lot of them were not able to speak Spanish. This not only made me feel useful but validated the hard work I have been putting into learning the Spanish language.
While I look ahead to the upcoming year I would tell myself to not worry too much regardless of the many outcomes that may present themselves. I would emphasize that I need to enjoy this final year of undergrad because once medical school starts the opportunities to enjoy will be far fewer than in undergraduate. While I do have a tendency to get very involved and not leave nearly as much time for myself as I would like, I need to try and remember to say no to things and leave time to do nothing. Academically, I would not worry too much. I would remind myself that over the course of your college career you have learned a lot about how you study best and whatever your classes throw your way I am sure you will be able to handle so long as you stay organized and put in the work
In the upcoming year, one goal I have is to run the entire Flying Pig marathon. While I am not a big runner, with adequate time, guidance and training I do believe that I can complete the Flying Pig. When I entered college, I was big on lifting and gaining personal size, and through this process working out consistently has taught me a lot and has a special value to me. With my final year of undergrad left, I would like to switch things up and allow my body to try something new and see how it responds to such a challenge. While it will be tough, my hope is that if I do end up both running and completing it, the entire journey will make me a much tougher person both physically, and more importantly mentally.
Finally, this upcoming year I wish to continue my skill of speaking Spanish to give back to the community. While I do plan on traveling abroad at least one more time in order to help those in need internationally, I would also like to find an opportunity to either volunteer or assist and organization in translating for patients in a medical setting. Again, I feel as if this is something that will allow me to improve my Spanish but also continually reaffirm my passion and pride of how much I want to become a physician.