How I Changed My Life

While growing up in Mobile, Alabama, I have always dreamed of becoming a medical doctor. My mother has been very supportive of my aspirations to attend college and become a pediatrician. She was the first in her family to graduate from high school and the first to attend college, which she never completed. Before graduating from high school, I knew that I wanted to obtain a degree elsewhere and not Mobile. Many of the steps I took to achieve this goal were unfamiliar to my family and me. These experiences have taught me that working consistently to achieve my

The most recent challenges I’ve faced on my pathway to medical school include finding the time and resources to prepare for the MCAT while raising a family and attending school full-time. For as long I as I can remember I wanted to be a physician, but my only concern was how to get there. Growing up my parents emphasized the importance of finishing high school, but never expressed the importance of further my education. They knew my lifelong goals of wanting to be a doctor, but had little understanding of how to get me there. Shortly after graduation, I began (continued?) my educational journey, attending a local community college, then transferring to Arizona State University to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences. It wasn’t until I transitioned to the university when I obtained a better understanding of what it truly takes to be a competitive medical school applicant. I began preparing myself for the medical school entrance exam, worked 10-12 hours in a genetics research laboratory, gained volunteer experience, and balanced a full-time course load. My plans were going smoothly and I felt as though I knew what it took to be

Adversity has only improved my tenacity, focus, endurance, and problem solving abilities. Various circumstances have affected my academic performance negatively, but I use that as motivation to continually improve myself. I want to be a part of the solution to the family physician shortage and serve the community in the most effective way. My drive to improve the lives of others will help propel me through the difficulties of medical school and beyond. The personal experience I have with my immersion in the field of primary care gives me unique characteristics that will translate into creating a successful physician that focuses on building meaningful relationships with patients. I continually witness how my grandfather is positively impacting the community through medicine and it is my goal to be granted an opportunity to do the same. My belief in lifelong learning and continual self-improvement consistently drives me towards the study of medicine. Because of my life experiences, I now have the balance, endurance, clarity, and tenacity needed to be a successful medical

As a child, my parents had always pushed me to reach for my goals and go to school. My mom always made me promise to her, she didn’t care if I got married or had kids, but that I received a degree. And that’s exactly what I did. During my high school years, I dabbled with different subjects to figure out what I would enjoy doing the most as I got older. I believe happiness overcomes money. I would rather be happy than make a million dollars every year. So I sought to find a career that would make me happy. I landed on the medical field. Seeing people in misery shatters me, therefore I chose a career that would help me try and make a difference. I also chose this field to help my mother and provide her with the care she needs. My mom was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2008. After seeing this disease have negative tolls in her life, I promised myself I would always be there to help her in whatever way I can. My mother has always guided me and supported me through all my ups and downs in life, and without her I wouldn’t be up here right

While in college, I developed an interest in health. I must say that my interest for health did not prepare me for the unforeseen health obstacles that I had to go through in order to complete my bachelor’s degree. My journey was rough. Especially, when I had doctor visits along with paranoia. Then there were the biopsies of the breast and this was my last year attending EIU. I commuted to school everyday, worked two jobs, and took care of my motherly duties to my two kids by myself. I was

Cancer’s a bitch! When I was 11 years old I lost my father, a 35 year old non-smoker, to lung cancer. Before the death of my dad, I had always wanted to be a scientist when I grew up. The overwhelming beauty and complexity of nature fascinated me. Watching my father slowly lose his fight with cancer was my first real push towards wanting to study medicine. Later experiences volunteering in hospitals, shadowing physicians, and watching my little sister’s boyfriend struggle through his own fight with a brain tumor only furthered and solidified my passion for medicine. Though I have had some rough patches in my life, I consider myself lucky in that I have seen and experienced things that most people never get to in their lifetimes. These experiences have given me me the chance prove myself able to deal with stress while performing academically, and have shaped me in ways that will make me a more aware and well rounded physician in the future.

In February 2012, my junior year of high school, my mom succumbed to breast cancer. During her fight with breast cancer and after her passing, I made sacrifices on behalf on my family. I wasn’t involved in afterschool programs because I was cooking, cleaning, doing laundry and grocery shopping while helping my dad take care of my younger brother. Throughout my junior and senior years in high school, college was one of the last things on my mind. However my family and friends helped me realize that grades nor finances were holding me back from attending college but I was holding myself back.

Life is replete with opportunities to fail and to succeed. When I was eight years old, my mother suffered her first epileptic seizure. We were seated in an I-Hop with a family friend and watching her blue eyes close and her body begin to tremble was, in retrospect, both horrifying and fascinating. This moment changed the trajectory of my life and I became determined that I would become a neurosurgeon. I strived for success and held myself to exacting standards in order to achieve my goals – to become an exemplar Pre-med student and research neurological disorders like my mothers. The brief time in the I-Hop was the beginning of a change in life style for my mother, and a driving force for myself. I learned the meaning of dedication. I earned exemplary grades in high school in an effort to receive a college acceptance from colleges that could help me ultimately achieve my goals – to become a doctor. Being a big fish, in a relatively small high school pond I never expected to hit any obstacles in my education. However, naivety hide the reality of college rigor from me and I can honestly admit that these obstacles have taught me more about dedication and passion than I could ever have expected in moments of tears and stress.

At the place where I grew up in Ethiopia, a college degree is a very precious thing that only those who are academically strong and lucky could acquire. Being a first college student to pursue a bachelor’s degree in my family and growing up in one of the undeveloped country, there have been many challenges that I had to overcome from elementary school to attending the University of Maryland College Park. That said, just like the true identity of a gold is determined by putting it in a glowing fire, I believe, the true passion of one’s self can only be revealed after overcoming many obstacles. Therefore, I believe the challenges that I had to go through have made me who I now am and aspired me to study medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

I have overcome some steep personal obstacles, with some saying, you won’t make it, why don’t you just give up now - yet here I am today, defying the odds that were stacked against me, still living and pursuing my dream! I am a first generation college graduate and will soon be the first doctor in our family. Through it all I continued to push myself, with many academic, personal and health adversities. Though there were moments where it affected my time at school, I have learned to work hard and persevere. I am extremely proud of myself, how far I have come and the accomplishments I’ve achieved, I will not give

Did you ever think that your life could change from one minute to the next? I sat on the couch waiting for the news that would change my outlook on life. I had a pit in my stomach before there was even news to tell. I knew this news was coming for a long time, but I did not know how. My world was going how any 15-year-old would want it to go. A loving family, nice friends, and all the free time in the world. What I did not know was that was all about to change. I was laying on the couch with my head buried deep in the cushions. Almost like that would shield me from the news I was about to receive. Goosebumps started to appear on my arms and tear drops rose in my eyes. I heard the door knob turn, and I knew my mom was home. Picking my head up from out of the cushions, was like picking up a boulder with my bare hands. Before this point in time my life was basic.

Going through the motions of life has always been something I am best at. As a twelve-year-old, sports were what my life revolved around. I would go to softball practice, put in blood, sweat, and tears for my team, and I would listen to my coach’s every word. Eventually, this became a habit- at least before I tore my ACL. However, once I tore my ACL, I had to sit out of all physical activity for a year. I had a negative attitude about changing the habit I loved to follow. Once this happened, I became shaky and sick to my stomach. I clinched my fists so hard that my fingernails cut my palms when the doctor said, “This means surgery, and you know what that means? No softball for a whole year” as if he found pleasure in crushing my dreams. I pitched a fit that I had to be in a wheelchair for a week and on crutches for four more weeks. At the end of the season, my teammates, my teammates parents, and my coaches all hugged me and told me that I was “so strong and such a positive and vibrant team player.” Looking back now, sitting out of softball for a year grew my appreciation for my teammates. I learned to approach every situation, good or bad, with an unprejudiced and positive mindset because a willingness to allow something to alter me might allow drastic revision in my life; now, I can utilize what I learned from the situation to instruct someone else.

I know that the road that I take to become a doctor is going to be very challenging; however I feel that my past has prepared me for taking on the challenge. As a student, I am an active participant in my academic and extracurricular activities. My first priority has always been to make good grades and learn in college. Although this is important to me, I also know that by participating in clubs, sports, and extracurricular activities, I will become a well-rounded student. I have been working hard for the last 7 years, operating as an independent, responsible adult. In that time I have constantly learnt from my life experiences and developed skills in both learning and life management. I am a very motivated person with goal setting, time management and prior skills that help me achieve what I aim to do.

The event that permanently changed my character happened as I was on a life-changing trip to Africa. For some background information, I learned about the trip a year before and was immediately ecstatic. At first it was just going to be me with some family friends journeying to Africa. With the personality God gave me, I was probably even more excited with the aspect of being basically on my own. Ever since I could read and fully utilize my imagination, the unsocial life of living in the abundant fantasy worlds that authors and producers have created throughout the century has always been a solid thing to fallback on whenever an escape is needed. Also, the sense of being utterly detached from my old life entirely was another huge factor in the building of my anticipation. However, my dad got his schedule rearranged and thus an unforgettable father-son trip was born. If anyone were to ruin my alone time and me be happy, the one person would have to be my father.

If I were a well-educated and social kid, I would live a life no one could imagine of. My parents have been living on a farm ever since I was born. Every day of my life I have been raising cows, raising field crops, and livestock. Neither had we had enough time or money to move to an immense mansion or leave our farm. My life is all about working and I can’t even apply for school because of how poor we are. My life has changed like a series of books. I wish I could have known that my life was going to be full with sadness and mourning, but in life everyone has to…die