Personal Narrative: My Decision To Major In Biomedical Engineering

The decision about going to college for many people is easy to make, but for others it can be a huge struggle. For some people, they have to decide if going to college is right for them, whereas some have to choose to either go right out of high school or to take a year off. The struggle for me was the latter. It was a tough decision for me because I wanted to take the time to get a job and travel. I eventually made the decision to go to college immediately after high school when I talked to by parents and my grandfather about it.

My College and Career goals include graduating college and getting a job. I wish to attend the University of Alabama. I plan to major in occupational therapy or speech therapy. After I graduate with my bachelor's degree I wish to get my master's degree. After I finish my schooling I want to receive a job that allows me to provide for my family. I wish to receive this job in my degree's field. After receiving this job I wish to improve to reach a leadership role.

My career plan has taken quite a few turns through the field of health care but I have found my niche where I really enjoy my job and the individuals I take care of. My short term career goal is to get my bachelor degree in health care administration and apply for a job as Q of the houses I work in now. This means I would take care of the mentally handicapped individuals that I take care now just in a different capacity. My long term career goal is to eventually be an administrator for the company I work for now. This means I would have to take the state and federal exams. Then I would be able to take care of multiple homes and have the Q’s under me as employees. Another long term career goal is to continue working on my education and to go for my master’s degree.

During my 15 years of existence I have had numerous experiences that have expanded my enthusiasm and desire for the endless field of knowledge that is STEM, but two experiences stand out the most. Perhaps the earliest experience I’ve had with STEM was wandering the halls of my parent’s veterinary clinic to come upon an open white room full of surgical tools and machines. It was in this well lit room that I was first brought into the STEM world by my mother doing a splenectomy (as she later explained to me). Pushed back at first by my own intimidation, I slowly walked forward in interest. With the explanation from my mother, my interest for information regarding the veterinary field grew. I constantly asked questions about surgery and what it

I remember being awaken by the loud commotion going on from the living room, so I decided to go check. I went out calling for my parents, but to my surprise, I only saw my mom on the phone crying from the reflection of a mirror. I wondered where my dad was. I got closer towards the living room and stood by the wall. I witnessed my dad sitting down on the floor having trouble to breath complaining about chest pain while my mom stood next to him. I closed my eyes in fear. I then heard something calling me to open my eyes. It was a siren that got louder and louder each second. I stood up and saw red lights shining through the window. There was a knock at the door and my mom went to open the door. Two men and a woman came through the door in navy

Everyone’s passion is different, whether it’d be drawing, cooking, fashion, etc. Mine so happens to be learning about health. Choosing this as my passion was easy because learning how the body works and how it reacts to different viruses and diseases or medicine is fascinating. I also enjoy helping others and putting their needs before mine. This passion takes me into building a career out of it by going into the medical field and becoming an RN. Knowing that becoming an RN won’t be easy won’t change my mind for my career but it will only want me to work harder and not stop trying. The best way to be prepared for the future is planning everything out which is something I will try to do.

Three years ago my grandpa got very sick, and was admitted into Hospice. Every day I watched as CNA’s and nurses took care of him, helping our family. The support of those caregivers made me want to be a CNA for the summer, and possibly pursue a career in the medical field. Helping people has always been a passion of mine. The happiness I feel by helping others, is what I strive for. Compassion and kindness are two of my most valued traits. I would not be the person I am today without them.

The decision to apply to medical school was not taken lightly. I knew that medical school would require a huge commitment of my time and energy. Therefore, before applying to medical school, I knew that I needed to prove both to myself and to the committees that would be reviewing my application that I had what it takes no not only survive, but to excel in medical school. Therefore, while continuing to work around 50 hours per week, I returned to school with a full-time load, and prepared myself for the MCAT – all in a period of about 6 months. This was one of the most mentally and physically exhausting periods of my life, but the tools I developed to spend my time both wisely and efficiently helped me stay organized. My passion for the coursework

The sharp scent of chlorine fills my nostrils as I crane over the microadjuster, determining whether my Platinum/Iridium wire tip is done reacting. Waving away the fumes, I observe the bubbles fizzling out, turn the voltage off, and twist the tip out of the machine. At 163 nanometers wide, it’s the sharpest tip I’ve etched this summer.

My biggest challenges to applying to medical school came from finding a balance between working to afford school and having enough time to study as well as coping with the fact that my parents moved to Germany and I wouldn't be able to afford to see them. These two problems on top of the normal stress of starting college took a toll on my first year and a half and is something that I'm reminded of every time I look at my grades from those semesters. During this time what helped me the most was my determination and my willingness to seek help when I needed it. I have never been one to take defeat and I refused to let these set backs keep me from trying to achieve my dreams. While overcoming these challenges have not been easy I'm grateful for

Every day I went into work I knew one thing: one of the residents would not know who I was. He had seen me before. In fact, he had seen me more days than not in the last year. He held conversations with me, danced, went out in the community for various events, helped me cook, ate the food I made, and prayed with me every night. Despite that, every day he met me for the first time all over again.

Making that first step to complete independence isn’t always easy. Being the first person in my family to ever attend college, I knew I was travelling into uncharted territory, one where I wasn't sure what to expect. My dad, a concrete worker, my mom an esthetician both came from very little and never had the chance to attend college. Both of my brothers decided against college and went to work for my father in the concrete business. For this reason, I was a little bit hesitant to venture too far from my home my first year. What if something went wrong? What if I couldn’t do it? I am happy I stayed home and attended Daemen my freshman year, because it opened my eyes to a great deal of things, and helped me find what I want to do with the rest of my life. Since I was little I always knew I wanted a career that involved helping people, especially children. The first semester of my freshman year I took a class called “Healthcare Studies

Every goal I make is subject to change. When I was little, I wanted to be a rock star. I did everything in my power to make that goal a reality. I sang in the shower, put on little shows, performed at church, and made sure to audition for every solo in choir. Once I reached middle school I was informed that my goal was impossible and that I should think of something more practical. Being a veterinarian seemed practical. At the time, I had three cats, a dog, and a couple fish so I basically owned a zoo, therefore deeming myself an animal pro. One day I learned what my future job required and was quickly deterred from it. Eighth grade taught me that money mattered so I set towards my goal of becoming an anesthesiologist simply for the pay grade.

The experience I will get from the program is an inspirational and unexpected view of the continent that I may visit during the short period of time. This will connect also with the biomedical program I’m in it will show a way of aspect of helping others. Africa is an rich continent but so many people are poor and their governor failing to fight against corruption just like the state I live in Louisiana and its poor it’s in debt. It also connect with the knowledge African people have to start their own business to provide for their family and I want to invest in starting my own business so I will be working for myself and make how much money I want to make. We have education crisis that we in school but we learn so little while in school

If my Freshman-self saw who I was today, he would definitely be flabbergasted that in five years he would be going directly into the healthcare field. When I first came to Syracuse University, I had the idea of being a biomedical engineer and helping to design the latest in medical devices. Two semesters of engineering, a severe lack of human interaction, and internship later I was on the path to becoming a physical therapist. I thought I was going to fall in love with physical therapy and by now I would be in a graduate program. The funny thing about life is that nothing rarely goes as planned. Due to a computer malfunction, my scores were unable to send to the schools I chose and therefore I was denied. Everything happens for a reason but