Personal Narrative: My Journey Into The Medical Field

Life changing events had a great impact on me becoming a nurse. In 1992, my husband was suddenly diagnosed with colon cancer. We had two small children, and I only worked as a hostess in a buffet. He was the sole bread winner of the household. He had a colon resection and then underwent a year of chemotherapy. After he was diagnosed, I decided I needed to have a job that could support my family in the event my husband would not be able to care for us. I enrolled in college to pursue a nursing degree. I thought why not nursing it's a respectable job and they make decent money. It took me a long time to get through my prerequisites. I had some stumbling blocks to get over along the way. In 1993 my father in law passed a way exactly a year the day my husband had his surgery, he died of colon cancer. In 1995, my husband's cancer reoccurred, I lost my father to cancer and we also lost my brother in law to colon cancer. Then in 1996, we buried one of my step brothers, who was 23 years old, he died in a motorcycle accident. One would think that after seeing so much death in such a short period of time why would I still want to be a nurse. But I was determined to be a registered nurse. After getting into the program, the more I became

I sat at the kitchen counter, staring at the green cabinets and bowls of fruit. I wanted to play in tonight’s soccer game, but my mind was still foggy from the drugs I received in the hospital the day before. I didn’t want my teammates to see me like this. My hair was matted from where my head rubbed against the blue hospital pillow, and a wrinkled piece of clear tape secured a nasal feeding tube onto my cheek. I hated what the tube meant: that I was inadequate and that I couldn’t drink by myself. I was someone who insisted on doing everything on my own, and the thin, flexible tube was a physical reminder that I could not. My mom and dad lauded my bravery, but I dismissed them. I didn’t believe bravery was dictated by necessity.

When I first started going to Terra State Community College I was an eighteen-year-old with two jobs and ambition towards the medical field. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I began my first semester by taking very broad classes so that I could use them towards any career. I remember looking up different career paths that I could possibly take through Terra and weighing my options. I then came across medical assisting, a truly perfect career for me. I met with my advisor and set up a visit with Mrs. Hopkins, and as soon as I sat down with her, I knew this is what I wanted to do. This field allowed me to do everything that I could of imagine wanting to do within the medical field.

It started when my father was in the hospital. I saw him lying on the off-white, uncomfortable bed sheets in such discomfort that my only hopes were to reduce his suffrage and alleviate any mental, physical, or emotional agony that arises. From this point on, to this day, I know I want to attend a university to pursue my goal of becoming a Nurse. Over the course of high school, I have been searching for a college with top notch academics and a captivating community enriched with passion and success; the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh has the embodiment of such an institution. The moment I stepped foot on the campus of University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, I envisioned my future path, and I came to discover that UW Oshkosh is “Where Marisah

There’s has been many educational opportunities in my life but the most significant opportunity that I had that really impacted me was partnering and being able to intern with Sharp as a highschool student. As a student going to a high school focused on the medical field, I have gotten many advantages in my education for interning as a nurse at Sharp Grossmont hospital. I’ve connected with many inspiring and great people along the way and I have learned more about healthcare from the many preceptors I have collabed with. While I was interning as a nurse on the 5west area, it really open my mind up to determine if nursing was what I truly wanted and go along with. As the years went by, I have not only intern in the nursing area but also in the

Ever since I was in 9th grade, I realized my goal was to become a nurse. The countless hours I spent volunteering at the different areas in the hospital gave me a chance to explore the healthcare field. In the hospital, I interacted with plenty of patients while putting a smile on their faces. Assisting patients in non-medical ways such as bringing ice chips or a crossword puzzle to the patients helped me to understand that I wanted a profession that would allow me to work with people and make a difference in their lives. From that point forward, I would work hard to achieve my dream in becoming a nurse. Even though I was not consciously thinking of it at the time, I now see that my volunteer experience at

My inspiration to pursue a lifelong career in nursing derived from witnessing a close individual succumb to a painful and chronic disease when I was the tender age of 6. I pondered and researched endlessly on the symptoms and damage caused by that disease until I comprehended its origin and everlasting effects. The memory of witnessing that individual die will continue to plague my memories and serve as a reminder of why I continue to strive for my goals today. From that point on, I knew exactly the person I aspired to be in the future—a nurse. I was fascinated with acquiring knowledge about the human body and diseases. In high school, I applied to a local hospital to become a candystriper to gain more insight about the medical field and nursing. I was placed into the endoscopy department and it was there where I truly established my determination to take on the challenge of becoming a nurse. I witnessed and experienced a myriad of things during my time there. I grasped how to become more compassionate and to prioritize one’s life and safety above everything. The hospital became my personified version of Utopia.

As I exit the locker room, I strap on my black cleats and tighten my gloves. I grab my silver helmet with the lightning bolt logo, touch the sign that says “Play Like A Champion Today,” and walk into the tunnel. Finally, we hear our team’s name, and we run onto the field ready to defeat the fear of losing embedded in our minds. The opportunity arose, and whether we seized it or not, this would be my last game. We took away from that day more than just a win, or a loss. As somber as I was to let this moment go, I knew I had not let my team down. There was no anguish, no agony. These lessons from football have carried over in my journey to become a physician. I knew I wanted a career in healthcare, and football has better prepared me for that.

The events occurring during the summer of 2012 opened my eyes to what would become my life’s ambition. I discovered first hand how moments matter and how fragile life can be. My destiny is in the medical field and I am a believer that things happen for a reason.

Though I have another year and a half before I complete my schooling, it is always important to find out as much information about my future field of work. Knowing what is to be expected when going in for a job interview will not only be a bonus for myself, but allow me to feel confident when giving answers.

Having lived in three different countries in my childhood, it was a challenge for me to I wade through the unspoken rules of each culture. My Chinese heritage, reminded by my mother’s cooking, complements my penchant for Japanese snacks and trinkets. At the same time, I proudly represent Seattle where I grew up. My friends were often confused by my habits or certain beliefs and my family often did not comprehend what I was learning and struggling with at school. These obstacles were not solved overnight; I slowly learned to understand, taking the advice of many helpful teachers and mentors. I had to learn how to ask for help and advocate for myself. In my pursuit of medicine, I recognize healthcare transcends this cultural barrier, but the

The field of medicine has always peaked my interest as I have been and still am a very accident prone person in and out of the doctor's office and hospital. It began when I was two and broke my left radius and was always going to the doctor to get it checked or to physical therapy to have my muscle strength brought back. I have broken my left arm three other times since the age of two and have had many other health complications, but there was one health issue that was not my own that pushed me over the edge. My freshman year after golf practice, my mom picked me up and on the way home she started experiencing severe cramps. She pulled over and parked her car, and began telling me how much it hurt. A few seconds later her eyes rolled back into

My first week went really well! I was definately both nervous and excited on the first day. I was nervous because I wasn't sure how the clinic would run and I quickly learned that it is a very fast paced clinic. My CI sees patients every 15 minutes and he is both the only PT there and the owner of the clinic. I have been learning a lot about PT treatments as well as the buisness side of the PT clinic. He has a lot of PT aides that help with exercises and setting patients up with ice and stim ect. The fast paced clinic was definately something I had to get used to. I was a little overwhelmed when we would just start with a patient and a new patient would walk in the door. However, there is a very good flow in the clinic and everyone is always

My first clinical I felt my greatest accomplishment was not being shy and hesitant. The first day we had clinical was the first day that I got the opportunity to float to another floor, I was very nervous at first. Going into a new place for anyone is different at first because you don’t know what to expect. I think what made my experience so great was the endoscopy nurses and doctors, they were some of the nicest and helpful people I’ve met so far. I got a wonderful opportunity to learn next to the doctors doing the procedures and also see other roles of the healthcare team like the nurse anesthesiologist.

My first clinical was a good experience because I learned a lot. I would say my first day involved experiences that I was expected to learn but also ones I didn’t. I learned that getting up at 5am in the morning really isn’t as bad as you think, once you get your coffee paid of course. As well as the drive from Valpo to St. Mary only talks about 20 mins. As soon as I arrived at the hospital, I expected to learn about what we as student nurse would be doing, as well as that since it was the first day, learn are way around the hospital. I wasn’t to nervous about going to a hospital for clinical, but as Soon as I stepped on the oncology unit I got a little nervous. It hit me that I was no longer just practicing vital and providing base care to