The Field Of Medicine First Piqued My Interest

When people are struck with hardships in life, the way they react reveals their true character. Having a certain mindset can greatly influence how they handle problems, differentiating one person from another. Many can feel discouraged and feel like giving up when they hit a rough patch. In other cases, the will to be in a position better than where they are at the moment gives them the motivation to succeed. Adversity can have a positive effect on the development of an individual's character, providing them with the drive to overcome their current situation.

Hardship is seen in some degree in everyone’s lives. It pushes us to the maximum, makes us hit rock bottom. These experiences change us, though not in the same way. Some souls rise to the occasion and rise out of the ashes, while others become stuck in the endless downward spiral. Although some individuals are crushed by the adversity, other are about to overcome it and become better people and lead improved lives.

My interest in medicine first stemmed from my freshman Biology class and my Nutrition class. I was intrigued by our studies of cells, genetics, and disease. Both courses incited a sense of awe and curiosity within me. Dissecting a frog, was the stepping-stone for my interest in medicine. Seeing the frog's heart made me wonder how the human heart worked. My research into the human heart inspired me to learn more about the medical field. I sought out volunteer opportunities that would give me insight into a doctor’s typical day. During my volunteer experience, I learned that as a doctor you experience many obstacles, including patient compliance and insurance approval issues. In my journey to pursue medicine, I learned that becoming a doctor means more than helping people, it means being the team leader, being compassionate, and most importantly being committed to the patient’s well being.

Learning to deal with and overcoming adversity is what made me who I am. Every challenge and every difficulty I’ve successfully confronted in my life served as a way to strengthen my will, confidence and ability to conquer future obstacles. A famous quote I liked came from Herodotus, the Greek philosopher, who said, "Adversity has the effect of drawing out strength and qualities of a man that would have lain dormant in its absence.” When I responded positively and constructively to my biggest challenges, the qualities of strength, courage, character and perseverance emerged from deep within, because I am human, it was very easy to get caught up in the self-pity, unfairness of life, or the “why me?” trap. When I did think like that, I learned that I failed to recognize the opportunities for wisdom and growth that accompanied adversity. However, as soon as I allowed myself to think more clearly, I was able to let go of self-defeating and unproductive thoughts and get down to the business of dealing with what was happening before me and what can happen for me in my future. My failures and setbacks have nothing to do with me being a menace to society instead I had to realize it’s something every human being goes through. It’s a part of life and has everything to do with being human. Circumstances to me now mean nothing. Limitations don’t hold me back.

In life we may go through hardships that take us down a path that benefits us in the future and make us stronger individuals. These hardships can influence a person’s life by making us face obstacles we don’t want to face and

The Roman poet Horace states that “Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which in prosperous circumstances would have lain dormant.” By this, he explains the role these hardships play in shaping and developing a person’s character. I agree that adversity not only elicits talents, but also brings out the hidden aptitudes within a person that which they were unaware of before. Through learning experiences and observations, I have witnessed the significant outcomes that come from the result of adversities.

People are challenged with many of life’s obstacles every day leaving them emotionally damaged and left feeling helpless. How one copes with these feelings depends on how he/she was raised in terms of solving problems. Success must occur in physical, social, emotional, moral, and intellectual aspects in order for one to achieve his/her full potential. Through the deprivation of emotional and social support in one’s early years, levels of self-esteem are lowered; one is then prevented from achieving his/her full potential. Over time, the accumulation of traumatic experiences can lead an individual to overwhelming guilt and depression; this unhealthy state of mind contributes to lower self-esteem. In order to reach one’s full potential, he/she must meet every need leading up to self-actualization; lacking self-confidence prohibits a person from becoming the best version of his/herself. Richard Wagamese’s Medicine Walk explores how childhood experiences and relationships, whether positive or negative, fundamentally shape an individual; later on in one’s life, healing may allow relationships to be mended, allowing people to become better versions of themselves.

“I began working part-time on a regular basis at the age of 13. After high school, I talked my way into a job as a runner at the Chicago Board of Trade. A runner is the person who runs all the buy and sell orders to the brokers in the pits. I have been successful in blue collar jobs, such as roofing and painting, as well as white collar jobs, such as being an account executive for a national mortgage lender. At the age of 21, I decided to attend college and later graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in telecommunications management. I am currently working on a master’s degree and am married with two children.”

Of course, adversity is ultimately inevitable in life. When a problem arises, individuals are generally astonished at the response to the complexity of the situation. This makes adversity becomes a wall that is unable to be broken down. However, there is a point in an individual where their instincts can reveal the truth, “it’s part of life to have obstacles, it’s about overcoming obstacles, that’s the key to happiness.” Qualities and characteristics of individuals are revealed during the hard times. These talents that are within us, that are usually locked up to give the ability for an individual to unlock the adversity that it created. In this sense, an individual true color and nature can be revealed leading to a new understanding of the capability to overcome adversities.

I have faced many obstacles in my life and have been through many hardships. However, I always overcome them in one way or another. For example, when I first walked the halls of Harlingen High School I entered as a shy but ambitions freshman with a lot of friends and unfortunately a lot of enemies. I was always put down due to play playing ability in band. I constantly tried to get better and better and that’s when freshman region auditions came along. I was excited to be able to actually compete with others so I can finally prove myself to my peers and teachers. I stumbled through my pre-audition and wasn’t able to audition and that killed me inside. I practiced so hard to not be able to audition. Although I was never any good I decided to

Everyone has to experience adversity one time or another during their life, but it is how you respond to the adversity who makes you who you are. Two prime examples of people who overcame adversity is Victor Cruz and Iliana Roman. In Bill Pennington’s essay, “Defying the Odds: Victor Cruz” and Iliana Roman”s essay, “First Job” they tell us about the different adversities that they endured during their life and how it shaped into the person that they are today. Although Pennington and Roman’s essay are about the lives of two different people they convey a similar message of overcoming adversity through experience, pathos, and connotative diction.

“There is no better than adversity. Every defeat, every heartbreak, every loss, contains its own seed, its own lesson on how to improve your performance the next time,” Malcolm X, and activist overcame adversity by learning from his defeat. Adversity affects our world today too. With our harsh rules and drive to be better, one must strive to succeed and overcome the hardships. While there are many qualities needed to overcome adversity, having faith, keeping composure, and receiving support are vital in order to overcome adversity.

Trauma and Abuse, Illness and Struggle May Be Injurious, but They May also be sources of challenge and opportunity

Two decades and many existential crises later, one single aspect of my life has pulled me through: that passion I experienced as a child. I have questioned the source of this motivation more than once, and have sought out to put myself in all possible situations that would predict how I would feel later in my life as a doctor to make sure this passion was not mere infatuation.

Everyone experiences adversity. Challenges that everyday people experience can potentially shape, improve, or destroy one's sense of self and personality. Through all these hardships and seemingly impenetrable obstacles, the most pertinent component of one's ability to overcome can only be shown in actions taken despite the odds. People have one of two options; to let those obstacles overwhelm them and keep them from pursuing all that they were destined to accomplish, or to march forward, fight harder and push past the seemingly impossible circumstances to become greater than they ever expected to be, but until they take the step that enables them to be successful -- they are stranded. All of our actions, mistakes, successes, and behaviors shape our person and what we can or cannot become, but what will always matter is our individual decisions and actions not those of the people around us because at the end of the day, we are the ones who have to deal with ourselves.