From Hate to Love by Alleigh

From Hate to Love by Alleigh - June 2017 Scholarship Essay

When I was in the first grade, I ran into a dilemma that most other kids have at that age; my mother put me in time out. To make use of the time I had on my hands, I grabbed the box of Tinkertoys and built myself a chair. My mother was astonished, a chair?

Ever since I was a child, I felt that my sole purpose was to use my brain. In elementary school, I spent a significant amount of time in the AIG classrooms solving puzzles and drafting creative writing pieces, some of which would eventually be featured in the Young Author’s Contest. After the bell rang, I would build things, learn to play different instruments, knit, or work on a novel which I was sure that would one day become famous. However, when I was growing up, I never thought that I would have the desire to become a doctor like I do now.

“Children, gross”
“Reflex hammers, weird.”
“Bandages and scraped knees, bleh.”
“Thermometers, boring!”
“Needles… nope, that’s it.” I thought.

As a child, I was under the impression that doctors were just slightly advanced forms of mothers who gave regular mothers pills for their children. I might have sounded unappreciative, but in my defense, I was a healthy child. I was unaware there were even different types of doctors. All I knew was that when I went to the pediatrician’s office, someone measured my height and weight, took my vitals, and occasionally poked me with a needle, which ended in a fit of crying. Not a career for me.

Ten years later, I had a change of heart when I was injured during my freshman year of high school. My doctors discovered a defect in my hip that required surgical intervention. Through my trips to a handful of offices and hospitals, I learned that doctors do not only have the opportunity to help people, a passion I found over the years through volunteer work, but they are also overwhelmingly knowledgeable. Doctors really did do more than basic physical examinations, and I even discovered there were different specialties.

Around this time, it became apparent that education was a key part of who I am. I began to wonder if a medical profession might be the right fit for me. Several days before my hip surgery, I asked my guidance counselor to enroll me in the first medical class that my high school offered. I entered Health Team Relations my freshman year and did quite well. Consequently, I decided to take two more correlating classes, Health Science I and II. Over the summer, I opted to take a medical terminology course at Cape Fear Community College. I even received two awards for my academic performance in Health Science I and II. Due to these classes, I am first aid and CPR certified. In the upcoming year, I will take the Pharmacy Technician certification course, as well as the Emergency Medical Technician certification course. These experiences have given me a clear view of what medicine is like, and I have developed an infatuation with it.

At six years old, I felt that I would have a successful career in a STEM field, like my father did with engineering. Although, as many people know, dreams change as you age. Something I once despised has become the focus of my future academic endeavors. However, I have stayed true to my original life goal: to be a lifelong learner. I am overjoyed about the years of schooling ahead, and I know I have made the right decision to go into medicine - even if my six year old self would disagree.