My Goals and Plans for the Future by Jacob

My Goals and Plans for the Future by Jacob - February 2019 Scholarship Essay

My name is Jacob Kumi and I am a Nuclear Medicine major at Augusta University. Because my passion has been to serve others, working as a professional in the hospital has always been my top career ambition, especially having relatives influence and encourage my aspiration. In 2015, my mother was diagnosed with colon cancer and this caused me to get interested in cancer than ever before. The radiologists’ duties and responsibilities were crucial in my mother’s recovery and in the experience, I figured out that it may be something I want to do for a living. Beforehand, my career choice was pharmacy, so this is not a severely, significant career change as it is still in the medical field or at least health services. They work together to analyze various graphs, X-rays, examinations, and diagnostics so they can discuss their work and findings and improve their techniques. Under the major of nuclear medicine, there are other areas of specialization like radiation therapy, oncology, and veterinary technologists. My older brother is aspiring to be an oncologist, so it is great that we are interested in the same field of study.

In finding a new interest, I decided to discuss with a professional to ensure if this is a well-opportune decision. I went on to interview Dr. Justin Caughron, a Gwinnett Medical Center radiologist in Lawrenceville, Georgia. He has been practicing for about 8 years in interventional radiology. He also is specialized in radiation oncology and other types of radiology. He made it clear that he loves his job and it makes him satisfied that he can contribute to the treatment and ultimately, the recovery of patients’ lives. Having a great personality and charisma are important qualities for this profession and I saw these traits in him during our discussion. Without asking him for advice beforehand, he advised that I take a Nuclear Medicine residency for 2 to 3 years because the programs really build up your “professionalism, skill set, and ultimately, the comfortability in your career. I felt encouraged to take on those types of opportunities more than I did beforehand! He said, “the most important thing you should have even more than knowledge is passion” and that stuck with me the most of what he said. I am certainly passionate especially because the inspiration I had to even be interested in this career.

To reach my goal, I must assess short-term goals that will lead me to the long run expectations that I have for myself. My short-term goal is to graduate from Augusta University and be fully ready to enter the last stage of my schooling, medical school. I do not expect this to be easy just by the fact it is short-term. For the College of Allied Health Sciences students, there are certain prerequisite courses that we must take. I will take all to satisfy the requirement and to prepare me for exams such as the MCAT. Since there is much competition, I must make sure I attain the highest GPA I can to be admitted to medical school. A 3.3 or higher GPA is what I hope to achieve. I will certainly complete an internship program at a nearby university hospital.

In the long run, I expect myself to be well prepared to apply for a job position at a hospital. This is assuming I have completed my necessary medical school terms and earned my degrees, certifications, and licenses. I have a long way to go but by hope, prayer, and hard work, I believe, is what will get me to the finish line. The “finish line” will be in about 10 years from now when I have secured a well-paying job. I am planning to go to California, Hawaii or even Massachusetts to work as these are some of the best places to get a radiologist job position. My ultimate dream is to be a place in life where and when I can serve others in many ways.