My Dreams by Kylie

My Dreams by Kylie - October 2017 Scholarship Essay

My whole life I have been around doctors or medicine in general. My first experience with medicine came hours after I was born. I was picked up by an ambulance after sitting outside of a Crisis Pregnancy Center for two hours and was rushed to the hospital. As an adolescent, I became a regular at many different doctors’ offices. For example, with many broken bones and torn ligaments throughout the course of elementary school, middle school and high school, I routinely visited the Orthopedic Specialists and learned how to read x-rays and MRIs. Due to this exposure at an early age, I have always had an interest in medicine. I knew that I wanted a career in medicine, just not which specific field. Pediatric physician, physician’s assistant, and many other fields surfaced as a possibility, but none of them interested me as much as the first time I held a scalpel.
To aid my interest, I took numerous classes that furthered my knowledge of science. I excelled in my biology and chemistry classes, but it wasn’t until I took Anatomy and Physiology with Mr. Lindstrom that I finally figured out where I belong in medicine. In that class, we dissected cats from their chest cavity to their brain. The first day of dissection, I was nervous. My hands were shaking and it was difficult to focus on the directions provided for the task at hand. My group had me make the first cut. I picked up the scalpel in my right hand and the tweezers in my left and it felt as though everything was right in the world. My shaking hands became steady and my swirling mind became laser focused. I felt the calm wash over me and knew that this is what I was born to do. I wasn’t hindered by fear. I knew what to do and my hands moved swiftly over the cadaver, seamlessly performing the tasks without a second thought. On this day, I knew that I was meant to be a surgeon.
I know becoming a surgeon is going to be a long, tough road with hours of studying, and years of schooling. However, my love for biology and science will help me excel in my studies. As well as, my strive for perfection will help me rise to the top of my class and finally, my drive and determination will put me in the running to become one of the best pre-medical students at your university. This is my plan to make it in the world. I just need you to give me the opportunity to take the next step.
Kylie Spiegel