A Change in Plans by Lindsey

A Change in Plans by Lindsey - August 2019 Scholarship Essay

Everyone has it figured out, right? My friends are applying to graduate school, pharmacy school, medical school, and even accepting jobs. And yet, here I am entering my senior year of college just...thinking. Thinking that I want to change my plan that I have had for nearly three years now. Thinking, “How am I going to do this. I’m running out of time.” Clock is ticking. It’s time for me to start my career, or at least attend a professional school to prepare for it. However, I find comfort in the fact that a gap year is so much more than taking a year off. It is necessary time to grow and reflect on experiences to make educated decisions for the future.
Lucky for me, I always knew I wanted to go into the medical field. But, there are a lot of great jobs with different specialties to choose from. Let me tell you. I was dead set on being a Physician Assistant by second semester freshman year. It would be a good job and schooling would only take a little over two years to complete. I loved the fact that they can switch specialities rather easy. They do a lot of hands-on work, and the doctor is always there if I might ever be unsure about something. I have back-up! So, this was my plan. Work hard in the classroom, and out on the field (I play college softball). Take the GRE. Apply to PA school. Simple. Then I went on a six week long trip to Guatemala as a medical intern this past summer.
While in Guatemala, I got to work with doctors, dentists, nurses, surgeons, anesthesiologists, translators, and volunteers. It was a dream. Being surrounded by so many people with so much knowledge and advice made my chest swell with excitement. This area is where I needed to be, but after seeing so many different roles firsthand I didn’t know which I wanted to be. Before Guatemala, I never really got to job shadow different aspects of the medical field. If I am not in the classroom, I am spending countless hours on the softball field. If I’m at neither, I am studying until I pass out. One summer I was a nurse’s aid, and that’s how I decided I wanted to be a PA. However, most of my time in Guatemala was spent with the doctors, and I fell in love.
To be a doctor, there is a lot of hard work and time that has to be dedicated. There has to be a drive and an unwillingness to give up. Although I am going into my senior year of college, I know that I can make this new dream a reality. I know because I am not going to give up. On the trip, other students my age that planned to be doctors had already taken the MCAT and applied to medical schools. I am a little late to the game, but it is nothing a gap year can’t fix.
I plan to use my gap year gaining experience through work and volunteering to give back to the community. I can use my time working in clinics or a hospital to learn more through hands on training and involvement. Yes, I will be receiving a lot of knowledge about medicine, but I will learn even more about patient care and the compassion and composure that comes with that. Communicating with patients is key. That is one of my biggest takeaways from Guatemala. A doctor is a teacher. I don’t want to just study the books in my gap year. I want to know the inner workings of every aspect of the profession I hope to be some day. I think if I dedicate that time to personal and professional growth, it will be a great benefit. Another reason why I want to grow so much in my knowledge and experience, is because I know it will in-turn benefit my community. As a doctor, I am serving and helping those in need of care. I want to give them the best. I want to know all I can and feel comfortable while treating them. A gap year will only help me get closer to reaching that goal.
Yes, my plan of three years to become a PA has changed in a summer, but I honestly think it’s what is best for me. Trying to fit in PA school right after graduation just wasn’t working out. The schedule of my life and PA school were not matching up. I was already wondering how I could make it happen. Then a new door opened, and it just feels right walking through it.