Evolution of Dreams by Sarah

Evolution of Dreams by Sarah - June 2017 Scholarship Essay

When I was six years old, I wanted to be a doctor. Every single time I went to a doctor's appointment, I was amazed at how my doctor was able to cure my ailments by examining me. I felt an immense amount of interest in the idea of saving a person's life. That interest solidified even more when I was diagnosed with a lung infection called pneumonia, ironically, at six years old. My condition was not mild by any means. I stayed in the hospital for about a week and received intense treatment every day. As I was laying on my hospital bed in discomfort, my doctors and nurses were constantly helping me. I never felt alone or discouraged. I was scared of what may happen, but seeing how hard everyone was working gave me a strong sense of hope. Evidently, I made it out of the hospital alive and well. From that incident, I looked up to doctors more than I ever did before. I wanted to help someone else the way my doctors and nurses helped me.

Then, I flashed forward to college. I came into college with the idea of trying out premed courses. I was not really sure about what I wanted to do. It is a lot easier to say that I want to be a doctor than to actually do the work necessary for that path. So, I tested the waters. As I took my first rigorous biology and chemistry courses, I realized that I love learning the sciences. The more in depth I go into a scientific topic, the more I want to be immersed in it. Thankfully, my interest in medicine was encouraged by my desire for developing a strong scientific foundation.

Academically, one can only be exposed to a glimpse of the entire field. Thus, I decided to join a few clubs to get a more direct feel of medicine. Through one of the premed clubs, I got in touch with a researcher who gave a thought-provoking talk on epidemiology, at my university. I learned that there are several communities in Indiana, the state where I live, in which there are people suffering from lack of health education and resources. I did more research on the topic, and I have decided to take part in solving these problems, focusing on underrepresented communities. Currently, I am working toward improving health disparities among minorities.

My new experiences in college lead me toward pursuing not only medicine, but research as well. I have a strong desire for saving lives, but I also want to do so behind-the-scenes as a public health researcher. There are many health problems that go unnoticed, even in a first-world country like the United States of America. I know that tackling health disparities from the roots and focusing on preventative medicine will make our communities flourish in health. Many problems would not have risen to the levels they are at today if people understood them from the beginning. I want to raise health awareness, so everyone can play a part in improving lives.

Ultimately, to look back on my dream career, when I first thought about it to the reality it is becoming today, is amazing to me. I have not only grown my interest in medicine, but I have also found specific problems in healthcare that I want to fix. My goal has evolved to a level I did not know it could. Just by keeping my vision alive, I allowed myself to go out of my comfort zone. Now, I have a clear idea of how I want to contribute to the world. I still want to be a doctor, but now I am pursuing a dual degree in medicine and public health research. I value every step I have taken toward my dream, starting from the day I decided to pursue it.