The day I decided to become a doctor was the Christmas when I received my first doll… a Doctor Barbie doll. It was a pediatrician Barbie doll that is equipped with her very own built-in stethoscope that exudes a “lub-dup” sound every time you press the little button on the center. I liked the “lub-dup” sound that I heard from Barbie’s stethoscope so I told myself, “I want to be like her”.
I spent the rest of my childhood pretending I was a doctor every chance I get. I gave self-prescriptions of “an apple a day keeps my whining away” to hoard fruits from our fridge and I perform make-believe treatment procedures to “cure” my brother’s fever. I even tried to inject a home-made syringe to my little sister’s arms but I failed miserably.
As I grew up, I realized that being a doctor is not as easy as making doodles on prescription notes. I learned that I have to memorize inch-thick textbooks and operate months-old cadavers to get pass medical school and that I have to forget the luxury of sleeping to survive medical internship. I tried to absorb all those information and then I asked myself why I want to be a doctor. Do I want to be a doctor just because I want to look glamorous in a lab gown like Barbie or because I want to inject home-made syringes on my sister’s arms?
Most applicants share the same answer of wanting “to help people” every time they are asked why they chose to pursue a career in medicine but I have reasons other than that. Helping people is something that all of us should do regardless of whether we are medical practitioners or not. The reason why I still want to become a doctor is because I know that I have the ability to heal people both physically and emotionally. I will not be contented with just a successful heart surgery. A great doctor, for me, is one who knows how to heal patients from the inside. I want to have that opportunity to help people have another shot at life. I like to make them laugh and feel good about themselves.
I have done my research on the academic system of this school and I was really impressed by the curriculum. Conceptualizing a curriculum that features balance between the theoretical and practical aspects of medicine, I think, is simply amazing. The main reason why I applied for a slot in this medical school is because I think this will give me the best opportunity to improve my education. I’m determined to be a doctor and unlike Barbie, I’m willing to go through all the obstacles on the way to an “M.D.”.
Photo Credit : Biology Big Brother
