Introduction to a Future Doctor: Rebekah

I've had some weird career goals over the years. From ballet dancer to benevolent dictator of the world, I had many aspirations as a child. Some worried my parents more than others, as I'm sure you might imagine. I have one memory when I proudly proclaimed to my parents that I was going to become a hobo. My parents were surprised...to say the least. I was quick to reassure them.

"Don't worry," I said, "I'm not gonna be just any hobo! I'm gonna be a rich hobo with a big bag of money on a stick."

Man with a Bag of Money. Web Source: Public Domain Files

These whimsical workings of imagination filled my childhood. However, like any child, I became aware of an ever-approaching adult world. I had to consider what I wanted to do with my life, and that fact overwhelmed me.

I mused for a while about potential careers, but I didn't have enough information about what those jobs do daily. So, I thought more abstractly.

I decided that I want to become a medical physician. Doctors are in the room in critical moments of a human's life, from birth to death. More importantly, doctors are there when a person and their family face hardship and strife. People become doctors for many reasons: the humanitarian service, the high salary, the mystery of the human body and mind. I want to be the type of doctor that, while uses medical knowledge to the fullest, also remembers that each patient is a person, first and foremost. People want to live long, healthy lives. Whether a person wants to live in lavish isolation or herein a happy home, I want to help them continue living so they can continue their contribution in our shared human experience.

People Standing in Front of a Globe. Web Source: Max Pixel

For cases where I can't help them live, I want to be a compassionate person who provides comfort to the dying and the mourning. Perhaps this idea is silly or long-winded to others; however, it is an ideal that I have carried for years and that I am determined to carry out.