How and why I got into medical school

Photo by dandy_fsj

To paraphrase the famous expression "You don't know what you got, until it's gone" more appropriately for this post - "You don't know what you'll have until it's yours".

While I was still in the premed camp, I used to dream about the time these life-changing words would be addressed to me - "Congratulations, you have been selected..." and dreading yet another "Dear candidate, despite your excellent dossier, you were not selected..." (I have received more than a couple of those). For years, I used to speak in the conditional "If I become I doctor...". It sort of became a reflex, a second nature of mine. And during those years I thought of the moment of getting my acceptance as a sharp 90 degree turn you sometimes encounter on the country side or Canadian urban centres. When you see it ahead, you have to slow down and make sure you stay in your lane. In the same way I thought I would change my life trajectory when the new and better stretch of my life appeared in front of me. Many exciting events in mind were tied to Being Accepted. "I will do this... I will try that...". But all ended with "if only I was accepted" - although I was never superstitious, the grandeur of the subject made me almost religious when discussing it. Which, by the way, shows just how feeble the whole thing was. As the list of things to do or to try grew, so did the weight and the importance of the aftermath. It became harder and harder for me to bear the possibility of rejection, with so much value attached to this one event, not even entirely under my control. Also, as I put on hold many if not all of the things I really wanted to do, I became less and less happy. But I did not notice this, I was too preoccupied with my thoughts.

This was then.
A couple of years ago, my life had changed drastically, and I had to adjust. Living through tough times gave me a good nudge to mature. I realized clearer than ever two important things. First, using my road metaphor from above, to win a race you need to gain a lot of momentum. Similarly, you need to set aside (note: not forget) all the dreams about the your future as a medical student, resident or even doctor, and focus on the now. I hate clichés, but applying the following was what got me admitted "Live in the moment" (or, if you need extra motivation: "Live as if there was no tomorrow"). Momentum, as you know, requires applying force, not thought (alternatively, you can increase in mass, but the Surgeon General says it is bad for your heart, so I will stick to force). I looked back at my life and saw so many "what if"s and so little "have done"s. This gave me the motivation to act: research, learn and excel in many things I talk about in my other posts (and also some EC's I might mention if you behave).

Second, and probably even more important, I had a philosophical insight (yes, that deep). What I mean to say is (again, metaphorically) if you have enough momentum to become a successful candidate, you are most likely going darn fast. And you will never make a 90 degree curve. You will likely fly off the road right into the bushes, skid on your rear until you stop or hit a tree. Your life does not change when you get into medical school. You will be the same person, with the same friends and the same ideals/achievements you had several seconds ago, when you were only a premed. This was so important for me to understand because it changed the way I looked at my goals. Did I still think getting into medicine was my dream? Absolutely! Did I still want it as much as I did before? Certainly! However, I did not put my life on hold for after I got in.

Study but also party. Invest but also enjoy. Sacrifice, but do it wisely. Aim high, but never look down at anyone.