Follow Your Dreams

Happy Monday, and welcome to Medical Mondays! This week’s topic = Follow Your Dreams!

Medical Mondays went on a hiatus for a while, but it’s back, and back with a vengeance–or at least, for the next 6-ish weeks (since I can’t speak for the rest of the year just yet), because guess who’s done with her interviews?!? (Unless someplace that I really like happens to contact me last-minute.)

As I mentioned back in my post about leaving your comfort zone, I was selected as one of 3 finalists for a scholarship/writing competition, and my post is finally live! :D

>> The Path You’re Meant To Take <<

First place is awarded to the post with the most views and social shares by February 19, so I’d super appreciate your support! <3

Click the picture for the rest of my entry!

I’ve mentioned in here every here and there about what led me to choose family medicine, but I suppose I’ve never actually shared at length what led me to it. The essay I wrote was for a prompt: “What Family Medicine Means To Me,” and parts of it are actually from the personal statement I wrote for the FM residency programs I’m applying for.

To be honest, a lot of people tried to talk me out of going into family medicine.

“You could make so much more money doing something else.”

“Why don’t you go for something more competitive?”

“Are you sure you don’t want to do surgery?”

“But they’re the lowest-paying specialty.”

“Why would you want to do family med?”

It was honestly a little depressing, and was part of Pixie’s and my inspiration to start up FM Student. I live on $10k/year, so I really don’t require much to live. You do not go into medicine (especially not FM) if your #1 desire is to be rich. I just want to pay off my loans and parents’ house, and afterward, my idea of livin’ large is to continue to live on as little as possible so I can spend the rest to take my parents on vacations, travel with friends, make monthly fat donations to Please Save A Cat, buy Bel a building for her envisioned community pole studio, and Phil a bunch of mats and whatever the hecks else he wants at PCMAA.

I am nothing if not consistent–my interests have largely been the same since I was very young (e.g. writing, music, animals, the outdoors, helping others), and a good number of my closest friends are the same ones I’ve had since elementary school.

I try to always keep an open mind, which has led to gaining a billion more hobbies/interests, but as far as my clinical rotations went, there were none that I loved more than family medicine.

At the end of the day, it’s your life that you’ll be living. Do you want to spend it doing something others want you to do, or doing something you hate? Is it really worth throwing away your quality of life?

I’m absolutely floored by the outpouring of love and support I’ve gotten from friends, family, and strangers on my post–it honestly makes me feel as though I’ve already won. (I just hope I can live up to what they’ve been saying!!) I’m genuinely touched, and so, so happy to read all the kind words, and they really help to keep me going! <3

Medical school has not been easy, but I believe it’ll be worth it, and if it can convince even one person to follow their dreams and to go after what they really want in life, I’d be ecstatic. :]

This is a quote that inspired me for my personal statement to get into medical school. It’s still something I’m working toward every day!

Find a job that you love, and you’ll never work a day of your life.”

• What’s your dream in life? How are you working towards getting there?