"Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty... I have never in my life envied a human being who led an easy life. I have envied a great many people who led difficult lives and led them well." -- Theodore Roosevelt
I'm not claiming that my life has been difficult, for there are many people who have lived far more difficult lives than I; but, I am willing to claim that medical school is just the start of the difficulties that I face. I don't think I chose medicine, I think it chose me--I can't imagine my life in any other way. However, I didn't think I'd get to my end goal via an International Medical School. Nonetheless, I glad that I came down here. I knew becoming a physician meant that I would miss out on parts of my personal life and it would also mean that I would be an integral part of a relative strangers' personal lives in both the best of worst of times. It is just part of the package. Since coming to medical school, I haven't been too involved in stranger's lives yet (although I was in my position as clinical researcher). But I have already started to miss out on parts of my own life. Since starting school, I missed my grandmother's death and funeral, my cousin's wedding in the Puget Sound, multiple family BBQs, extended family trips to the Seattle area, birthdays, holidays, and tonight I'm missing my half-sister's wedding. I don't think it is any particular event that I'm sad about missing, but I do feel a bit like an outsider since I'm so far away. It might sound a bit selfish but in the end, I don't regret missing these events. In just a couple years, I will have the high honor of being a physician--even if I'm a little lonely and homesick from time to time. Nothing worth doing, comes without struggle.
No comments:
Post a Comment