Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Michael Phelps: 8 in 08

Some of you may remember my Michael Phelps post from 2004. Reading it now, I realize that not much has changed at all. Michael is still "humble, cute, fit, kind, determined, and a team player," except now he's the GREATEST OLYMPIAN EVER! That's right, Michael has done what no one has ever done before: win 8 gold medals in a single Olympics. And he has more gold medals than any Olympian in the history of the modern games. And he's not even done! He's going to compete in London in 2012 and no doubt get even more medals.

Not only am I so proud of him, but since 2004 I have felt this connection with him. These past four years were like Olympic training for medical school. And now that I am here, I am actually achieving the goals that I had made for myself in childhood. In 2012, I will graduate from medical school and become a doctor, which to me is the ultimate gold medal. Michael and I were both nerds who got tormented and bullied in school, who are now achieving our dreams and making a difference. Of course, I am not operating on the scale of Mr. Phelps, but he has inspired me for so long to keep going through the tough times and let the negativity of others fuel me to keep going.

Congratulations, Michael. I know that your hard work and dedication will continue to inspire me and others around the world to live up to their full potential and, perhaps, exceed it.

Sunday, August 10, 2008

New Chapter

Dear readers, I am happy to say that I have started a new chapter in my life. I started this blog when I was 19 years old with the dream of becoming a doctor, and since that time, you have all seen my ups and down on that journey. You were there when I took my pre-reqs, my MCAT, faced down my premed advisor, applied, interviewed, was waitlisted, applied to grad school, graduated from college, retook the MCAT, moved to DC, reapplied, interviewed, was ACCEPTED!, and received my masters degree. Well, dear readers, I have just completed my first two weeks of medical school here in Texas, and I am studying for my first medical school test. Having a masters degree has really helped me here - I feel like I have an advantage over the other students since I have seen this material before.

But beyond the academic, I feel that I am actually living the dream I have had since I was two-years-old of becoming a physician. All I have ever wanted to do is devote my life to the service of others, to be their advocate when they are in need, and to share my great capacity to love and care for others. It's been a long time coming, and I feel so blessed to actually be living the life I have always known I was meant to live. I want to share this new chapter of my life with all of you. Some of you are old friends, some are premeds, and some are just passing through. Regardless, I hope that the lessons I have learned in the past and will learn in the future will help you in your lives, and help me continue the journey of introspection I began nearly five years ago.