PEOPLE STRUGGLE WHEN THEY PURSUE A LIFE OR CHASE A DREAM THAT DOESN’T BELONG TO THEM. HOW DO YOU KNOW YOU’RE ON THE RIGHT PATH? HOW DO YOU KNOW MEDICINE IS YOUR CALLING?

I know that medicine is my calling because of the single fact that there is no way that I would put myself through this much stress and pressure if I wasn’t working every single day towards a goal that is bigger than myself. There is no other career choice that I can fathom that would give me the same drive to push myself beyond my limits and challenge me to constantly be better and work harder than I ever have. No matter how difficult a test is or how much I want to give up sometimes, my inner motivation to keep going overrides any fear or doubt I have. I know that all of this hard work will be worth it when I can finally be responsible for the life of a patient, form lasting relationships with those in my care, and truly make a difference in another’s life. I wake up everyday with a purpose and a inner love for what I am doing-which is why I know that I pursuing the right dream for me.

WHAT WAS THE MOST SIGNIFICANT THING YOU LEARNED ABOUT YOURSELF SO FAR IN YOUR MEDICAL CAREER

The most significant that I have learned about myself since beginning medical school is that I am a much more flexible person than I ever thought. I used to think I only learned, thought, and did things a certain way but I have come to the realization that that is simply not true. You can always change the way you do things , the way you learn, or the way you understand a concept. It’s never easy, and is usually painful to turn away from what is comfortable and try something new but if you are willing to put all you have into it-anything is truly possible.

WHAT SACRIFICES ARE YOU WILLING TO MAKE FOR YOUR CAREER?

I have never considered putting anything before my career, including fulfilling the social norms of marriage and having children as a woman. Many female students that I know want to start families now in medical school so that by the time they reach residency they are able to raise their children and balance being a mother and wife. I have never had this desire and do not see myself being concerned with starting a family any time soon. My career comes first, before starting a family or even getting married, and I have no issue with sacrificing my “twenties” to endless hours of studying, board prep, and challenging rotations to pursue my goals. I want to be the best I can be in my career and do not believe that I need to obtain both a family and a career right now to feel fulfilled. I do see myself eventually getting married but I have never even considered altering my school and career timeline to accommodate that plan.

WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU KNEW YOU COULDN’T FAIL?

If I knew that I couldn’t fail I would continue to pursue my dream of becoming a surgeon but I would have so much less anxiety in regards to dreaming bigger and pursuing goals that currently seem “ far fetched”. I am a passionate believer that you should strive to achieve your dreams no matter how exorbitant or far fetched they may seem to yourself or others. Often the fear of failure is the reason why people choose to not push themselves or dare to go into the unknown- if that was removed then there is no limit to ones dreams. However, I will still push myself out of my comfort zone and pursue the dreams and aspirations that I have to become a reconstructive surgeon, despite the risk of failure, because I would rather try and fail at achieving my goal then to let fear rule my life and not even try. So, in all honesty, not much would change other than having an higher rate of confidence in the dreams that I want to pursue.

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WHAT CHALLENGES HAVE YOU FACED, AND HOW DID YOU OVERCOME THEM?

When I was in my final year of college, at 22 years old,  I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease that forced me to completely change my life. It set me back at first because I was dealing with the aftermath of the diagnosis and also with the internal conflict in my mind that I wasn’t sure if I could or even should still pursue my dream of becoming a doctor. I felt broken and completely lost, unsure what step to take next. I chose to take two gap years after graduating, to change my lifestyle and also to come to terms with my new reality. In the end, I chose to continue down the path to medical school and began studying for the MCAT. It ended up becoming the best thing to ever happen to me because not only was I forced to completely change my lifestyle: diet, activity level, supplement intake, etc but also my mindset and how I chose to handle stressors and difficulty. Most 22 year olds don’t have to deal with a lifelong illness , and a very fewer number of them continue on to become physicians. I felt that I had the perfect opportunity to become an even better doctor because of my ability to empathize with patients more than most: because I have been and am a patient. I know what it is like to receive bad news, and have to learn to become a new version of yourself when you didn’t even know that was possible. In the end, my disease has made me a stronger person, a better student, a fighter, and taught me that I can overcome whatever I decide will not beat me.

IF YOU KNEW YOU ONLY HAD 5 YEARS LEFT TO LIVE, WHAT WOULD YOU DO DIFFERENTLY TODAY?

If I knew I only had 5 years to live there is no question in my mind that my priorities would change in regards to my career. I would spend my time doing things that make an impact on those around me and spend my remaining time doing everything that I have ever wanted to do, but have chosen to sacrifice for my career. I would get married, travel to as many places in the world I could and help as many people with the knowledge I have.  I would volunteer more, give more, and more importantly spend less time worrying about the future and just enjoy the time I had left.

WHO IS YOUR ROLE MODEL, AND WHY?

My role model is Dr. Cat Begovic a double board certified plastic surgeon in California who got a perfect score on her SAT, went to Harvard for undergrad, and UCLA for medical school. She is my inspiration because she is a advocate for women in medicine and empowers women to stay who they are even in male dominated fields like surgery where they are often alone. Many times along her career she was the only woman in her fellowship and felt pressure to conform or blend in with her male counterparts by wearing less makeup, dressing down, but she refused to  change for anyone even if she was viewed as superficial because she had confidence in herself, her knowledge, and her performance as a physician. Her tenacity and respect for herself to be who she is no matter what others think has motivated me to push for my dreams and to constantly remind myself that I am deserving of this path no matter how much I stand out intentionally or unintentionally. I follow her on social media and whenever I am feeling like an outsider or that I don’t fit in, I watch her and reminded to power through the moment and to never give up.

WHEN IT'S ALL OVER, HOW DO YOU WANT TO BE REMEMBERED?

At the end of the day, the primary way I want to be remembered is for my compassion and impact on others lives. There are doctors who I have had that have made a lasting impact in my life after just seeing me a handful of times, which goes to show that you can really change someone’s life even if you are only in their lives for a short period. The whole reason I am going into this career is to change people's lives for the better-if I can use my education and knowledge to save one person, or improve their quality of life  then all of this is worth it. When I am gone I want people to know that I cared-and that I would do anything I could to help them and their situation.