"I began to realize how important it was to be an enthusiast in life...if you are interested in something, no matter what it is, go at it full speed ahead. Embrace it with both arms, hug it, love it, and above all become passionate about it. Lukewarm is no good. Hot is no good either. White hot and passionate is the only thing to be." -Roald Dahl
If there are three things in my life that I know to be true about myself, that will never change, they would be 1) I adore people, but mostly children, 2) I love science and medicine, and 3) I love connecting with others on a deeper, meaningful level and being able to serve a good purpose in their life. These three things come together in many ways in my life, some better than others. My mother (and a few other important people in my life) likes to remind me that I need to stand up for myself more, that I need to learn to say "no" more often, and not always do what people ask of me. She's right. Sometimes two of these things come together and cause stress and hurt in my life. In others ways, these qualities have turned out to be the greatest three things I could ever ask for. They've led me to pursue a career in pediatric medicine as a PA, a role that is greatly underestimated and greatly misunderstood (but more on that at a different time). This career choice has been the driving force behind my motivation and life choices for over 6 years now. That may not seem like a long time until you realize I am only 21 years old, then it seems to have a much larger impact.
Over these past 6 years, I have realized a lot about myself and have had the opportunity to interact with many amazing patients, healthcare providers, mentors, and friends. I have taken jobs and risks and made life-altering decisions, but everything led me to where I am now. I've been accepted to PA school at a top 16 program. I say this not to justify how far I have come or how much I have accomplished. I make this point because, for the last 6 years, I have developed a huge passion for medical mission work and serving others and the schools that I applied to were all hand chosen based on which ones would help set me up to continue what I love doing the most. If I had a dollar for every time someone told me I should be a doctor, I would have enough money to pay for PA school and medical school combined. However, this is not my calling. I desire to be an outstanding PA, a motivated and skillful clinician, with a soft touch and warm smile to treat those who need it the most. I also desire to be a leader in the profession one day, whether it be as a program staff member, professor, or member of one of numerous national PA organizations that exist. My hope is to help spread this profession in our country, and abroad, to help make medicine more accessible and affordable, something that is not always emphasized today, especially concerning the use of PAs abroad.
I have volunteered in free clinics and rural clinics, seen life in America at its lowest and learned from it. However, last December I embarked on a journey with one of my closest friends that would forever change my outlook on medicine. We traveled to Kodaikanal, India, high up in the mountains of Tamil Nadu, through an organization known as FIMRC, the Foundation for International Medical Relief of Children. It was an amazing experience that she I and often still joke about because we legitimately thought we were going to die numerous times, but clearly, we made it out okay. I saw things on that trip that I hope to never see again. The level of poverty that I witnessed is unfathomable to most. However, I count myself as lucky to have been able to witness it. I learned a lot of facts and techniques that will help advance me as a future health care professional, and for that, I am very grateful. But overall, I'd have to say that I learned more about myself during those few weeks than I could have ever thought possible. These things still weigh on my heart and mind every day. This type of work is a true passion of mine that I hope to be able to continue for the rest of my life.
I am a Christian, a passionate Catholic to be exact. I've always cherished being raised Catholic and really valued these beliefs since high school when I discovered that Catholicism was the correct path to Christ for me. I had been on spiritual retreats, a mission trip to help spread Christianity to children and families in the Navajo Nation, and had participated in youth groups and Bible studies, etc. However, as I have matured, I have never experienced a true call from God to spread Catholicism and try to bring others to seek the Lord. Maybe it is because I keep my faith very personal, close to my heart and not out in the open for many to see. I believe that, perhaps, it is because my interest and talents can better be used as a servant of God to spread kindness, love, wellbeing, and health. This is why I feel called to medical mission work. Here, I can use the talents and passion that was given to me to serve others in a way that not all can. This is one of the driving forces behind my passion for the PA profession, the motivation for all of the hard work put in, the main reason that I am so relieved to be into PA school, and why I am so ecstatic to be heading to Uganda tomorrow to continue my work.
Over the summer, the idea came up for a second trip through FIMRC. I was interested in Uganda from the start for many reasons and decided to pursue it. A few months prior, I had the opportunity to give a presentation on my trip to India to the Auburn College of Science and Mathematics Leadership Council, composed of the COSAM Dean and numerous successful alumni of the college. This presentation opened the door to another trip when one of the Leadership Council members helped provide funds through APMI in Birmingham, to help make another trip financially possible. On top of that, one of my advisors took the time to help spread the word that I was still in need for more funding, and was able to secure another donation through the Leadership Council to help me pursue my next trip. These are the people that I have to thank for their continued interest, support, and guidance. Without them and numerous other donations from family and friends, continuing my work would not have been possible. Although I will be embarking on this next journey alone, I have more people supporting me than I could ever have expected.
This leads me to the point of this post. Over the past few months, I have received a good bit of criticism concerning this trip. Numerous people have asked me why I feel the need to travel so far to volunteer when there is so much need here in my own community. The first few times I was asked this, I was confused as to why that would even come up in someone's mind. Then, it happened again and again. Our country and my community have an overwhelming amount of poverty and a huge need for affordable and accessible quality medical care. However, the majority of the American people do not have a dire issue concerning getting their basic needs met. Yes, there is poverty, but there are millions of people in the United States, as well as the government, that can assist those in need and do so often. That's how I spent the majority of my summer, shadowing and volunteering in a clinic for low-income, rural patients. Unfortunately, for the people I worked with in India, and will soon work with in Uganda, I can't say the same. They live in a community full of people, like them, who can't afford food, let alone extra food, water, clothes, supplies, etc. to give to others. Taking the time or resources to help someone else in need around them is out of the question.
The most recent time I was asked about all of this, I realized how selfish a world we must live in that we devalue service to those in great need far way simply because someone else is in need here. Helping is helping, serving is serving, and there are children and adults in India, Uganda, and many other places that desperately need and deserve this help but will not get it simply because "there is need here."
If you have time to volunteer in your community, do so, show love and be helpful wherever you are. More people will benefit from it than you could ever imagine. However, if and when you have the time and can gather the resources to serve someone who does not have anyone else around them to help, do it. Go wherever you can go and do all that you can do to serve there. Yes, our community needs it, but the rest of the world needs it as well.
"I used to pray that God would feed the hungry, or do this or that, but now I pray that He will guide me to do whatever I'm supposed to do, what I can do. I used to pray for answers, but now I'm praying for strength. I used to believe that prayer changes things, but now I know that prayer changes us and we change things." - Saint Teresa of Calcutta
As I embark on the next part of this journey tomorrow, I have to thank all of those who have supported me with donations, well wishes, and prayers. Thank you to my parents and family for supporting my adventurous, strong-willed spirit, my boyfriend for telling me I am not crazy and that it is safe to do, and my friends, advisors, teachers, etc. for supporting me and encouraging me to follow my dreams and pursue all that I cam capable of. A special thanks to those in my life who know how important getting into PA school was and supported me, listened to my worries, and were there to congratulate me on a job well done, knowing how much it meant in my life. This past year has certainly not been as easy one for numerous reasons, but I have never been happier and more excited to see where the next steps will take me.
"The things that we love tell us what we are." - Saint Thomas Aquinas
