<p>In writing this, I do not mean to proselytize. I wish only to offer my opinion - take it for what it's worth. I write because I feel I have learned something that transcends myself.</p>
<p>You all have the desire to enter medicine because you hope to make a difference in the lives of your common man. The proportion of your motive this desire occupies may vary from person to person, but all of you gravitated towards medicine because you posess this longing to some degree. Otherwise wouldn't you choose the financial rewards of a job on Wall Street, the prestige of a political position, or the intellectual unknown of academia.</p>
<p>However, with this desire many of us - myself most definitely included - forget one person: ourselves. Lost in the desire for great grades, MCAT scores, volunteer experience, research (the list goes on) is the great chance to discover who we are as people. And, this knowledge will serve you better than any surgical procedure you will learn at medical school. How can we truly serve other people before we serve ourselves.</p>
<p>To put this in perspective let me talk about my own experiences. When I entered college, all I could think about was the opportunity to become a doctor. All I wanted to do was help people. However, in this desire I lost sight of myself. After all, in order to help people I had to get straight A's, accumulate a laundry list of extracurriculars, test well on the MCAT's and impress people sufficiently to get letter of recommendations. And to be completely honest, I achieved nearly all that I set out to accomplish. Yet, I could not get over the overriding emptiness I felt staring at my GPA and other accomplishments. I remember asking myself, that's it? That is all I feel? I accomplished everything, so where is the joy, the elation?</p>
<p>I spent a long time pondering this. And I realized, I had become an accomplishment. I had forgotten who I was. I felt a great disconnect between what I felt and what I did. In looking to the future, I had completely forgot about the here and now of my life (being cliche does not alter its truth). A Buddhist master once said "Those who see worldly life as an obstacle to Dharma (which simplistically means truth) see no Dharma in everyday actions; they have not yet discovered that there are no everyday actions outside of Dharma."</p>
<p>I challenge you to ponder the following question: how can you help people if you first do not help yourself? As anyone who has practiced any form of medicine (myself as an EMT) knows, not everyone is appreciative of what you do for them. You may save someone's life only to be spit at, yelled at, cursed at. At a moment like this, your ego takes a great hit unless you realize that you are not undertaking this job to be rewarded by those around you; you are simply doing what you believe to be good. Believe me, this takes great comfort with who you are as a person. And, it is infectious. Do good for strangers AND yourself and others will follow.</p>
<p>You do not have discover Buddhism or any other religion to get to know yourself. You must simply set time aside every day for yourself. Spend time in college just taking life in. Look around the campus and appreciate its beauty. Take a class that has nothing to do with medicine. Volunteer and refrain from adding it to your resume. You will discover that nobody is perfect, yourself included. But, at the same time, you will also become more comfortable with who you are than ever before.</p>
<p>I myself have only taken a few steps on this path, but I plan to keep walking. I have an application that I feel is very competitive for medical school (if that is possible), but I plan on taking time off. Maybe I will apply for a Fulbright to study abroad in Europe or Asia. I have never heard anyone who regretted taking a little bit of time off after college before they embarked on some great journey such as medical school. If everything still feels right, I will go back to medical school.</p>
<p>Om Mani Pedme Hung. The jewel is in the lotus. As Lama Surya Das explained it, "What we seek, we are."</p>
<p>-Dave</p>