Every person faces choices daily, and one of the important ones - career path decision. The turning point for me was at the age of nine, on a family trip to the mountains of Vancouver. On the first night of the planned to be amazing vacation, I had a seizure. Having crawled into bed, I began to shake uncontrollably. My parents rushed to me to find out what was wrong, but I was unable to utter a word. Though my recovery went well, my parents’ incomplete explanation left me unsatisfied and yearning to know more. As an aftermath, I became a young scientist on a research mission. I began my research in a desire to learn what had happened that night.
A decade later, after entering Columbia University, this incident felt like a fleeting moment. However, I still wanted to learn about the brain, the science behind seizures, and, therefore, I found myself drawn towards participating in research with the Neurotrauma and Repair Lab. This time around, I felt more like a scientist with my white lab coat and PubMed as my search engine. But it turned out to be harder than expected, I struggled with sterilization initially. The experiment used in-vitro models on the rat’s hippocampus slices, and they would get infected even prior to the experiment, making them inadmissible. Over time I perfected my techniques. However, the challenges were nowhere to be over. I accepted each one with positivity; I saw them as an opportunity to learn, and to grow professionally as a scientist. I learned to be flexible and to adjust to the procedures. Over time, I developed tenacity and persistence to overcome each problem.
As much as I love the thrill of cutting-edge research, I was feeling a desire for deeper human interaction. I did not realize it at nine, but the feeling of helplessness and vulnerability I felt after the seizure left me with the motivation to relieve others of these isolating feelings. Having joined the local hospital’s volunteer team in July of 2013, I got a chance to serve people from all walks of life that merge at the hospital. One patient stood out to me, mainly by his hostility, he seemed bitter and rebuffed my attempts to talk to him. He did not have any visitors, so I used to sit by him every day to keep him company. In our conversations, I shared my experiences abroad – from growing up in Hong Kong to studying in Paris for the summer; from working in Singapore to volunteering in Morocco. My stories helped to break the barrier between us, and open him up; he felt more comfortable talking about his army experiences. I listened without a hint of judgment, as he recounted his troubles, and I showed him empathy and respect when he admitted to his fears of his surgery. He is just one of the many patients with a story behind their diseases and diagnostics. I see the hospital as a hub to meet and serve the most diverse people, thus, to have an opportunity to make a vital contribution to my community.
The most motivating and fulfilling experiences for me come from merging intellectual curiosity and community service. I was involved in a project with Engineers Without Borders. For 2.5 years, I collaborated closely with my team to get funding, ultimately design and implement a polymer suspension bridge for a rural village in Morocco. The hands-on experience and a privilege to work with the locals are what made me feel invested in and dedicated to the project. Similarly, a career in medicine is a gateway that allows me to explore the human body and the science behind it and to use that to contribute to my community in a meaningful and substantial way.
The medical profession is one of the hardest, and the most important ones there are. I have seen older peers burnout and quit. Ahead, lie many years of education and training. However, I have the motivation, stamina, and moral qualities to embark on this journey. Being in the United Kingdom would be a refreshing change and an exciting step towards establishing my grounds and building a career.
