“Kyle, why do you want to become a doctor?”
Well, I’ll tell you why…
One afternoon, I was instructed to return a patient
to their room after receiving a CT scan; however, this particular trip a
patient’s room was longer than any other I had ever encountered. This was
because this particular patient had suffered severe cerebral hypoxia due to the
complete destruction of the trachea during an auto accident. With the patient
completely paralyzed and unable to speak, I wasn’t able to converse with this
patient as I had with many others before—so I walked only in the company of my thoughts.
Upon entering the patient’s room, the attending
nurse quickly assisted me in transferring the patient back to bed. Following
the transfer, I couldn’t help but stop in awe as I looked around the room. All
around me were photos that adorned every inch of each wall. These photos shared
the precious moments of the life lived prior to the accident; a life that was
dedicated to serving a family, to nearly finishing an ivy league education, and
to serving the local community selflessly.
It was in this impactful moment that I realized why
I was truly interested in pursuing a medical career. I desired nothing more in
my life than to promote and preserve the highest quality of life possible for
all people; whether they would be my parents, peers, or my future patients. The
life we each possess is subject to encounter terrible tragedies, but our lives
also possess so much potential to protect. This patient encounter was
undoubtedly the most moving, human experience I have experienced while planning
to pursue a career in healthcare. Never did I expect to be shown why I desired
to be a physician in such a way; to realize it from a patient who could not
move, could not speak, and could not know that they indirectly made the largest
impact in my life—ever.
This is why I have chosen the path of a Future
Health Professional.
What experiences have inspired your career goals? I’d
love to hear from anyone and everyone; simply comment below or message me via my facebook!
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