Why I Want to be a Doctor?
Why I want to be a doctor?
On September 24th 2004, I was unwillingly hurled into the world of Medicine. Well, technically 13 years and some months earlier I was born to a physician mother, so I was already in the presence of that lifestyle. But from my diagnosis of Type I diabetes in September of ’04, frequent trips to doctors’ offices would become my reality.
After initially recovering some the shock of my new situation, I became enthralled with the subject of human anatomy. No other academic subject captivated my intrigue quite the same way. As it relates to diabetes, I began shadowing endocrinologists in college to gain the perspective from the other side of the office desk.
I am currently enrolled in a Masters of Public Health program with a concentration in Epidemiology. The ultimate end goal would be to practically lean on both MPH and MD degrees. I want to both practice medicine in my own clinic and help develop/evaluate health plans on a broader, nationwide scale. I feel that having both degrees encompass both the micro and macro outlook on health, and accomplishing the types of goals I want in the healthcare field requires both vantage points.
The thought that scared me most as a Thirteen year old would be to potentially quit playing sports. I’ve since maintained a steady level of activity and was even blessed enough to play football at the collegiate stage. From these experiences I was able to combine my diabetes treatments with fitness and nutrition. Through my own trials and tribulations, now combined with hearing the stories of others, I have a unique take on diabetes and endocrine management that I believe I can apply to conventional medicine.
So what’s the point? I believe it’s about time we as diabetics combine the pharmaceutical, nutritional, and fitness aspects of chronic disease treatment. It’s time we revolutionize the way we look at out our health management and each take control of our own destiny.