Reflective Essay: How Southern Style Changed My Life

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On a cold October morning in 2009, my grandfather had coronary artery bypass surgery. He had been to multiple physicians to assess the health of his heart months prior and was finally scheduled to have the surgery at Wesley Medical Center in Hattiesburg, MS. I can remember sitting in the waiting room with my family as the clock slowly ticked by during his procedure. As you can imagine, my mind was racing. In my lifetime, none of my immediate family members (that I could remember) had ever had a major surgery like this before. I was so nervous. Giving my role model away to strangers who were literally going to cut him open and work on his heart was a terrifying thought. The hours passed. I was on the edge of my seat until the physician and his …show more content…
Little did I know, the city where my grandfather had surgery three years prior would now become my home. I immediately broke away from my comfort zone once I began enrollment. College is what you make of it, right? Once I joined The Sigma Chi Fraternity, other organizations soon followed. I threw myself out there to make connections with people who had compassion and loved serving others like I did. I wanted to be a part of something bigger than myself. In 2014, I decided to apply for Southern Style. Southern Style is the university’s best of the best students selected from three rounds of tough, situational interviews among numerous applicants. Being part of Southern Style is one of the highest honors an undergraduate at Southern Miss can receive. They are the orientation leaders, university ambassadors, and peer mentors of incoming students. Over the course of my time on Southern Style, my compassion for people grew. I also honed my skills that medical communities absolutely have to have. My ability to facilitate problem solving, coordinate a strong initiative, and maintain high ethical standards improved exponentially. I knew that at the same time I was helping those around me, I was bettering …show more content…
This is my lifelong dream and I know that I will be successful if given the opportunity to matriculate. Before my grandfather’s surgery, I never had a definitive reason for wanting to become a physician; I just knew that I wanted to. It was not until that cold October morning when my passion for people and medicine solidified into why this is my calling in life. I saw first-hand how much a physician could positively impact the lives of both the patient and family members. I saw real compassion. I saw real patient care. I saw the future me. Since then, I have shadowed multiple physicians in different specialties to better understand the patient-provider relationship and the ways to treat different cases. The application of medical treatments is something that amazes me to this day and I would love to be able to learn as much information as possible about them. My experience both inside and outside of the classroom has taught me how to balance my time, learn from my mistakes, and make the most of the opportunities given to me. My drive for becoming a physician is evident in my heart, and to others that surround me. The route I have chosen will not be an easy one, but my motivation and determination to serve others will prevail. The advancement and application of medicine are everything to me, and I would love

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