I was born on a farm in rural Alabama to a seventy-two year old veteran and a forty-five year old homemaker. Although I was the youngest of fifteen children, my mother saw to it that my education never suffered. At the tender age of fourteen I left the comfort of home and attended a three year boarding school. During this time I took advanced mathematical and science courses along with rigorous language courses such as French, Spanish, and Latin. However, by the end of high school I was unsure about my future and found myself joining the military shortly after graduation. It was during basic military training that I received my training orders to become a radiologic technologist.
The first four months of my training lacked in any excitement …show more content…
I believed that I was too old to pursue a new career and leaving the safety net that was the military was a frightening and intimidating decision. I left the military with no job or plan other than to pursue the courses I needed to attend medical school. I often regretted not going to college immediately after high school and following the traditional route to becoming a doctor. In retrospect, I am grateful that I did not take the path that had been conquered countless times by my peers. My military training taught me the essential qualities needed to be an excellent provider. I learned discipline and focus from balancing a full time job and a full time course load; working in emergency care and clinical settings taught me be thorough and knowledgeable in my work; I learned kindness and caring while comforting crying loved ones of the deceased and empathy when a patient received a life-threatening diagnosis. Consistent patient interaction has showed me that many people want to be respected and to have their problems taken seriously and that a good faith effort is put towards to finding a diagnosis. As a future medical student I hope to use to my experiences to promote learning and to be seen as a source of information for students who have limited medical
The first four months of my training lacked in any excitement …show more content…
I believed that I was too old to pursue a new career and leaving the safety net that was the military was a frightening and intimidating decision. I left the military with no job or plan other than to pursue the courses I needed to attend medical school. I often regretted not going to college immediately after high school and following the traditional route to becoming a doctor. In retrospect, I am grateful that I did not take the path that had been conquered countless times by my peers. My military training taught me the essential qualities needed to be an excellent provider. I learned discipline and focus from balancing a full time job and a full time course load; working in emergency care and clinical settings taught me be thorough and knowledgeable in my work; I learned kindness and caring while comforting crying loved ones of the deceased and empathy when a patient received a life-threatening diagnosis. Consistent patient interaction has showed me that many people want to be respected and to have their problems taken seriously and that a good faith effort is put towards to finding a diagnosis. As a future medical student I hope to use to my experiences to promote learning and to be seen as a source of information for students who have limited medical