If you’re looking for a short answer to any/all of the questions, then this isn’t the blog post for you to read.
I think I’ll start by explaining a little about myself. I’m 23 years old. I’ve pretty much been in school my whole life. I went to Eastlake Highschool, and the most important thing to me was to graduate with a 4.0 so I could get into “the best” college. I remember sitting in a biology class my sophomore year (Hey, Mrs. Martinez!) getting frustrated that our teacher wouldn’t just TELL us all the facts so we could memorize them for the test. I become furious and annoyed when I would ask her a question and she would respond with “Well, what do you think?” I wanted to punch her in the face (excuse me) and say “LADY! I have no idea, that’s why I’m asking you. Please just tell me the answer so I can know what you want me to write on the exam tomorrow.”
When I started at University of Washington, I continued to study in the same way. And you know what? It worked. I made the Dean’s List and I thought that was the greatest thing ever. My second year I took a biology class with Scott Freeman, and he literally changed me. His style of teaching wasn’t too different from Mrs. Martinez, but finally (for whatever reason) I was able to embrace my inner-nerd and “nerd-out” for a lack of a better word, on science. When I asked “why?” I started to answer my own question before waiting for a response from the professor. I ended up becoming a biology major (who would have thought I would after my extreme hatred of all things bio in high school), and although my life wasn’t visibly rocked in any way, I was different. Yes, I still had to take an organic chemistry book or a bio-chemistry lecture and straight up memorize millions of random facts, but my way of thinking was different.
Okay, you still with me? Grab a drink (don’t tell me if its iced coffee) and keep reading.
So, I’ve wanted to be a doctor for a LONG time. Why? Well this post is about why I joined the Peace Corps, not why I want to be a doctor, but I guess I can touch on that here (time to hold your breath for my post on why I want to be a doctor). Here’s the gist of it. I love working with people. I love science. I love figuring out puzzles and mysteries and the actual process of coming to a diagnosis. I love being utilized and feeling like I am helping something or someone. I love working for a general cause. I love being challenged. And, I am so beyond intrigued with the human body. It’s possible that I’ve described some qualities that a doctor possesses, but it’s also possible that I’m completely off track (if you’re a doctor reading this, please let me know if I’m describing some characteristics you see in other doctors or within yourself).
Great, so now you know that I don’t want to become a doctor “to make bank” or “save the world” or “become a miracle maker” maybe this next part will explain why I didn’t just apply to medical school after college graduation like many of my friends.
I am not READY to spend another HUGE chunk of my life behind the walls of the classroom.Why did I spend months studying for a test that was 7.5 hours just to leave the country immediately after taking it, and before even knowing my score? (Also, since I haven’t told anyone yet, and if you’re reading this you probably care about me in some sort of way, I was VERY happy with my score on the MCAT!!!!!) Will med school be worth it? Probably. Can I picture myself in a white coat right now? Possibly. But I am not there yet.
Okay, why not?
This is the part where I may lose some of you (if I haven’t lost you yet). I don’t want to just be told “why” when I ask a question, I don’t just want to understand “why” when I find an answer, I want to KNOW, with certainty, “why” something is. Pulling myself away from all of my comforts and immersing myself with completely new people, with new ideas and a new language (because EVERYTHING is new) is the perfect way that I think I can accomplish this, while still doing something that (hopefully) will fulfill most of the qualities I’m looking for in finding work. I want to learn from experience, from new people (not professors, even though you guys are great!) and from actually DOING something (not just reading about it or following a procedure given to me in a lab book).
The beauty about Peace Corps is there is no actual defined job. It is what you make it. I could be going into a health post every single day and working there, or I could be teaching classes in a school, or I could be starting clubs/camps/committees (am I missing any other C words?) with youth/mothers/soccer players… etc. etc. etc. Where else in a normal “job” do you have that ability? (If you have an answer, PLEASE feel free to let me know!!)
It means giving up time with my family, friends, and all the comforts of my (old) daily life, but I HOPE it means finding something more.
So does that explain why I joined the Peace Corps?