As I sit here studying for my biology exam on protists, I couldn’t help but think.. why on earth do I want to go to medical school. I would literally rather pluck my eyes out than sit here one more minute trying to memorize the different types of microscopic organisms that dwell in the bottom of the sea and seem to have absolutely no significance to my life whatsoever.
That’s not really what this post is about, though I do despise my career path at this moment. My animosity towards studying this material got me thinking about my career path and the choices that got me to where I am today, essentially thinking about what I want to do with the rest of my life. Weirdly enough, it all leads back to my work with Special Olympics.
I’m sorry, what did you say my GPA has to be to get into med school??
I’ve always wanted to go to medical school, ever since I can remember. When I was younger, my family had a huge Rottweiler named Ozlo who I would always use as my patient. In seventh grade, I loved Mrs. Jordan’s science class – I still remember her getting up on the lab bench and yelling “mighty, mighty, mitochondria!” to get us to remember how mitochondria generate energy in a cell. In high school, I took Biology I, Biology II, Chemistry, Anatomy & Physiology, and AP Biology. You’d think all that preparation in the life sciences would have led me to want to be a biologist or something, right?
Up late studying for an AP Bio test last year…
Well, sort of. I knew I wanted to go to medical school, but I figured I should major in something that I liked and was good at, but not necessarily Biology – you can major in whatever you want to apply to medical school, as long as you take the required classes to apply. I wanted to be able to take classes in things other than life sciences because I knew I would get enough of that by preparing to go to medical school. So, I figured, why not major in math? I was always good at math, loved Calculus in high school, placed out of Math 140 and 141 in college from AP credits.. but that wasn’t enough. I did love math, but I had to fit in something else that would reflect my real passion of working with the children. I figured, why not throw in a special education minor? Most of the college graduates that I worked with at the swim school had some form of a degree in special education, and since I knew I wanted to do something with that population for the rest of my life, that seemed like a viable option.
Building DNA molecules in AP Bio
At that point, I was set. I had my whole life figured out – mathematics major, special education minor, plans to go to medical school… boy, was I wrong. After my first day in Math 140 Honors, a class that was technically two classes behind what I could have been taking, I knew that there was no way I would be a math major. And after reviewing the class requirements for the special education minor, I realized that really didn’t have anything to do with what I wanted to do with the special Olympic population anyway.. it required many classes about educational theory, work in a practical setting, an internship, etc.
Feeling completely discouraged, the only glimpse of hope in my schedule came from my Human Development and Family Studies class that I had originally taken as a prerequisite to enter into the special education minor. Not only do I absolutely love my professor, but I also absolutely love learning about infant and child development… something I had never gotten the chance to learn about in my previous studies. And, a majority of the course material throughout this particular class and throughout the major deals with developmental disabilities, which is exactly what I want to be learning about.
So, all because I took this one class thinking it would satisfy the prerequisite requirement for me to enter into the special education minor, I figured out a huge part of myself and for the first time actually loved learning about the material presented to me in a class. Had I not had the various experiences with Special Olympics and with my swimmers, I never would have taken that class and may have never discovered the wonders of infant and child development. I have always known that the children I work with changed my life, but I never would have guessed that they would continue to be able to do so from 200 miles away. If that isn’t some kind of weird karma, I don’t know what is.
I loooove this post! First off, I am in the same boat as you are with the whole Math 140 course; it’s killing me, and I’m not even in honors. Also, I have had trouble bouncing around with different majors and minors. It seems like every time I find something interesting to me, the steps in takes to get there become less and less interesting! I’m glad you have found something that more properly fits your personality, though. And it fits well with your overarching plans of medical school! Maybe you can be a doctor for children with disabilities someday!
It sounds like you really enjoyed working with special olympics and you gained some valuable experience. It’s inspiring to hear you talk with such passion about children with disabilities. I know that field must be trying at times but also rewarding. That’s exciting for you that you’ve found a direction and something you really enjoy doing. I think a lot of people graduate college with a degree so that they can get a job. But it’s important to love what you do otherwise you’ll be miserable. Good insight!