I remember when I was a kid, I wanted to grow up to be a doctor, or a lawyer. I wanted to do something that mattered with my life. I wanted to help other people. I didn't want to do it for notoriety or fame - but because I have always wanted to help people. I want to know that when I die, someone's life was touched by having me in it. I felt that way as a little girl, and I feel that way even more so now. I had grand dreams when I graduated high school. I talked of becoming a marine biologist or a doctor. I was strongly interested in both career paths. I was going to go to the University of Florida and I was going to MAKE something of myself. And then - my mom got sick. She needed constant care, and I gladly took on that role of caregiver to her. I put my dreams on the back burner, and to be honest, I would do it all over again.
I started college in November of 2007. Since then, I have graduated with a degree in web design and visual communication. That was my new path in life. It was an area that I was deeply interested in and I liked the fact that it gave me the opportunity to express myself through design. I am currently pursuing my Bachelor's Degree in the same field. It has always been my intent to go all the way with this. I wanted to get my Master's Degree and then my Doctoral Degree. But lately - I have been feeling as though this is not the right career path for me.
Just a couple of weeks ago, I made a startling decision. Luckily, I have the blessing and neverending support of my husband and children in this new endeavor. I plan to finish up my Bachelor's Degree, but I will no longer be pursuing a career in web design and graphic arts. I am going to go back to my first love. I am going back to fulfill the dreams that I had as a little girl, and the dreams that I still have today. I plan on attending medical school. I WANT to become a doctor. But I don't want to be just any doctor. I want to deal with pediatrics, and if I were to choose a specialty, I would choose rheumatologist.
I have seen the struggles of my own children with their rheumatic diseases, and I KNOW how hard it is to find a good doctor who will listen to them when they are talking. I want to afford other teenagers and children the opportunity to have a doctor who truly cares about what they have to say. I want to make a difference. I want to help kids get better. But more than anything, I want to follow the dreams of that little girl from so long ago, and make them a reality. I know that I can do it! I can accomplish anything I set my mind to! I know this because my parents always said I could!!
