It was my father that always stressed the importance of education. As a child his parents did not have enough money to put him through school and after the 6th grade, he had to work as a janitor at a small clinic in New Delhi. It was there that he saw doctors helping out different kinds of patients and was forever in awe of the talents they had but because of his family’s financial status, he knew that it would remain a dream to him; A dream I hope to fulfill for him someday.

For as long as I can remember, all my father would talk about was new medical procedures and advancements in medical technology. It was almost like an obsession to him, which I would catch later on. One night, he asked me what it was I wanted to be; I already knew what to answer.

Coming from a financially challenged family, I had no other choice that to help my parents to put me through school. After school, I would help deliver medical supplies at various clinics and hospitals. Early on, I would get familiarized with different kinds of medicine as well as medical equipment and their use. In spite of me having to work until late evening, I still managed to get high grades in school.

When I was 15, my family was given an opportunity to migrate to the United States. It truly was a heavy feeling to leave New Delhi but I knew that it would be the perfect chance for me to fulfill my life’s goal. High school was a difficult time for me because I was still adjusting to the fast paced life in New York and I knew only a little English. Somehow, I got myself through high school and even managed to be our batch’s valedictorian. I was able to go to college through an academic scholarship and I would take up physical therapy. I would graduate at the top of my class and I knew that I needed only one step more to become a doctor.

The reputation and curriculum of ______ University would help surely be the perfect choice if I wanted my dream of being a great orthopedic surgeon to come true. The time I was an Intern, I met several talented orthopedic surgeons that have graduated from ______ University. Right then and there I would research and would check out the campuses and I knew that it was the right school for me.

Photo Credit : AlexPears