Coming to campus

I recently drove to Arizona for the Pre-Health symposium to share my experience as an undergrad pre-med student. I attend the College of Nursing and Health Innovation at Arizona State University. I am pursuing my online bachelor’s degree in integrative health and have absolutely loved it. It was an honor walking on the West campus meeting and networking with fellow students with the same passion as mine. From the moment I walked onto the West campus, three words came to my mind, serene, fresh, and relaxed. I had previously attended a college in California and the campus was always overwhelming with crowds and fast pace living. But when I walked on the West campus, I immediately felt at peace. The campus’ atmosphere felt serene and the colors of the trees and plants were vivid and fresh. I felt very relaxed and enjoyed my time at the campus. My favorite thing about visiting ASU was honestly meeting the people I have been connecting with through Instagram the past few months. It was great to meet them in person and put faces to the incredible kindness and generosity that I have received these past few months. Meeting my peers made my online experience feel real and like I am a part of something bigger than myself. Knowing these students are on similar journeys as I am, gives me the motivation to work harder on my online classwork.

When I was asked to speak on the student panel, I said yes immediately. Because it is an incredible opportunity to not only meet my peers and see the campus but to overcome my anxiety of public speaking. My anxiety was certainly tested while on stage, but after taking a step back, I asserted to myself that I was strong enough to overcome it, and I kept going. My biggest reward and takeaway was that, I knew if I could just encourage one person in the audience through my words, that it would be a successful trip for me.

This was just the beginning for me to network, connect and engage in professional development opportunities. Participating in the panel gave me knowledge from other student’s experiences, and it gave me the experience of stepping out of my comfort zone to go after what I want in this life. I want more than anything to become a doctor one day, and I know it’s going to be difficult. But taking part in opportunities like this one will help me take one step closer to becoming the person I want to become, as well as the doctor I want to become. Being able to go outside one’s boundaries and experience new situations will help shape me and contribute a better perspective to my medical career.

Once I graduate with my integrative health degree, I plan on working in an integrative center with multiple doctors, learning as much as I can from them, before I apply to med school. I currently work as a clinical medical assistant and my experience with an integrative cardiologist grew my passion for the medical field. I plan on bringing change to the medical field by giving my patients a heart of compassion, faith, hope, empathy, love, and encouragement. Being a patient for the past six years, a major aspect of my motivation to keep fighting during the rougher treatment cycles was the love I received from my nurses and MA’s. They were there in the moments that most people weren’t. They have been by my side my entire health journey, and to be able to give that to my patients will be priceless.