The past year would be best characterized as “more of the same”. Four years into my college career, I finally began to feel as if I not only had the hang of things, but also that this comfortable routine greatly contributed to my academic and professional success. I continued to succeed in school and continued to work at Atricure developing myself as a professional. However, despite all the familiarity, it was the decision process regarding my future goals that was both unfamiliar and because of this my most meaningful experience of the year.
Since the start of my college career I had always considered applying to medical school but had never finalized the decision to myself. I had spent my college career doing the things that would prepare me for success in both the medical device industry as well as make me a competitive applicant should I choose medical school. However, I shied away from thinking about anything too serious regarding the future. This year represented the time frame where that decision had to be made, and for the first time in my life I found myself seriously reflecting on what I wanted out of my future career.
This reflection led to several realizations and events. First, that although I enjoyed the people and company that I had completed my co-op rotations at, I wanted a career more centered on interpersonal relationships than engineering analysis. Second, it seemed obvious to everyone I spoke to for advice that I should apply to medical school. Finally, that if I continued to try to ride the fence and be noncommittal, I wouldn’t be truly preparing for success in either career path. It was through this process, and the input of friends, family, and mentors that I finally concluded to apply for medical school and commit to that as my future career path. This was far from an easy one, and it continues to feel like I through away the safety net I had spent years meticulously preparing.
Going forward, this decision process resulted in a clear career path. As I go through the application process, I plan to make a conscious effort to remind myself to think of this decision less as a gamble and more as another step towards career satisfaction. Additionally, I plan to explore additional opportunities in the field including the Navy’s Health Professions Scholarship Program. In large, last year was comprised of much routine, comfort, and security in my current path. However, the most meaningful experience of the year was the process through which I decided to throw all that away and move forward with applying to medical school. Hopefully, the coming years will help provide some clarity as to what my future career path will look like.
Since the start of my college career I had always considered applying to medical school but had never finalized the decision to myself. I had spent my college career doing the things that would prepare me for success in both the medical device industry as well as make me a competitive applicant should I choose medical school. However, I shied away from thinking about anything too serious regarding the future. This year represented the time frame where that decision had to be made, and for the first time in my life I found myself seriously reflecting on what I wanted out of my future career.
This reflection led to several realizations and events. First, that although I enjoyed the people and company that I had completed my co-op rotations at, I wanted a career more centered on interpersonal relationships than engineering analysis. Second, it seemed obvious to everyone I spoke to for advice that I should apply to medical school. Finally, that if I continued to try to ride the fence and be noncommittal, I wouldn’t be truly preparing for success in either career path. It was through this process, and the input of friends, family, and mentors that I finally concluded to apply for medical school and commit to that as my future career path. This was far from an easy one, and it continues to feel like I through away the safety net I had spent years meticulously preparing.
Going forward, this decision process resulted in a clear career path. As I go through the application process, I plan to make a conscious effort to remind myself to think of this decision less as a gamble and more as another step towards career satisfaction. Additionally, I plan to explore additional opportunities in the field including the Navy’s Health Professions Scholarship Program. In large, last year was comprised of much routine, comfort, and security in my current path. However, the most meaningful experience of the year was the process through which I decided to throw all that away and move forward with applying to medical school. Hopefully, the coming years will help provide some clarity as to what my future career path will look like.