Journey in Medicine

After all these years "that day " has arrived. Graduation day -- end of my current training period. The day that I was looking forward to so eagerly and so desperately. It feels surreal. Yes I have achieved my dream. I always wanted to be a physician, since I was kid. I still remember the day when my grandmother gave a doctor play set as a birthday gift. 

I do not want to sound pompous. But as I look back I remember all the years of hard work and dedication. I know what "burning the midnight oil" means. I remember the sleepless nights before the exams and the relaxation after they were done. I remember the anxiety before the day of results and the excitement after moving on to the next year of medical school. I remember living in the dorms, away from my family. And I remember the last day of medical school, the good byes with a heavy heart.

Since I started medical school I felt I was climbing a mountain. I believed reaching the top of the mountain was my goal. Today I feel something different. I realize that the real goal is to survive at the top. A new journey  begins when I step into the "real world ".

During my encounters with patients I have learnt so much from my patients. I have grown not only as a doctor but matured as a human being. Patients and families have seen me through my learning years, stood by me and had faith in me. I have laughed with my patients and giggled with them. I have smiled with them and cried with them. My friends and co workers have seen me in the best moments of my life. They have also seen me struggle through some tough times. They have seen me healthy and fit, weak and sick. They have seen it all.

Hundreds and thousands of doctors have been on this path before. Thousands will be on this path in the future. It is not static. It is an ongoing journey. The same journey but different people, different paths, different experiences. But somehow woven together in the field of medicine.

Today I Thank God and my family and friends, my teachers and co workers for being so supportive and helping me achieve my dream. Completing my current training successfully makes me feel like a free bird. But a free bird who has new horizons to explore and soar higher and higher.

Class of 2014