Studying for the final exam. Research in a laboratory. Getting my EMT certification. Volunteering. Contracting heart disease. I know what you're thinking. How are these things related to each other and the desire to go to medical school? To be honest, it took me a while to figure this out on my own. When I began each of the above I did not necessarily begin with the thought that this experience would somehow better prepare me for life as a medical student and doctor. Although being a doctor has always been my dream, I started each one (albeit without choice) for a unique reason. I studied because I wanted to learn. I did research because I wanted to deepen my studies by using them on a practical level. I got an EMT certification because I wanted to apply what I learned in the real world. I volunteered because I wanted to do something good for others. I had heart disease because I could be able to understand what it felt like to be a patient. As I sit here thinking about how these things were connected to each other and my desire to pursue medicine, one thing comes to mind. My unique experiences as a student, researcher, person and patient have given me the foundation to understand what a doctor should look like. A doctor must have the technical knowledge to make a diagnosis as well as the kindness and empathy necessary to provide compassionate patient care. What would later lead to a publication in the Journal of Physiology and an EMT certification all started in my first physiology course. Learning how the heart works, how the kidneys work, how you get oxygen was like a catalyst; it sparked my interest in science and medicine. It was all so exciting, so interesting and so theoretical. That... half the paper... something like that. The confusion, the fear, the doubt, the anger. I finally felt that I had the ability to show empathy and understanding to patients and that medical school would help me advance this ability. From my utter ignorance on the first day of college, to the dark cloud of despair that hovered over me, and finally through to my diagnosis and new understanding, the desire to become a doctor has always been with me. Studying for a final exam. Research in a laboratory. Getting my EMT certification. Volunteering. These experiences helped me clarify that ignorance and showed me the importance of knowledge (and the excitement of seeing that knowledge in action); while contracting heart disease helped me overcome that moment of despair and gave me a new understanding of how the disease affects people. Now I'm ready to get ready, take a deep breath and get on that bike.