Life, however, does not always go according to plan.
The last 15 months have been some of the most difficult of my life. I have had successes and joys, yes, especially in the academic realm. But there has been much loss and sadness as well. Some of that (such as my divorce) I have written about here on this blog. Due to everything that has been going on, I have decided to postpone my application by a year.
This is not me giving up. I don't give up. I can't, and won't, not after all I have accomplished and gone through to get where I am now. I look at this not as a failure, but as a success - as me knowing myself, knowing what I need to do for myself, to be the best MD/PhD applicant I can be.
I do have a plan for the upcoming year. I will be working part time at the UIC lab where I worked for the last two summers. I will also be doing freelance writing and editing for the Joint Commission Resources, which is the for-profit arm of the Joint Commission, which accredits hospitals. So I will both be earning money and learning about hospital standards and procedures, which will be good.
Is this what I wanted to happen? Not exactly. But it is what needs to happen. And I look forward to what the coming year will bring.
One year is peanuts when compared to a lifetime!!! Good for you for having the courage to do what you think is best!!! And I say this not because I may need to wait another year myself, but because I know how hard it is to be public about your goals and dreams, and need to adjust them.
ReplyDeleteOne more thing, there's a big difference between delaying plans and changing plans. You STILL want to be an MD/PhD, so nothing has changed!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the encouragement! :-)
ReplyDelete