Stitches

A connection between adolescent passion (sewing) and the path to medicine.

Not unlike the stitches sewn into my first homemade garments, my path to medicine has been far from perfect. There have been failures and successes, doing and undoing. This single thread - my love of fixing things, figuring out processes, and healing people - connects it all. From my first anatomy dissection in high school, to becoming an EMT working on the frontlines of a pandemic, I’ve fallen in and out of love with the world of medicine time and time again.

I had unconditional support from a handful of people, but traversing the pre-med landscape without much guidance was challenging. For a long time, I put on a brave face when the orthopedic surgeon at the emergency animal hospital I worked at would ask me how the process was coming along. I feared that if I were honest, he’d lose faith in me. He allowed me to explore my interest in surgery during the 3 years I worked at his hospital, assisting in 17 procedures. Though I found drilling screws into bones to be less interesting than exploring the pretty loops of coral-colored intestines, he showed me the excitement of scrubbing into the OR and how satisfying it was to treat a problem you could see.

My journey hasn’t always been full of inspiring experiences. In those years, I dealt with multiple family losses, school and work changes, failing grades, depression, and anxiety. My relationship at the time was toxic and unsupportive. I found it hard to truly balance work, life, and school. These were times where I felt like I was moving backwards, but in reality, they were just smaller stitches, moving forward and sewing up the seams of my future dream.

I can’t say that I have it all figured out, as I haven’t gotten into medical school, let alone applied yet, but in this moment of reflection on my journey, I am PROUD. Although I’ve had many challenges that show me that in the face of personal hardship, I choose to continue onward. The needle is in my hand and though my path is studded with stitches that may appear uneven, wonky, or nonlinear, they are sturdy, full of character, and a sign of resilience.