Growing up, I dreamed of being a teacher, a dancer, and even an astronaut, mimicking the role models that I had seen on television as well as in the classroom. Since my parents hadn’t finish high school, they didn’t push me to be a certain something, but only wanted me to do my best.In fact, I never gave much thought to careers to which I could aspire, beyond the vocational guest speakers and surveys I had in elementary school and middle school. Once I reached high school, though, I became hooked on science and loved volunteering at the library and at the hospital. At the time, pursuing a career in medicine seemed to be the perfect balance between my excitement for the investigative sciences and my compassion in helping others. Today, I am still working toward my dream of going to medical school and becoming a physician. Nevertheless, my decision to persevere for my dream has been met with adversity, especially by following the so-called Asian stereotype willingly.
When I started my first year of college, I was immersed into a totally new environment, one with a significantly larger Asian/Asian American population than that of my former high school. I was introduced to new stereotypes by my friends, such as, “Every Asian person is one of 4 things here: premed, prelaw, pre-comm, or e-school.” Although I had other Asian friends who were majoring in media studies, history, and sociology, I knew that such a stereotype persisted. I even began to wonder if I was just following the stereotype with my career goal. Not too long after that, I was in a meeting with one of the academic deans and he told me, “Are you sure that you want to be a doctor? I find that a lot of the students that I advise, particularly those of Asian heritage, tend to want to be doctors because their parents told them to do it. When I ask for their reasons, they have nothing to say.” Initially, after hearing an academic dean perpetuate the stereotype, I was surprised and resented having to defend myself as well as the rest of my peers who share my culture. Having someone indirectly question my determination to go into medicine made me have doubts. I took other classes in French, English, and sociology and though I liked them just as well, the sciences and research kept pulling me back. To me, medicine enables me to connect with patients on an individual level, while giving them the treatment they need.
Despite a few bumps along the way, pursuing a career in medicine is still my dream. Since my first year of college, I have learned to believe in myself and to trust in my instincts. Even though the Asian mold stereotype does hold true for some individuals, I think that I transcend the stereotype because I want to enter this profession to learn more about the practice of medicine and to be a great doctor to the patients that I have. I want to be a resource for the people for whom I care as well as a role model in the community by volunteering at a free clinic or going on a medical mission trip. I have also learned to persist in the larger goal, to ask for help, and to work for greater understanding, even when the physics problem set seems impossible or the organic chemistry lab final seems as if it will destroy me. My family has been unwavering in their support and that gives me strength when I have doubts. Currently, I’m in the process of this year’s application cycle and hopefully, I will be moving one step toward my dream.
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