Balancing My Realms

You don’t think about it until you don’t have access to it. A harsh reality growing up as an immigrant with only one clinic in a city housing around 3 million citizens. For many, healthcare feels like a chore. Most are frustrated about the annual checkups required for school enrollment, but most forget that healthcare isn’t given; it is a privilege. Growing up, I was unfamiliar with what a relationship with a health provider should look like; I feared hospitals and physicians as the bearers of bad news. I never understood the concept of a healthy and long-term relationship with their providers. My early experiences now fuel my passion and career goals. I aspire to earn my medical degree, specializing in Anesthesiology, while also pursuing my entrepreneurial ambitions by opening clinics and pharmacies in underserved communities.

I distinctly remember my first interaction with a healthcare professional as a child. I remember sitting in the waiting room of a clinic, trying to receive medication for an infection. The atmosphere in the waiting room was tense. I could tell the discomfort of each individual. Some were there seeking vital treatment, others felt the weight of anxiety as they awaited crucial news, and many were there to provide support to their loved ones. When called to review my information and treatment plan, there were no treatment options, no direct conversation with the physician, and no post-check-up plan. As an aspiring health professional, I acknowledge the unprofessionalism and lack of resources presented. This primary experience allowed me to realize two essential points: how important it is to be grateful for the space I am in now, and how urgent it is to expand access to healthcare. My entrepreneurial passion stems from the need to make sure no other patient feels how I felt when I got my treatment. I want to open pharmacies not for the act of building buildings, but for creating a foundation of trust and access within a community.

You may think, Well, you don’t necessarily have to attend medical school to achieve your goals. And to that I would say you’re right; however, my love for medicine is deeply rooted beyond my childhood experiences. I can proudly say that I enjoy the challenges of science and math. They stretch my brain and help me slow down to analyze the questions being asked critically. My first love was chemistry; I was initially not interested in the course. It required equations, letters, and numbers I couldn’t comprehend. But after a couple of long nights of understanding the foundation of chemistry, I understood chemistry beyond just numbers. I considered it a puzzle reflecting my life mission. I think it is balancing equations in lecture as a mirror reflection of my aspirations to bring balance to the underserved community. Naturally, I gravitated to the field of Anesthesiology. Why, you may ask. Anesthesiology is a specialty that deals with precision and math. Everything depends on dosage calculation, vital monitoring, and staying aware. An anesthesiologist is the first person a patient sees before and after surgery. A sense of safety, trust, and assurance is established between the patient and professional. These values are the foundation I want to carry into my future pharmacy opening goals. Reflecting on my childhood, I realize my view of healthcare was shaped by the scarcity I experienced. I lived through scarcity, but it turned into a drive that has opened the doors to possibilities. I have goals to ensure that both my worlds and passions weave together.

Education. AAPA. (2025, September 12). https://www.aapa.org/education/