My Shoulder

As I dove for the baseball, I surprisingly knew what had happened right away.  The pain I felt from dislocating my shoulder is one that cannot be compared to really anything.  It’s a pain which I hoped to never feel again but unfortunately, that would not be the case.  An innocuous sneeze my sophomore year would once again dislocate my shoulder and this time it would require surgery.  I, along with most people, found it comical that a sneeze caused my shoulder to pop out, although the muscles holding it in place were pretty damaged and unstable from my first injury.  However, my experience of going through the surgery ended up being a very influential moment that opened up a new chapter in my life.

            When I asked my orthopedic surgeon what it took to be a doctor, he responded by saying something along the lines of, “you not only need to be passionate about science but you must also have a passion for helping others”.  Luckily for me, it is these attributes that inspire me everyday to pursue a career in medicine.  There are not many jobs in the world that allow people to do what they love and also make a positive impact on others like being a physician does.  I was able to witness this impact first hand as I went through rehab and gained confidence in my shoulder as it got stronger each day.  It still amazes me that surgeons are capable of fixing human body parts that may be damaged or dysfunctional.  Just like mechanics fix machinery, surgeons must fix the human body, although this type of machine is alive and constantly responding to change. 

            Although this might sound like a challenge, it is my fascination with science that convinced me to become a doctor.  There are few subjects in any field of science that do not intrigue me and make me want to learn at least a little bit more than what a teacher might have just said in class or what I may have just read.  I probably spent over 100 hours before and after my surgery reading about the procedure and trying to understand how it works and what to expect.  My nervousness about the surgery may have contributed a little to my research but I still enjoyed learning those new things and I can confidently say that I probably know more about the human shoulder than the average person.  I know I have long way to go before I can accomplish my dream but I am looking forward to the journey.  I see college not only as just one more step along the path to becoming a physician but also as a place to learn, meet friends, and to experience new things.  Wherever I end up, I owe it all to my dislocated shoulder.