Learning About Myself & the Healthcare Field

I believe the greatest lesson I learned about myself was that this experience reinforced my desire to join the medical field as a physician. As I've mentioned before, I've imagined myself as a physician ever since I can remember. But, I was always nervous about that dream since I was not sure if I would be good at it. I didn't want to be someone who discovered after 3 years of medical school that I wasn't cut out to be something that I had always wanted to be. So I'm very thankful for the experience since it put that fear to rest. I loved coming to work at 5:30 in the morning. I loved the procedures I was able to observe and be a part of. I loved feeling like I was actually making a difference in a patients life, even if it was only a small part. I loved that my shifts were never boring and that every day brought a new challenge or lesson. I learned so much about myself and about the field I hope to enter in the future.

The biggest thing I learned about the health care field is that it is a diverse, large, and constantly changing area of study. I realized that if for some reason I don't make it into medical school or I'm unable to become a physician (because sometimes, no matter how much you want something, it might not happen) the health care field is full of other opportunities. In my department, there were the traditional surgeons, nurses, and aides, but there were also health professionals like x-ray technicians, phlebotomists, ultra sound technicians, medical tool suppliers and cleaners, operating room technicians, and many more. Although becoming a physician is my ultimate career goal, I do have other options within the field to choose from. I guess I didn't realize how big the health care field was until I was standing within it. I'm happy to say I will be working on my EMT licence in the near future. I never would have thought to pursue such a position if I nurse I worked with hadn't been kind enough to suggest it. I believe this position will bring me even more knowledge about the health care field and I can't wait to see what I learn next!