The first time I applied to med school, I didn’t get accepted.  I was devastated.  I thought my life was over.  All I ever wanted to be was a doctor, and I thought that I was never going to make it happen.  Not a day goes by that I don’t thank my lucky stars that I didn’t get in.

I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason…even though we might not understand why at the time.  I couldn’t understand why I didn’t get in.  I knew I was supposed to be a doctor, but it wasn’t happening.  Today…I know why.  If I had been accepted the first time I applied, I wouldn’t have ended up in Kirksville, and I never would’ve met some of my best friends.

One thing I’ve learned in med school is that you can’t do it alone.  Every single day my friends keep me sane.  They listen to me whine and complain, which happens a lot.  They cheer me up when I’m having a bad day, which also happens quite frequently.  And, they remind me why I am here.

It is really easy to get discouraged in med school.  There are days, sometimes weeks, that are just really, really awful.  Lots of quizzes, lots of exams, and just lots of stress.  It is easy to forget why I ever decided to become a doctor in the first place.  And I honestly don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have friends in the same situation.  It is nice to talk to my family, but there is just so much I can’t get them to understand.  There is something so comforting about having friends who can honestly say, “Hey, I know what you mean.  We’ll get through this.”

I am truly blessed to have friends who encourage me and believe in me.  They keep me on my toes, and they make my life much, much easier.  They might be a little crazy sometimes, but they are gonna make some really great physicians, and I would trust them with my life any day.