It's that time of year again- the time where I answer the question, "How did you grow?"

I've answered this question each year of undergrad, and want to continue to answer it because I find it to be really helpful in monitoring my progression into adulthood. Each year I reflect, I am pleasantly surprised by how much as changed for me over the year. Freshman year, I managed to live on my own for the first time. Sophomore year, I managed in person classes and involvement for the first time. Now, junior year: I've been living on my own for three years now, have been taking in-person classes for two years, and have managed a hefty schedule for my entire collegiate career. So, how else did I grow?

 

Let's start at the place closest to my heart: my college house. I moved into a home with my six closest friends at the beginning of the year, and growing in this house with them has been the most incredible experience. We have all accomplished so much academically and personally this year with classes, co-ops, relationships, and mental health. They are my most immediate and most treasured support system, and I contribute so much of my success and growth to them. We have also grown as roommates; we've had to confront problems head-on and have learned how to maturely deal with issues in an upfront but kind manner. I've learned how to live to accommodate 6 other people's living styles, but have also grown in my self-awareness, both in terms of how I affect other people and how other people affect me. 

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Next, I'll mention how I've grown academically. I have had the most academically challenging year of my life; I've taken the most difficult classes in the program and have discovered where my wall is. There have been extreme moments of stress, but my biggest takeaway has been that I made it through. Even when my stress was at its all time high, I managed. I maintained a schedule, continued to do things I enjoy like running and getting ice cream with my roommates, and got through the year. 

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In a strange way, I have grown in a parallel manner when it comes to my personal and professional life; for the first time in a long time, they have intersected. In my previous reflection, I mentioned my newfound affinity for research. This year, I have come to the personal realization that research has permeated my life and my passions in a way that is undeniable. This made me consider alternative career options. After much delineation and thought, I have decided to pursue an MD/PhD dual degree. This brings me so much joy in that I can have a career that encapsulates two aspects of science that I am so passionate about, and makes me so excited for my future as a physician-scientist.

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This summer, I begin to apply for MD/PhD schools. As I prepare for the MCAT and fill out my AMCAS application, I cannot help but think of my overall growth from a 14-year-old aspiring to be a premed, to a 21-year-old with a career as a physician-scientist at her fingertips. It's a proud feeling.

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This third year of college has been the happiest of my life. Has it been the hardest on my stress and emotions? Sure. Have I reaped the benefits of each hard time, work put in, and restless night? Absolutely. I am so satisfied with where I am at, and cannot wait to see what my fourth year holds.