Genesis

Genesis

“Medical education is not completed at the medical school: it is only begun,” says William H. Welch, a United States pathologist. Whenever my thoughts drift to holding my license as a physician in the future, I was always taken aback by the beginnings I have to complete. It has occurred to me that out of the hundreds of concepts that I encounter every time I have late night dates with Simpsons, Tortora and Campbell, there is one that I’ll never forget. Consider it a mortal sin for Biology students to not know the very soul of our domain, the Cell Theory.

Cells are as important as life itself so as financial support to an aspiring doctor.  Behind the prestige that the profession possesses, all in a day’s work of a physician is more than being clad in white lab coats and powerful stethoscopes. It’s all about being an instrument of the Almighty to save lives. And you can’t immediately grab a scalpel, instruct nurses to give dosages, provide prognosis or prescribe medicines without being a medical student first. I have been a student of public learning institutions since elementary where the only tuition is dedication to studies. My parents believe that it is not compulsory to spend a fortune on good education especially with their experience as entrepreneurs. Knowing how hard it is to make ends meet, they have opted for us to learn in a humble yet exceptional institution. Fortunately, studying in a government-funded school allowed me to meet fellow learners from various walks of life – the rich and the poor; the healthy and the sickly; and those who can afford expensive treatments and those who settle for free services from community health centers. This made me understand and adhere more to helping people no matter how compromising the situation might be as mentioned in the Hippocratic Oath. But, not all education caters without a fee. Realization had set in before high school graduation – I have to acquire a scholarship for college. This is not to finance what my dream dictates but to what I could become once I receive it. True to what the Cell Theory states that cell is the structural unit of life, a scholarship is the building block of my goal to become a doctor.

I’ve never realized high school was about to end until reality has taken its toll on me. Choosing universities, selecting courses and applying for scholarships were the talk of the class. I can’t respond to their queries for I was only contented on my fondness for TV series. Yet, I cannot envision myself sitting in front of a portable screen and watching those characters progress through their lives with me just staring at them. A single episode of Grey’s Anatomy has propelled me to reflect and get back on track. It was the time I convinced myself that I will be someone worthy, someone significant and someone who can create my own progress. I never knew such excitement and inspiration would come from fiction. Studying earnestly for my last year with the drive to succeed, I earned respect and recognition from Math and Speech competitions. This second chance gave me determination to pursue a greater achievement, attaining a financial aid from the Department of Science and Technology. All organisms are made up of cells as societies are made up of people. This fortitude has taken me this far and I know it will take me further from just a functional cell to a more serviceable one.