Why UNT HSC?

For the longest time, I was certain I would become a doctor. I never really knew when that started, though I suppose it was just one of those things that felt expected of me, as several others could probably attest. Becoming a doctor was the assumption. The default. By the time I graduated from TCU in 2019 with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology, the assumed next step would be to apply to medical school. And so that was my life in 2019—I registered to take the MCAT, started shadowing doctors, and got a job as a scribe. I was doing everything a perfect med school applicant would do in their gap year, all the while thinking that this was truly the life for me.

And then COVID hit.

My MCAT was cancelled. I couldn't scribe anymore. And I lost my job.

And yes, I do want to acknowledge that my story is in no way significant in the grand scheme of this pandemic and how our nation and its people were drastically affected by These Unprecedented Times™. My situation is not significant compared to many others, but it was significant to me. It almost feels wrong to say this, but I'm a little grateful for COVID-19 because it gave me time alone to reflect on myself and ponder what I want in life. I was given a chance to reassess my feelings about my career goals. Paraphrasing what a wise Uncle Iroh once said, it was a time for me to look inward and ask myself the big questions—who am I, and what do I want?

After months of reflection, I decided to leave behind the medical track and pursue something else. That something else, I eventually came to realize, was teaching. I had been a TA and a teacher for years at that point (and not to make my head bigger than it already is, but I feel like I'm pretty good at it), and I recalled that my most positive memories of my undergraduate career was with professors who had a clear passion for teaching, for spreading the love of the subject to others, and for fostering a desire to learn in their students. I realized that that was the type of person I wanted to be. I had found my path.

I had already been looking at UNT HSC at Fort Worth for its Med Sci program back when I was still planning on going to medical school, so that was naturally the first place I looked into for graduate school. I was accepted into the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and am now working on obtaining a master's degree with the ultimate goal of obtaining a PhD in the field of physiology and becoming a professor in a teaching position.

So, in conclusion... thanks COVID? Couldn't have done it without you.

♥