Why do I do what I do?
There are 4636 students in just the freshmen class at UCLA and about 2300 students are in the pre-medicine curriculum just like me.
My name is Min Kim. I am a Korean American living in Los Angeles, California. I am a first year college student at University of California Los Angeles studying biology for “pre-med” curriculum.
How am I different from the other 2299 students that are studying the same subjects at the same place and same time?
The answer is not immediately obvious. We are all students that want to delve into the medicine field. There is a set curriculum that lists the courses, standardized exams, clinical experiences. And most of the students follow this to become doctors with stable income. Given just these facts, anyone would judge that the pre-med students are like robots who gave up their individuality for a secured profession.
But there lies a slight yet significant difference between us all. It is the match-up. The match-up between the student and the field. Most of the students do not aspire to study medicine for its wonders. They are more attracted by the social status, and as mentioned before, stable income. Fortunately, I was blessed with the most sincere desire to go into this field. For me, it is not about the salary. It is about how I can make the most impact in the world with the short time I am given.
The academic material that intrigues me is neither a curious subject for a high school student nor a boring educational requirement for a college student. Biological science holds the extraordinary power to change the world for the better. Medical research can change lives and that is exactly what I plan on doing. Even at this moment, there are countless patients all over the world, suffering from diseases with unknown cures. There are also countless researchers and scholars striving to battle these diseases and push the boundaries of medical knowledge. I have dreamed of participating in such work every single day of my life since my sophomore year in middle school.
I want to make a change. Maybe my ambition radiates to the extreme, but there is no one else who can accomplish the feat that I dream of. No one else on earth share the same mind and imagination that I hold.
Why do I do what I do?
I was fortunate enough to find what I was born to do, what I want to do. Now it is my duty to take this and change the world for the better.
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