Growing up, I remember moving houses frequently, and my mother and I would typically stay with relatives. It was not until third grade that my mother and I finally had a place that we could call our own. At the time, my young mind did not realize the struggle that my mother went through to take care of me. I would ask for frivolous items, and she would eventually get them for me because she cared about my happiness despite how poor we were. She emphasized the importance of me getting an education, and she would always tell me, "I don't want you to end up like me." She didn't want me to struggle like her, barely making it pay check to pay check. I never want to disappoint my mother, so I began to excel at school, and I realized that I liked school and the challenges it presented to me. This was just the beginning of what I am working towards now. When I reached high school and began working, I helped support my mother financially. It was not much, but maintaining our livelihoods was important to both of us. We were two black women against the world, attempting to thrive in a world that was designed for us to fail. In my final year of high school, I began taking more challenging courses that were on a college level, specifically in science. I discovered Biology and Anatomy and Physiology and it solidified to me what I wanted in this life. So when I came home from school one day, I told my mother, "I want to be a doctor." My reasoning at the time was simple. There are not too many black faces in well respected roles. Our society would rather portray negativity that surrounds Black Americans than how intelligent and powerful we can be. Minorities deserve respect too, to be looked at beyond the stereotypes that often come to define them, even when it is not true. In my first semester of college, I decided to major in Biology, as it had all the prerequisites that were required to apply for medical school. Within my sociology classes, I found my true purpose in becoming a doctor. It is not lost on me that doctors help people, but so do many other career paths. I want to help people, but I also want to inspire change. In our society, there is so much medical malpractice and racism that minorities experience. I watch so many individuals tell their stories and I am horrified that our medical industry is still suffering the effects of racism. I look at the statistics of black women that die in childbirth in comparance to other races and I am disheartened. I do not want to become a medical doctor just to help people. I want to become a medical doctor to be a part of a generation that is actively fighting against the detriments of medical racism and working against the dangers it presents. And although I cannot completely stop medical racism, I can play a part in working against it. I believe that every little effort counts, and even if my actions are small, their effects will be great.

Growing up, you always exclaim to your parents what you want to be. I specifically remember telling my mother about several different career choices. Of course, none of them stuck and I would switch my choice so often. That is until I became a high school senior and signed up to take Dual Enrollment Anatomy and Physiology. The class was a challenge, but the challenge only made it more intriguing. Learning about the human body and how it functions and interconnects made me realize that a career as a doctor is what I wanted to do with my life. Beginning my first semester at college, I began to take sociology classes to learn about society and its nuisances. This is where I found my purpose in becoming a medical doctor. Learning about medical racism and how certain races are disproportionally affected by its clutches is disheartening. I realized that I wanted to be a part of a generation that could present change. There are so many doctors in this world that kill so many individuals because their own personal bias is affecting their decisions. I do not want to become a doctor just to help people. There are so many jobs available in this world that can help people in a variety of ways. I want to become a doctor because I want to heal symptoms, not just treat them. I want to lessen the statistics of medical racism and forge a better society where racism is a little less present. I want to actually make a difference and if I can do that by genuinely treating my patients and listening to them, then I would be content in my life. I would know that my purpose in being a medical doctor is fulfilled. However, I know that there are obstacles on this journey. I have already encountered them myself. I want to graduate from my undergraduate program with no debt and it has already proven difficult. I never had any bills until I came to college, and I finally understand what my mother means when she tells me that money disappears quickly. Having to pay my tuition on top of my orthodontic bill and cellphone bill, I realized that I needed to learn how to budget my money, and I needed to learn QUICKLY. Of course, my mother always supports me when she can, but I try not to ask her for too much because we are a low-income household. Figuring out how I can solve my problems myself is what is going to help me build independence and determination. Becoming 18 and going to college has made me realize that I have to let my mother's hand go and walk on my own path. Just like the journey to becoming a medical doctor is a path that you have to navigate through yourself. I have a goal to graduate from my undergraduate program with no debt, and my motivation is what builds my determination. This determination is what is going to help me keep pushing to become a medical doctor because the troubles I encounter will only motivate me to find a solution to get around or step over them.