The cancer gene runs deep within my ancestry. At least once per generation, BRCA emerges from hibernation, rapidly multiplying the mutated cells of my loved ones. A great battle is fought only for some to be lost. Cancer has undeniable physical consequences with amplified research diving deeper into the biological and biochemical ramifications. When treating cancer, it's all about the cells. Often overlooked are the sister consequences of cancer; mental and emotional consequences. Locking eyes with death himself changes a person. Helplessness floods the mind, knowing that one's own body malfunctioned and is failing them. The mental agony that accompanies such a diagnosis is placed on the back burner, left there to fester like a weed in the garden. From the outside, feeling paralyzed while your loved ones suffer with no avail is heartbreaking. Even so, these intense feelings often go unaddressed as mental and emotional well-being are second to physical well-being. This is my "Why medicine?". This is my motivation. To bridge the gap between psychosocial and physical well-being by providing the utmost quality of care while fostering inclusive, welcoming spaces for all patients and loved ones. Indebted to my continuing education opportunities, healthcare has been a considerable passion of mine that cultivates further every day. The degree I strive towards founded in public health principles serves as a guide toward equitable healthcare aspirations and community health services. While I gain an excellent understanding of organic chemistry, anatomy, biology, and so forth through my curriculum, psychosocial health and preventative care have become ingrained into my wealth of knowledge. Participating in research efforts focused on healing post-trauma uncovered just how intertwined psychosocial and physical well-being are. Through a holistic approach, my patients will receive treatment for every part of their health. Not once did my cancer-ridden family members receive psychological counseling during or after their treatment nor did their loved ones who gained front-row access to their illness. That will change under my care. It is not enough to treat physical ailments as standalone issues and therefore will no longer be the standard. Additionally, holistic care and preventative methods need to be implemented in lower-income and underserved communities with little to no access to state-of-the-art treatment. Mortality and morbidity rates rise drastically as quality healthcare access decreases. Physicians have a moral duty to help where possible. That moral duty shall guide me through my healthcare career and beyond. I alone can not change nationwide healthcare. It will take many more professionals to do so. However, I can make a difference in my patients' lives and that is what I intend to do.

The schedule of an active student studying health and community well-being requires balance in diet and self-care. As a third-year Pre-Medical student heavily involved in university organizations and career enrichment opportunities, finding that balance has served me well. My career goal is to provide care for overall well-being and implement public health and preventative measures in healthcare. The specialty I wish to work in would be pediatrics or pediatric psychiatry, helping adolescents in their most formative years due to the lack of care and guidance I received from pediatric specialists. Pediatric patients are a group that lacks self-advocacy and are often overlooked when voicing concerns; this is what happened to me surrounding mental health. Mental health can be affected by a multitude of factors including lifestyle, disorders, diet and eating habits, social events, etc. Yet when a child or parent shows concern, pediatric professionals say the patient is "too young" to have any type of mental illness. Anxiety and depression are much more common in pediatric patients than the diagnoses suggest due to provider oversight. My goal is to become part of the solution to such a horrible problem. Regarding vegetarianism, I first looked into switching to a plant-based diet at the age of 16 years old. I wasn't eating a balanced diet, wasn't enjoying the food my parents cooked; my overall health was feeling the consequences. I developed short and long-term health conditions with no effective treatments given to me by my physicians. No one in my family is plant-based and they actually questioned why I would make such a change. They would, and still do years later, make jokes at my expense about vegetarianism and ask me if I eat eggs or drink milk no matter how many times I explain the differences between plant-based diets. My grandfather told me my vegetarianism would cause depression after suffering from major anxiety for years. Nothing they said I took to heart as I could see the positive changes in my mental and physical well-being. I learned new cooking techniques, how to incorporate enough protein and vitamins into my diet, and worked with a new primary care physician to create a balanced meal plan. Cooking and meal planning became stress-relievers and I looked forward to meals knowing I would feel satiated and healthy. Fueling one's body is vital and while a plant-based diet may not be right for everyone due to varying nutrition requirements, going vegetarian was the best choice for my body and overall health.

Like many fields, healthcare is a team effort. Even though medicine, and specifically medical school, is seen as very competitive and an "every man for himself" environment, healthcare professionals would not be successful without reliance on their peers. Furthermore, a team of like-minded individuals with similar backgrounds, experiences, and beliefs can be just as detrimental as an individualistic mindset. As a healthcare professional, one can expect to treat a variety of cultures, ethnicities, religions, genders, etc. A diverse team is an understanding team and open-minded professionals often have a better patient-provider connection and ultimately better health outcomes. As an orientation leader, I had the opportunity to work with a team of twenty vastly different leaders. Each individual had their own leadership style, strengths, experiences, and mental sets. Overall, we helped welcome thousands of students to the university which wouldn't have been possible without team collaboration. I am part of the College of Public Health (CPH) but rarely did I work with other CPH students. Therefore, my students would ask me questions that I didn't always have an answer to. However, I could always rely on one of my coworkers to have an answer. We helped each other whenever possible, sharing tips and tricks on how to succeed. Being able to rely on the team's combined knowledge and life experiences helped ensure the incoming students felt comfortable and excited to start at the university. That is was a successful orientation season looks like. Each orientation leader came from a different college with a different major, having knowledge in diverse areas of study. When a problem arose, each person possessed a small piece of the solution. It was the responsibility of the team to put the pieces together in order to present a whole solution. Very similarly, medical professionals within different specialties will have to collaborate in order to solve a common problem. It can be very easy for healthcare professionals to feel that they must solve the problem on their own or else they aren't competent enough. In reality, it is okay and expected to ask for help when necessary and rely on one's team. The body's organs are widely different yet heavily influence one another and their functions. A cardiologist may hold insight a neurologist needs in order to diagnose. Trying to do something without the necessary collaboration can lead to preventable incidents, uncomfortable patients, and a hostile work environment.

Furthering Education by Hannah Evans Recipe 1: My Hometown Ingredients Needed: 1 1/2 cup Uniformity 1/2 cup Political Views 3 tsp Opportunities 1/3 cup Family 2 cups Mental Health 1 cup Passion for Healthcare Steps to Follow: 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Mix uniformity, political views, and opportunities in a large mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly, checking for clumps as cliches are very common in this recipe. Clumps will be hard to break up, just try your best. 2. In a separate large bowl, mix family, mental health, and passion for healthcare thoroughly. Family and mental health will mix very quickly as they coincide with one another. Passion for healthcare and mental health will also coincide with one another, making mixing fairly easy. 3. Once the ingredients are mixed within separate bowls, carefully combine the two bowls, watching for unwanted reactions or spills. The batter should look a beige color. If overflow happens, compartmentalize by putting the extra mix into a separate bowl (this will be added back in after the dust has settled). 4. Place cupcake liners in a cupcake tin, and pour the mixture in, filling the well halfway to the top. 5. Place in the oven a bake for approximately 18 years. Once done, the cupcakes can be expected to look very different from the batter pre-bake. Instead of a beige color, the cupcakes should be cherry red. Enjoy! Why this recipe? This recipe signifies how my upbringing has led me to where I am today. Furthering my education has always been a must for me. My father was the first person in my family to attend college and graduate, so I would be no exception in following that same path as his firstborn. It was only a matter of what I would study and where. My hometown is full of clones; 90% of the population thinks the same, looks the same, and acts the same. I was part of the other 10%. Therefore, I wanted out. Temple University is the exact opposite of my hometown and exactly what I was looking for - a diverse, urban campus with an abundance of opportunities. Even the political atmosphere of Philadelphia is more my style. It was a no-brainer when I was accepted that I would be attending. As for my field of study, I suffered from mental health issues as a child. Living in a closed-minded community, they weren't taken seriously until I advocated for myself and received proper treatment. That experience inspired me to become the physician I wish I had as a 13-year-old suffering from undiagnosed General Anxiety Disorder. Even before my mental health battle, my passion for helping others was clear as day. It was a part of me I was particularly proud of, which then spilled into my career choice. In conclusion, I would not be where I am today, in the headspace I am today, without the trials and tribulations my hometown and family have caused me. My everlasting education is something I got to choose for myself and something I can look forward to, especially during the hard times.

I live two lives. My older life is an over-stretched daughter working 45 hours per week in retail and helping raise her kid brother. My newer path is a proud, dedicated Temple University student studying to become a doctor. In both lives, Wawa iced coffee and Spotify premium are my saviors. My dog, Sofi, is my source of comfort during hard times. In my rare downtime, one could find me finishing a book in one sitting or running errands. Christmas is my favorite time of year, even if my family and I do not always see eye-to-eye. I'm not religious or political, but I am an independent empath.

It's okay to not be okay. When was the last time you cried? Was there a clear reason, or did it seemingly come out of nowhere? Either way, we've all been there. For instance; after an eight-hour school day, you come home to a full sink of dirty dishes and hours worth of homework. It's overwhelming. Your grandmother has recently passed but you have deadlines at work your boss won't grant an extension for. Sadness and frustration commonly follow. All of these emotions are valid. It is normal to feel these things, whether the trigger be an isolated event or a culmination of events. It's what you do to cope with these feelings that makes all the difference. It's okay to not be okay, but it is not okay to push your emotions aside for the benefit of others. Far too many people, including myself, overlook the magnitude or reality of their emotions in hopes to appease their peers and loved ones. In actuality, those you surround yourself with should help you through times of need, not make you feel ashamed or guilty to make yourself heard. While I have so much more I want the world to hear, if I had to pick one sentence, it would be "It's okay to not be okay".

Women have been ridiculed and belittled for decades due to their sense of empathy. Even so, that happens to be a quality I am particularly proud of in myself. According to Roman Krznaric, writing for Greater Good Magazine, empathy is "the ability to step into the shoes of another person, aiming to understand their feelings and perspectives, and to use that understanding to guide our actions" (Krznaric, 2012). Empaths attempt to understand someone's actions and related emotions before acting themselves. Why is my brother withdrawn? Why is his/her patient lashing out? Why is my professor more irritable than normal? People with a low sense of empathy will write off these actions and act hostile or annoyed in response. As a current customer service employee and future physician, my sense of empathy has matured and will continue doing so. Here is a little story of mine that happened not too long ago: before leaving for college, my father told me I should rethink my career path. I had strived to become a pediatric physician since ninth grade, so you could imagine how confused I was at his revelation. He had done nothing but support my dreams and goals of attending medical school, so why say this now? In short, he said I was too empathetic and emotional to handle the stress and work duties of a physician. I had no words. After a brief pause, I told him that the opposite will occur, that my empathy will make me an amazing physician. It will allow me to connect with my patient and their families. It will allow me to provide improved, well-thought-out care for each patient. Being a physician does not stop at medicine; it involves interpersonal skills, compassion, and overall, empathy. Outside of being a physician, empathy has helped with social anxiety, work and school performance, and my relationships. As my empathy has developed, my social anxiety has lessened. If my friends are seemingly aggravated with the absence of cause, I don't make it personal. Instead, I try to understand what might be making them feel this way. If a professor isn't doing well and it's affecting their teaching, I give them a day or two and then visit office hours for more clarification, hoping that whatever was bothering them was resolved. Working in retail, I have had many customers come up unprovoked and irritable, ready to pick a fight. Maybe they had a bad day, everyone has here and there. Because of that, I go through the interaction as calmly as possible and try to make them smile in the process. It doesn't always work, but it's worth a shot. Empathy holds many different values depending on where it's applied. From personal life to a professional environment, empaths can always find a way to make good of a dreary situation by thinking of the other person. I will never be ashamed of my sense of empathy. It's gotten me this far. Therefore, It can help me go even further.