September

Bryn Mawr program began in the end of May for me, so that means I'm four months in with only eight more months to go. More student joined us for the fall (25, I believe) which brings our total to about 85 for the whole group of us now. Summer was a great and intense experience - definitely summer camp for adults. Considering it was my first summer in the states (and on land) in about 15 years, it was definitely a weird experience. But, we powered through and finished chemistry. The cordial atmosphere has relaxed a bit which is nice and most people seem to have found their niche.

For me, there have been personal struggles both expected and unexpected. Without a doubt, the idea of leaving something that I absolutely loved to pursue something that I'm not totally familiar with in practice has been trying. Not trying in a tough way, but in that natural way that is expect. No one likes when their summer ends, even though they know the fall brings great things too.... (make any sense?) Well, as we all progress it seems that the continual struggle is to not want to loose ourselves completely to this thing that is medicine - finding a school that provides a more socially "normal" community and not becoming too stressed.

Visited GW yesterday - verdict is still out on what that even means, but it was our first and will hopefully start to set the tone for how we can start to look at medical school.

On a more exciting note: I got to flirt with a cute boy, eat yummy food with my best friend, and see Edward Sharpe!

Too bad we have a bio exam on Monday....

I decidedly hate the title of this blog, but cannot figure out how to change, so let's keep going...

I failed to keep this updated because, well, the whole blogging idea is a bit strange to me, but I'd like to keep it going because I'd like to catalog this in some public way because, just maybe, somebody wants to follow my life, or maybe someone wants to follow the same path and this helps... whatever.

So, I went to my interview day at Bryn Mawr in November... let me look at a calendar... Nov. 9th to be exact. It was the most informative event that I have ever attended for anything that I have participated in. We meet with the adviser, who really knows her stuff, for a few hours, went into some science classes, had lunch, and sat with current students to discuss "what it's really like." Then there was the interview which was all happening during the time with current students. It felt like they'd all drank the kool-aid because they were so enthusiastic about what Bryn Mawr does and how it runs. I went there not knowing if it was exactly where I wanted to be and left completely desperate to be accepted. I am that lame.

Right, so they told us that we were the first group to be interviewed - I think it was 8 of us - all girls and one guy, I believe. Anyway, when we left they said we might hear around Thanksgiving of acceptance, denial, and referral. Those few weeks inched by as I got more nervous about, well, the rest of my life. I was back in Florida preparing to fly home to DC for Thanksgiving and, low and behold, on the Monday before Thanksgiving I get a phone call from the adviser congratulating me on my acceptance. How cool is that? She just wanted me to enjoy my holiday because I might not get the letter on time. Anyway, if you're still reading this and not totally bored yet, I was really impressed.

So, yes, I accepted and was excited. Then it felt like everything just stopped. I was in by late November and wouldn't go until May. Rut-row.

So, I've been working along ever since in Florida, but also traveling a lot all over New England, DC, CA, etc - for work and play. And, as it goes, I'm falling so much back in love with what I do that it's making me so sad to leave. But, of course that's happening. That's what happens.

Oh and my life is someone joke. Every flight I'm ever on is late and yesterday I had the joy of sitting next to a guy that constantly reminded us that "we would be the last to die because we're in the back of plane" while blaring music from the earphone that were still around his neck and playing air guitar. For two hours. Two hours.

Right, today I got my email from Bryn Mawr that provides us with all of the information for school. Very exciting.

That's enough. I feel ridiculous

I have no idea why I'm doing this

Hi, I'm Julia and I think (notice) that I want to become a doctor. I am currently working with a pretty awesome sail training company that I have for a long, long time. I assume most of the people that would bother to read this for any reason (other then to indulge my total self-absorption) already know enough about that career and how much I get out of it. If, for some staring reason, you are not one of those people, let me know and I'd be happy to explain.

So, I love my job most of the time, but the draw to the DR is still around. I see a lot of myself in the career and I see the chance to gain a skill that I can use internationally. So, I have applied to a couple of post-bac pre-med programs because, of course, when the idea struck me in college, I took for art history courses instead. I got into Georgetown and UMiami last year, but, in my true fashion kept searching and found some programs that I like more. So, about 2 weeks ago I put in my application for Tufts and Bryn Mawr. I have received an invitation to interview at Bryn Mawr, which is apparently a good sign from all the Student Doctor Forums that I goggle daily. Or weekly. Errr.

Anyway, none of this is easy, but it is exciting. I'm totally terrified to completely change my life and commit to a field of study that might - during the years of my life when there is a lot of change - traveling, family, using my health to go on adventures, finding "love", and all the others - pull me away from everything that I have been so happy to have created.

I live right now in Sarasota, Florida. It's actually a pretty amazing place - but unfortunately not for a 25 year old (soon to be late-20s, mind you).


NOTE: There is NOTHING personal about personal statements. Except that they take up a lot of your personal time.