Have you ever had a wish that affected your life in a big way?
Wish #1: To studyWhen I was in grade school, I loved to study. I know...I know. I sound like a super nerd. I wished then that I could study forever.
Well, I got what I wished for.
I'm a medical doctor, having just passed the Physicians Licensure Exam last August 2008. To get here today, I had to take 4 years of medicine, 1 year of internship in PGH, and 1 1/2 months of reviewing for the boards. But that's not the end of it. I still have to undergo training if I want to specialize and this usually takes 3 to 5 years depending on what I decide to take. And even during then and after, I still have to study, to keep updated, because there's always something new being discovered or developed everyday in our field...
Wish #2: A year off
...But during my 1 year of internship, I felt fatigued...burnt out. I wished for a very long vacation. When my mom talked of my options for residency, I'd occasionally mention that I might take a year off first. But she wouldn't hear of it. I wasn't so sure that I really wanted it too. Half of me wanted to rest but the other wanted to be done with it. Because I was 25 years old. And single. And I dreamt of having my own family but didn't know where and when I'll fit it in. And felt my biological clock ticking.
I got what I wished for.
I got my year off, because during the time the applications for residency were being processed, I wasn't accepted. And I was happy.
Wish #3: A family
During internship, despite the busy schedule, I was still able to date. I had fun. I made a lot of friends. Then I met Sherwin. And he swept me off my feet.
I got my third wish.
We got married after I finished internship. And we had a little one on the way. That's why my application for residency got rejected. My due date coincided with the pre-residency (this is the 3rd step in screening the applicants - the first was a written exam and the 2nd was the interview) so I only reached step 2.
My mom said that it was a fruitful year 2008 for me. I've certainly never had a more blessed one.