From the time my goldfish died when I was five, I knew that I wanted to become a doctor to save lives. The distinction between doctor and veterinarian, fortunately, wasn't very clear to me at that time. I wanted to be able to save the lives of people and animals. I envisioned going to one of the top medical schools in the world, getting excellent grades, and finding a way to bring dead goldfish back to life. Unlike many childhood whimsies, however, this fantasy lasted me long enough to get me through high school. My dream of going to a top medical school was still intact when I got my diploma.
Unfortunately, college was hard for me. Part of it was the fact that I wasn't used to working hard. I was so good at high school that I never had to do any work to get perfect grades. In college, I was suddenly swamped by the amount of work that I had. I was quickly overwhelmed. It was more than that, however. I was very sick for much of my college career, and it took its toll on my grade. I still wanted to be a doctor, but I knew that I was in no place to go to one of the top medical universities in America. My grades simply were not good enough.
For a while, I slipped into despair. I drank heavily. The thought of going to a second rate medical college had never occurred to me. I figured that if I couldn't go to the top medical schools, I might as well give up on my dreams of being a doctor altogether. After all, what was the point in getting a second-rate education? I had gone to a good high school and a good college. It would be humiliating for me to go to a so-so medical school.
Then I thought about it again. Getting into one of the top medical schools would have been great, but not being able to get into one was not the end of the world. After All, a university does not have to be a top medical school to teach you how to be a doctor. Not everyone who succeeded in life went to the top schools. I realized that I had another chance to make something of myself. Even without the top medical schools, I could still be a success.
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