Time to Find My Element

Senior year is finally here, and it is time to start of the year with no fear. This is my first week in ISM 2, and it has not been too different from last year so far. The class is already at a fast pace with the completion of my guiding quote and mission statement, introductory speeches coming up, and even these weekly reports. Coming back to the groove of things has been quite seamless with all of the prior knowledge I had of the class.

Ways that I felt that this week was successful was that I was able to cultivate an understanding of my passions and to acknowledge my uncertainties. All ISM students had a guest speaker come to talk to us about finding a passion that is “in your element”. It was truly intriguing to hear a speaker talking about herself as a prime example of what she is becoming with the help of her talents, passion, realism, and personality. In my case, I have changed my topic of study for this year to cardiothoracic surgery from cardiology. This is because I wanted to challenge myself to see my other options and recognize if, realistically, they are possible. From last year, I have gathered that I have a profound interest in medicine, but with that understanding, I look forward to find what I do not know about a different profession or even about myself. This is why my guiding quote for this year is that “The expected is just the beginning. The unexpected is what changes our life” by Meredith Grey.

My goals for the year is to find out as much as I can about my new topic of study, comprehend what it takes to become that profession in the future with the help of my mentor, and take the experiences I have had from the two years to simulate somewhat of an understanding about what I hope to do in the future based off of my personality, passion, talents, and realism. Of course these, hard decisions will not be taken until after a very long time, but having this knowledge now will allow myself the freedom to expand my horizons and learn more and more about myself. All in all, I am extremely grateful to be a part of this program again, and I cannot wait for what this year has in store for me.

Best Regards,

Anuja Jayachandran