Do You Remember?

Do you remember the time before medical school? The time that medical school was just a figment of our future and dreams? Before the MCAT, before ALL the applications, and before all the interviews? If you can consider yourself a MSW, then I know that you have been here!

My husband and I were recently just discussing this time in our lives, and honestly, we are completely amazed at how far we have come in the last few years. My husband originally did not want to go to medical school. He had not been dreaming about being a doctor all of his life, but he did know that he enjoyed studying the sciences. He actually ended up becoming a medical technologist (that would be his first six years of higher education) and began debating the idea of applying to Physician Assistant programs. I remember multiple conversations between the two of us about where life would take us next and I just kept asking him . . . why a PA? Why not a full-fledged doctor? What were his reasons about taking this path instead of medical school? Come to find out, he did not think that he would be accepted into a medical school! He thought that he had a better chance of making it into a PA program with his grades from undergraduate!

Needless to say, we had many more conversations before he was finally convinced that he should at lease give it a try. This was not easy!! He really wanted to be a doctor deep down, but was just so unsure that he wanted to put out the time and money to just be rejected! Throughout this entire time, I kept giving him tons of encouragement letting him know that I would be here for him through both the thick and thin. And, I kept reminding him that I did not want to play the "What If" game ten years down the road . . . What if I had applied to med school? What if I had been accepted? Ten years down the road would have been a lot more difficult to apply and be accepted then at that moment. He had so many amazing opportunities and experiences behind and in front of him . . . and he finally decided to go for it!!

I remember reading over his many applications (both the first and second round!), proofreading and making suggestions along the way. I remember him getting his first rejection letter and then his first, second, and all the way through his sixth invitation for an interview! And, then the most exciting part . . . his acceptance to his first (which we quickly declined!) all the way through his fourth!! He never imagined that he would make it that far and actually get the choice of where he wanted to attend med school!

This brought a new predicament . . . how do we choose between our top 3 choices? (And, I say we because it was a family decision, not an individual one.) I was expecting our first child and we wanted to have an area that was a good place to raise children, a place that I would be able to find a job and feel at home in, and of course, where he would get the highest quality of education. We deliberated about this for days before we finally made our choice . . . ATSU-KCOM. We were heading to Missouri! We could not believe it (and neither could our families!). Many of our friends and families were shocked! Why would Craig decide to go back to school when we had a child to raise? Weren't we getting too old to go back to school?

Through all the doubts (including our own), I have to say that we have made the right decision. As I am sitting here writing this, I am now a third year MSW. We cannot believe that we are over half-way done with the schooling part. In less than two years, my husband will be a doctor! There have been times along the way that have been easier than I expected and there have been times that have been harder than expected, but overall, I believe that the whole experience has made my whole family better because of it! We are stronger and we are proud of our accomplishments . . . and, I know that this is simply the training for what is to come . . . internship and residency! :)