Paving the Way for the Future

The newest exciting detail of my journey is that I have been granted a two-year deferral for medical school matriculation at Rush - an option that is not as well broadcasted as it should be.

So here is the story: if you are interested in a particular professional school and have filed all of the necessary paperwork for you matriculation, BUT are still interested in completing the TFA program, most schools will, with a little coaxing, hold your spot for the time that you are away. In my case - and this was something that worried me greatly - all it took was a sincere letter stating what I would do with the time away from medical school and, more importantly, how it is going to benefit the school when you come back. What kinds of things are you going to bring to the table at the point of your return?

If you ask yourself this question very honestly, I think that you will find that programs such as TFA can be more than just a lovely addendum to any resume. You will be showing professional school admissions committees that you are dedicated to the fight against inequality.

This news speaks to the public's ability to realize the nature of educational disparities in America and respect the fact that we, as young people, can do something about it. It also dispels the notion that there is only one course to a professional career. No longer are we forced to accept the idea that the course of education will follow the following path: high school --> undergrad --> professional school --> career. This is a fallacy that is starting to regress very subtley. Knowing this, I encourage all of you fervent advocates of equality to consider donating your time and energy to these up-and-coming social justice programs. The point is this: Taking a few years away from the pre-professional grind does not mean iminent danger for your chosen career path. There are many roads to success - the variability exists only in your definition of success.

**This is, of course, not to say that those who chose to forgoe such opportunities are not taking part in the movement. It is critical to remember that everyone has their own way of addressing social issues and encouraging change. My role in this is to ensure that those who are considering the untraditional road will have a support network in their journey.

Things will start to heat up in the next few weeks - lots of interviews, paperwork, training sessions, lesson plans, pre-institute work, etc. I will be writing and I would like to encourage anyone who has questions or experiences that they would like to share to post comments and begin a dialogue. In my opinion, the best way to address social injustice is to discuss the social underliers. The goal of this blog is not necessarily as a recruiting tool, but a catalyst for an open, honest, respectful discourse.