Where should I start?
I have never been the writer type of person so bare with me while I try to figure out how all those bloggers and influencers do it.
I'm a graduated high school student from Alberta, Canada. I recently moved to this new country I call home: Pakistan. Although culturally shocked, I've been trying to keep up with the lifestyle here...to be honest with you, it's a hustle! It takes a lot of courage to make such a huge decision of moving to another country to pursue medical education, despite everyone advising you not to. Yes, people advised me not to because they told me I'd be better off continuing my education in Canada, it would benefit me more. This is definitely true but here is where I stand.
I chose Pakistan for my medical education because:
1. No undergrad saving me 4 years of my life. You get right into medicine!
2. Many Pakistani medical colleges are approved by WHO which means I can continue my residency in the US if I want to.
3. It's cheaper!!
4. Not a lengthy process with an interview
5. There's a need for good doctors in this country that care more about the patient than the money.
6. Encouraging female education in communities lacking that
7. Helping disadvantaged Pakistanis get proper healthcare. There are too many people here who can't afford to go to private hospitals, and I wanted to volunteer to provide them an avenue for proper healthcare services.
8. Raise awareness about healthcare issues in Pakistan, and communicate them to dual national Pakistanis in Canada and America, once again to work on providing proper avenues for healthcare.
I think you get my point here. The role of doctors in this world is to serve humanity. Beyond money making, reputation, or "what my parents want" being a doctor means to help people heal. Pakistani doctors don't get paid much, and the amount of patients they take on is far greater than in the west. Ultimately, they have to do more with a poor population and a corrupt system lacking healthcare benefits. Coming from a country like Canada, I felt terrible for not having noticed the humans crying out for help here. I lived a great life for sure, but how much was I doing to serve my people? My fellow Muslims? What did they think of my silence? Yes I could help the people of Pakistan being in Canada, but it wouldn't be the same intimate experience. I wouldn't be able to do much halfway across the world. I wanted to see for myself how many blessings I had taken granted for. And I think that's what keeps me strong day in and day out. I want to help.
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