in the army now...

I almost forgot to mention that I joined the U.S. Army. It's really not one of those moments that you forget to mention, either. It's just that it hasn't hit me yet that I have joined the military. I was fortunate enough to receive a scholarship in the Health Professional Scholarship Program (HPSP), wherein the Army pays me through my medical training, and in return I work as a physician for them when all is said and done. It really took me a while to think this through and in the end, this was the best option for me.

I just went through my first year of medical school accumulating a little over $65,000 in debt for GW's tuition (private school) and living in D.C. Although living in the nation's capital while going to med school makes me the coolest person beyond comprehension, it does not erase the fact that this city is ridiculously expensive! But I love it here and I love going to GW. Nevertheless, I spent most of the year stressing out about how much debt I would incur over the four years of medical school. Also, let's not talk about my debt to income ratio when I get done with school and starting working as a resident. Scary!!

So, long story short...the Army is the best option for right now. This decision will not really affect me until about seven years from now when I will most likely be done with residency and will start working as a physician. But how can I possibly know what my life will be like in 7 years? A year ago, I could not imagine finishing my first year of medical school! I will be a different person when I will be done with medical school and will definitely be a different person when I get done with residency. But...I'm hoping for the best and hopefully when the time comes, I will thoroughly enjoy being in the Army. Who knows? Maybe, I will like it so much that I'll make a career out of it! It is hard to make this type of decision when all variables are not being considered at the time, but at this point, I know I made the right choice to get me through medical school financially. It will be an interesting journey and I'm excited to start..


p.s.
My roommate joined as well! Sweet..maybe we'll end up at the same army hospital for residency! That would be a trip:)

Barefoot heaven

So my trip to the islands of Samoa is winding down. I'm actually trying to leave early...not because I'm sick of Paradise already but because I would like to spend some time with the family before second year starts. I just have to say that my summer is flying by so fast. I didn't realize that it's already the second week of July and I might be on a flight out of here by next week. Sad! It has been 7 years since I've been home sweet home. I realized just how much I missed Samoa when I went on a little vacation trip to an island called Upolu. Although I was born and raised on the island of Tutuila, I spent a lot of time growing up in Upolu, the island where my mom and grandfather is originally from. We just took a quick 5 day trip to visit with old friends and cousins, but I was in barefoot heaven while I was there. Although the island is progressing well into the future of tourism, many things remain the same: the sights in the back villages, certain smells, and the feeling of finally coming home. A strange feeling that I cannot quite describe overwhelmed me..as if I was waiting to exhale out a huge sigh of relief. I was home and I made a silent promise to myself to not stay away too long.

I might be leaving in the next couple weeks and it's just sad that my "last summer of freedom" is coming to a close. My trip to come down here was a good decision, though. I am learning a lot at the hospital following the Chief of OB/GYN and also learned some painful mistakes with my summer project. So although my summer involved some considerable damage to my liver and an abundant amount of time hanging out with my cousins and old friends, at least there has been some learning:)