Personal Legends: A Critique of Passive Destiny

In the midst of my senior year of high school, I was assigned to read “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coehlo. There was a repeated theme within Coehlo’s work in which everyone had their own destiny in life, a “Personal Legend” was what he called it. Of course, Coehlo was a very religious man and it showed in his writing, The method of praying and waiting for a better life instead of actively doing something to achieve your goals was something that I did not agree with. I have just taken a step on my long endeavor in the real world, and sitting around waiting for something to happen is not how I plan to continue my journey. I have many ambitions to conquer and I will attain those goals by working hard and by keeping a determined motivation. During

my time here at UNLV, I anticipate to complete my undergrad within four years, obtain a research position whilst still working on my prerequisites, and accumulate a considerable GPA in order to get into medical school and earn the title of “M.D.”
In addition, I have an enticingly long road of education ahead of me. Four years of undergraduate studies, four more years of medical school, and lastly two more years of residency. The intended predicament over the duration of ten years gets increasingly harder and elongated. In order to succeed during my first four years at UNLV I will have to mentally prepare myself for the road I have established in front of me. Truth be told, I rarely studied in high school yet I still managed to get A’s and B’s in my classes. Over the course of these first three weeks of college, I have put in more hours of studying a week compared to high school but it is still not enough. I can already tell the library and over caffeinated coffee products will be my best friends. Since I intend to graduate within four years I must change my studying habits before it gets too late and then I will get kicked out of the university and work at McDonald’s.
Furthermore, I will be attempting to get a research position and leadership position within my first two years at UNLV. A research position on a resume for a medical school application looks exceptionally great since all applicants will be competitive. A research position during my first two years looks even more competitive. Also, any leadership positions and extracurricular activities/community service will also look valuable. My aunt told me that being a member in a club is a waste of time as opposed to acquiring a leadership position. She started a “Vietnamese Club” at her university and became president of it in order to look competitive when she applied for dental school. My aunt owns her own dental office and is living in a gigantic mansion in Northern California. Additionally, a paid research position is better than working as a waiter/busboy for four 12 hour shifts a week. My parents keep constantly nagging me to not worry about making money but to focus on my studies. I have bills to pay and I do not wish to see them struggle as they are getting older. I am no longer a little kid and I want to help with the family. Of course, I want to avoid being a waiter for the rest of my life carrying hot bowls of pho that customers occasionally knock over into my arms where I have accumulated several burn marks. I wished the restaurant was named “Pho Q” so I could remind the name to them without directly upsetting these lovely customers. Getting a research position within the medical field will serve as a figment of what it will be like working after I get my doctoral degree. It will be a challenge to try and get a research position within my first two years, but I know that it will happen if I put my mind and body into it.
Thus, the final snapshot of this four year long journey will be the road to medical school.

Four years of hard work on my undergrad is only half of the journey. When I get accepted into a medical school the workloads will get even more challenging, a decision that I hope I will not regret along the years of hard work I have accumulated. I want to become a doctor because the feeling that I get when I have helped someone’s health get better is a reward itself. I don’t need the payment for that. I lied, making $300k a year is also a nice benefit of being a doctor in addition to making my patients feeling better and seeing their progression improve. The money is nice nonetheless, but I will have genuine care for my patients rest assured. I honestly hope money will not change the way that I am in regards to my care. I aspire not to become that doctor who just chases after money, that doctor who views his patient’s face as a source of income. Also, coming from an immigrant family after the Vietnam War, my expectations entrusted onto me are the dangling weights on my shoulder. My dad used to work two jobs, 18 hours a day in order to put food on the table and a roof over our heads for my family. He worked in those circumstances for ten years before he received a manager position at the Wynn. My parents do not have everything, but have worked around to give me everything I have ever wanted. I feel that it is my obligation to do the same and return the favor by studying and becoming

a doctor.
Consequently, all I have done in this essay so far was lay out the purpose of my journey and what I needed to do to get accepted into a medical school. I realize that this is all talk and that my ambitions will have to match the amount of work required in order to achieve these goals as I climb on the ladder to success. When I feel like quitting, I will have to remember why I started. Ever since I was a young boy, I dreamed of becoming a doctor. Now it is my turn to stand up to the lines and make my dreams become a reality.