“..but within you is enfolded the entire universe”
I have been wondering how to enfold my universe but if I must then this is all I’d like to say.
I am love by heart, logic by mind, a search by soul and a quest by existence.
I am Farheen Zahra from KPK Pakistan, currently enrolled in Khyber Girls Medical College,
Peshawar. Medicine was never part of my dream professions, yet it was there in the list of
professions I was ultimately going to choose from for myself, since it was my parents choice
and since every high academic achiever is supposed to be a doctor in our society whether
he/she likes it or not. I had many reasons for not wanting to be a part of the world of
medicine. Being from a developing country, I saw a lot of sufferings around that challenged
the dignity of humanity. I felt all this at heart and it made me believe that this, what I call my
spiritual pain, was more devastating. So I underestimated physical pain and that used to be
my argument against becoming a doctor. I believed more in soul than in body, never
realizing that body was as important as the soul, for that’s what makes us exist in this world.
So I flipped. It wasn’t so abrupt though. In the first 2 years of my medical schooling, I was
not satisfied with what I chose. It was only when I started going to hospital in my 2nd prof
and I was exposed to real world of medicine that started challenging my perception about
life, but its never easy to have your beliefs challenged and accept it. So I resisted but the
more I did the more it took me over. In no time, hospital started meaning world to me, as if I
always belonged here. The patients, for some obscure reason, as if asking me how could I
underestimate their pain. It broke me but only to make me into a complete new person. A
person who was not only part of medicine but also proudly so.
As far as my interests are concerned, I am very fond of reading, and writing is my passion,
which I am looking forward to pursuing in future. I love traveling, hiking, trekking,
paragliding, rafting and all sorts of adventure sports. I must also say that you can enjoy
nothing if the world around is suffering. Social work lies at the heart of a happy life. Doctor
or no doctor, it should be a part of everyone’s life for those, not as privileged as ourselves
deserve care and love.
Now I see myself as a dr. of strong scientific foundation and skills n future, serving humanity
at my best. Because I have understood and now its my belief that medicine is not a mere
profession, it’s a promise. I want to serve it as best as I can and would work to add to its
improvement. Medicine is advancing with such a speed that its quite a challenge especially
for us belonging to less privileged areas like my own kpk province to keep up with the
advancement. So I find it an amazing opportunity to be able to see and learn from the
universities of united states of America and I am sure it will not only make me learn new
scientific facts, skills, professionalism and ethics but will also help me in diversifying my
thinking, and will make me explore new culture and traditions, learn more about new
amazing people. Furthermore, I see a lot of loopholes in our academic system so I am
looking forward to improving my system eventually. I also see it as an amazing opportunity
to interact and communicate with my American friends there.