Sharmin I. Pala

Where have you been and where are you going? Where I have been is the easy part of the question. But where I am going is not as simple.  At least not at the moment. Before, I was completely sure as to where I was heading. I knew I wanted to be a doctor. Preferably, a cardiologist.  I myself don’t know why exactly. Maybe the desire to become one began the summer when I found out my dad needed double bypass surgery. Maybe it was before that. But to state the truth, I don’t really remember.

However, I know exactly what caused me to change my mind about my future aspirations – fourth period American Government during my first semester senior year and one Frontline documentary. The universal healthcare legislation was in the midst of being passed and my teacher decided to show us a documentary comparing the different healthcare systems around the world. Healthcare has nothing to do with treating the actual patients (well in some sense). It is all about the money. The rich can afford it, the government helps the poor, and the average American (middle class) is left stranded. I decided that going about the problem in a different way would help speed the overall process to receive better medical treatment. Instead of becoming a doctor (who has no say in a patient’s financial needs), I decided that maybe I can change the system if I worked on the other side of the issue – economics and government.  Well, this is where I think I am heading for now. Maybe another class or situation will change my mind again.

My current plans led me to Baruch. My expectations for my first semester aren’t much. I just want to learn more about what the college has to offer and how I can utilize all of them to my advantage. I plan on observing all that I can and hopefully an opportunity will not pass me by.