“Living in a war-torn country makes it difficult to remain optimistic. You are constantly reminded that you are, in many ways, a pawn in a political game, and that your life is somehow considered less valuable simply because of where you were born. I have seen this reality reflected in the people around me. Friends who were once full of hope have become shells of themselves, living in constant fear of the sounds of drones above us. I was, and still am, afraid of losing my own optimism to that same hopelessness.<\/p>\n
However, whenever I feel myself being pulled under, I return to my goal of becoming a doctor. Medicine, to me, is not just a career; it is a way of reminding people that they matter. It is a profession built on restoring dignity, offering reassurance, and proving to someone that their life is worth fighting for.<\/p>\n
This belief became even stronger through my experiences with patients and the women around me. Growing up, I watched my mother and other women navigate a healthcare system that often dismissed, belittled, or silenced them. Their experiences made me aware of medical misogyny and the androcentrism still deeply embedded in science and healthcare. It strengthened my desire to not only become a physician, but to help challenge the barriers preventing women from receiving proper care and to advocate for more equitable treatment.<\/p>\n
During my rotations in the oncology department, I saw firsthand the true psychological impact of war. It destroys homes and cities but also erodes a person\u2019s sense of self-worth. When people are repeatedly made to feel disposable, they begin to believe it. I realized I was not immune to that feeling either. Yet I also realized that my role, both as a future doctor and as a member of my community, is to push back against that belief.<\/p>\n
I want to remind people that they are valuable and worthy of care. Through medicine, I can advocate for my patients and contribute to meaningful research. Beyond that, I want to support younger generations the way others once supported me. During high school, I constantly feared that all my hard work would mean nothing because I would not be able to afford university. When I saw that there were people willing to invest in hard work and potential, I learned that nothing is truly pointless. You do your part, trust the process, and, eventually, hope finds its way back to you. I want to help the younger generation of my country to also not succumb to pessimism and always focus on self-improvement.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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