A bit more about me

I know some of you know me and my story, but for those of you who don’t, I would like to share a little more about me before diving right into the present day. Let's backtrack a little bit and figure out how I ended up here.

In 2009, I was awarded a United World College (UWC) scholarship from the Cayman Islands National Committee. After graduating high school, I moved to Vancouver Island, Canada, to attend Pearson College UWC. The UWC program further engrained the need for service to my community, the need for social consciousness and selflessness. Tucked away in Pedder Bay on the unceded territory of the Sc'ianew (Beecher Bay) First Nation, being at Pearson College was like being in your own little world. With roughly 200 students from more than 100 countries, we were a close-knit community like Cayman. In two short years, without traveling I had the opportunity to experience many cultures, try new foods, learn new languages, and make memories and friendships to last a lifetime. Sadly, it quickly came to an end, my International Baccalaureate (IB) was complete and it was time for me to move on to university. 

But where to go? I needed to do research. There were so many options, but once I decided what I needed it narrowed down my options A LOT! First of all, I wanted a university with a diverse community. At Pearson, I had come accustomed to living with people from all over the world and I still wanted to have those experiences at a university. Secondly, being from a small island, I knew a big university in a city wasn't the place for me, I wanted a city that was more familiar. Another criteria my new school had to fulfil was to be much closer to home. Living on the west coast of North America, it was difficult to go home frequently or as easily as I would have liked. So I looked into universities that fit all my criteria.

Ultimately, I chose to attend the University of Miami, also known as "the U." Just an hour flight from Grand Cayman, Miami, Florida was close to home. The university had students from over 100 countries, and it was familiar, very familiar. 

In 2011, I started my undergraduate degree. There were frat parties, tailgates, football games, and Homecomings. I went on a medical mission trip to Costa Rica & Nicaragua through VIDA. I participated in White Coat Society shadowing at Jackson Memorial Hospital through the Minority Association of Pre-Health Students (MAPS). I was a member and board member of the University of Miami Caribbean Student Association (UM CSA). I attended several Florida Caribbean Student Association (FCSA) Conferences and helped plan the Conference in 2015 as an FCSA board member. And this isn't even half of it; there was much, much more, plus classes. With all that, it's no surprise four years flew by, and it was time for graduation. In 2015, I walked across the stage and received my degree, a Bachelor of Science in Health Science with a minor in Public Health.

Me throwing up a U with the 'Canes mascot, Sebastian the Ibis, after graduation.

My journey has been an adventure. 

After my Bachelors, I decided I want to be farther than a 1-hour flight from home and I made the move to Hungary to start my medical school and this is where my journey at the University of Pécs begins. 

It may seem like I was just all over the place, but one constant in my life till now has been my dream to become a doctor. For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to be a doctor. My drive stems from a desire to help my fellow Caymanians and relieve gaps in our healthcare system that I feel need addressing. Gaps such as the need for young Caymanian doctors, doctors who understand our people and our culture, and to ensure that there is proper healthcare throughout all of our communities.

My journey has not been without sacrifice. To fulfill my dream of becoming a doctor, I have had to move thousands of miles away from my family, go Christmases without my loved ones, and years without being home. But life is all about sacrifices and slowly, I am accepting that. The schedule of a doctor can be demanding and unpredictable. In a medical career, I will always be making sacrifices, but not without good reason. 

Now that you know my story, in my next post, I can finally begin to focus a bit more on my final year rotations.

'Till next time!