The Journey to Medical School: How to Pack Your Bag

Hello Everyone! I am currently a first year med student at Loma Linda University (raises hands in praise). My journey to medical school has been exciting, difficult, fun, stressful, and character building all at the same time. Along the way, I mentally picked up and developed tools I knew would help me be successful in medical school. Now as a medical student, I have already used these items packed away in my medical school bag. Each post I would like to share with you one item you need to pack your medical school bag with. Prayerfully, by the time you are accepted, you will already have everything you need to be successful in the next step of your journey.

Item #1: Trust in God (hands raised in praise again)

This item is key! It cannot be avoided, overlooked, or replaced. I vividly recall looking at my MCAT score after the first time I took it. I was devastated that my entire summer studying amounted to that disappointing score. Playing to my self-reliant attitude, I thought I could simply study and take it again next summer. As next summer rolled around, I became increasingly nervous and unsure. Thoughts such as: “What if I get the same score?, What if God is saying medicine isn’t for me?, and What if God doesn’t come through for me this time and I believe that He will? I don’t want to get played?,” all began to enter my mind. I was faced with the decision to trust God and move on or take a risk by trying to work things out on my own. I chose the former and have been blessed by God ever since. After that experience, I packed the first item in my med school bag: trust in God. After my MCAT and during my application and school selection process, I made it my goal to trust God through out it all. The waiting and guessing aspects of the process can be torturous to the one who does not trust God. I continually dipped into my med school bag and used my trust in God to provide peace throughout the process.

Now as I near my first week of testing in med school, I am again faced with the decision to trust God or to try to work things out on my on own. Honestly, I had been struggling with trusting in God up until earlier today. I had been increasingly nervous and unsure what to expect. Most of all, I had been scared of failure. Thankfully, I remembered to look in my med school bag and rediscovered the need to trust in the one who cares so deeply for me. I remembered that He who cares for me only wants the best for me. I took heart in the words written by David in Psalms 37:3, “Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him, and he will act.
He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
and your justice as the noonday”. Remembering scriptures like these and continually asking God to help you trust Him through out it all, will be the key to making it into med school and through med school. As you start off packing your bag, begin with this foundational item. It will make it easier to pack and use other items you will need through the rest of your journey. May God bless and keep you, as I know He will.

Look out for the next item to be discussed soon. Love you guys and I wish you all the best ☺

~Kiki