The Difficult Road From Baseball to Medicine
- US IMG
- Step 1 : 211
- Step 2CK : 228 [Second attempt]
- Step 2CS : Pass
My Medical School Journey
I decided to go back to school to take the pre-med prerequisites in 2007. I had just turned 27 years old, and I was playing independent minor league baseball. I completed the premedical prerequisites in 2009. I did not take the MCAT, and my grades were not competitive for medical school. We were in the middle of an economic recession, and I desperately needed a job. I got a job as a laborer for a Concrete Construction Company. I was now 29 years old, and going to medical school didn’t seem a like a possibility. I didn’t think my grades were competitive enough, and I enjoyed the steady pay check. One cold, rainy afternoon I had a vision that included medical books and the beach. A few days later a friend of mind mentioned that I should apply to a Caribbean medical school.
I finally decided to apply at the end of 2010. I was accepted and I started Medical School in February of 2012. While in medical school I faced the most difficult challenges of my life. My mother died very suddenly in 2014. Six months later my father was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. At that point I withdrew from medical school to tend to my father while he started treatment. My dad had a positive response to treatment, and once he started to feel better I returned to school later that year. I struggled through my 3rd and 4th year, and unfortunately I failed step 2. I finished my rotations in January of 2017.
I returned home to where my dad lives, to study for step 2 and work. I got a job as a hearing instrument specialist. The company moved me to Santa Barbara, California, and I had a big office to myself. After work and every weekend I would study alone in my office. I took step 2 in June of 2017, and this time I passed!
I applied to the match that fall, and I landed a preliminary surgery position in June of 2018. Because the preliminary year is only one year, I had to reapply for the match again that fall. Unfortunately, I did not match for 2019.
Not matching was another devastating setback. I explored several other options, but I still did not want to give up. I accepted a position as a Trauma Surgery Research Fellow. I was able to gain research experience, and it enabled me to apply again for the 2020 Match. This year I finally matched in Internal Medicine. It took me 13 years from when I decided to go back to school, and I couldn’t be happier. It was worth every struggle and every setback.
I would advise medical students to stay focused, stay positive, work hard, and keep fighting for an opportunity. Don’t let setbacks or obstacles keep you from accomplishing your goals! Take every opportunity that comes your way, and meet as many people as you can. Taking a detour doesn’t mean the dream is dead. Surround yourself with people that are interested in your success. I had great mentors and role models, and without them I don’t know if I would have been able to accomplish any of this. Keep punching, find a way to win, and never ever quit!!
B. R. March 24, 2020
Photo by Christopher Campbell