Fellowship app

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Whoops.  I made the mistake of forgetting to tell the 'rents about a fellowship I applied to... last Tuesday.  My dad's first reaction: "No, no, no!  You will not put off med school!"  You see, the major requirement for the fellowship is to have been accepted to med school but willing to defer matriculation for one year.  During that year, the fellow will live in Jamkhed, India (it is a very rural village a few hours from Mumbai) and work with the Comprehensive Rural Health Project.  From my understanding, it is one of the most successful public health programs in existence.

I think this would be a great opportunity to live abroad (can you tell that I'm itching to do so?), study a great public health model, learn a new language, and pick up skills that will carry me through school and beyond.  It is sponsored, in part, by the American Medical Student Association and comes with a small stipend.  When I explained this to my dad, he just said, "You can tell me more about this later," and quickly ended the phone conversation.

I learned about the fellowship just two weeks before the application was due.  In that time, I had to ask for two letters of recommendation and write three essays about my background, goals, and convictions. Hanna, a med student who sits next to me at work, encouraged me to apply.  It would be regretful, she said, if I did not apply but wished that I did.  By applying, I am not closing any doors.  Great advice that I needed to hear.