Mistakes are Proof that You're Trying

As I have begun to call professionals for interviews and dive into more pediatric related research, I realized how fearful I am of not scheduling interviews and running into the same roadblocks I did last year, concerning research.

In my first year of ISM, I ran into numerous problems. The main issue was, of course, getting rejected from interviewing pediatricians. It seems like this is one of the most difficult obstacles to overcome because pediatricians are constantly on the go and usually, I never get to directly speak with them. That is another problem in itself because I never truly know if my message is being properly relayed to the doctor or if an office manager thinks that it is just another high school kid calling to waste a professional’s valuable time. Even while following the regular cold calling format, it is challenging to prove one’s reliability in such a brief period of time.

Pertaining to research, I want to make sure that I am always learning about topics within pediatrics that fascinate me. Because ISM is designed for the student, there’s no point of me acquiring knowledge about items that have no real value for my knowledge. Contrarily, it is important to explore all sides of the pediatric field, not just what I find interesting.

In conclusion, these obstacles will better my character and will improve my ISM experience by encouraging perseverance and dedication to a field about which I am very passionate.