I decided to become a doctor when my grandfather passed away due to cancer. It was a sorrowful and harsh experience for me as a 7-year-old kid. However, I felt frustrated that I couldn’t do anything and simply wished to save his life.
A few years later, I had an opportunity to learn about cancer at school and discovered that it was not a rare disease; many people were suffering from it even at that moment. The more I learned about cancer, the more I understood its difficulty to overcome. Once diagnosed, individuals might undergo chemotherapy, surgery, radiotherapy, or a combination, each with its own side effects. The severity depends on the tumor grade; some may overcome cancer without significant hardship if detected in the initial phase, while others might face limited treatment options if the tumor has metastasized and grown. Families also go through a difficult time, offering mental and financial support, as treatments often take a long time.
I pondered what I could do for these issues. While becoming a doctor allows me to treat cancer patients, I realized it might not be enough to solve the entire spectrum of problems. Nonetheless, working as a doctor and aiding patients remains a noble pursuit.
Reflecting on these thoughts during junior high and high school, I realized I should have studied hard to enter medical school, nurturing my dream of becoming a doctor. Successfully passing challenging exams, I enrolled in medical school and discovered various career options, such as working in hospitals, government, dealing with administrative matters related to medicine, or contributing to research institutes. I then set my future goal towards cancer research to contribute to progress.
Currently, I am making efforts to achieve that goal. I am dedicated to my major and am putting effort into studying English, as research papers are often in English and having international connection is important. Additionally, I am proactively participating in events for medical students and working as a student intern in a laboratory.
I am interested in preventing metastases of tumors at the moment because patients often suffer from metastases rather than primary tumors. The ability of cancer to proliferate and invade other parts of the body, causing death in the end, is a significant feature. Although I’ve just started chasing my dream, I hope I can make a meaningful contribution.