The most difficult decision I ever had to make was also the one that had only one real answer. My entire life, until 3 years ago, had been spent working my way up in Jordan, breaking boundaries and forging ahead. Growing up female in an Islamic country has its share of challenges, especially if you are athletic and keenly interested in the sciences, both of which traditionally being viewed as boys’ realms...

My grandmother always used to say to me “nothing in life is easy if it’s worth having”, and I am just so sad that she can’t see me now, turning away from the easy (by comparison) path towards one I know will bring a lifetime of challenges and fulfillment. I always respected her and have tried to make my entire family proud of me. I am the first person from my working class family to go to college, and while I am proud of accomplishing this goal, which was by no means easy financially or emotionally, my career path after graduation has not been as fulfilling as I was hoping it would be...

The field of osteopathic medicine has a strong draw for me because I have been able to witness first hand the total effects of a physical ailment on someone very close to me: my father. He has always suffered from a liver condition, but this affects far more than just the affected organ. His entire personality has been altered by his battle, and therefore every aspect of his mind and body must be considered when treating his physical ailment...

Question: Please discuss your expectations as a future physician (max 500 words)

Having a mother who is a physician has given me a unique insight into how challenging, and rewarding, a career in medicine can be. When my family first moved to the United States 8 years ago I really didn’t know what to expect from my new homeland, and though I met many children from families with working mothers, I must admit I did look enviously on at the children who were being picked up from school by their homemaker mothers, expecting to go home to a family dinner...

Question: What significant accomplishments or life experiences make you unique? (max 250words)

I have had the good fortune in life to grow up in more than one culture. My family is Indian, but we have lived for long stretches of time in several places, most significantly in Spain, Germany, and now the United States. Being embraced by these colorful, and sometimes very disparate, cultures has given me an ability to relate to people from many different backgrounds because I know what it feels like to recently arrive in what seems like a new world and have to find some common ground with the people around you quickly...

My parents, who, through hard work and effort, built a successful Japanese restaurant from nothing in the middle of North Dakota, where prior to their arrival the only other ethnic food available was a taco stand that also served hamburgers, always used to say to my brother and me: “perfection is in the details”. This quote used to bother me as a young person because I wanted perfection to be a complete picture, not just a piece of the puzzle, but as I have grown up and learned to appreciate how much effort one needs to exert to achieve the “perfect” anything, I see the wisdom of their saying and now I too espouse it...

If you never stop learning, life will always be interesting and filled with new opportunities. My quest to continually stretch myself has led me to plan a return to school at an age when most people are thinking more about their children’s college loans rather than their own...

When I tell people that I am a massage therapist they often assume that my days are filled with massaging pampered women in day spas, and while I have done my share of work in such places, this is not what drove me into the field initially and not what makes up the bulk of my current clientele. My clients these days are in need of my services because of their various medical conditions and I take great pride in the fact that I am doing something to help them lead more comfortable, independent, and satisfying lives...

Hours before the doorbell rings and my first guests arrive I am in the kitchen chopping, sautéing, simmering and reducing. This isn’t easy work—I have the burn marks to prove it—and I’m sure very few of my guests have any idea of the effort that has gone into the meal that will eventually be placed before them, but what makes it all worthwhile are the smiles I see as the first bite is tasted, and the camaraderie and joviality that spreads around my dinner table as a direct result of my efforts...

Growing up in a family filled with esteemed professionals, ambition was expected of us. Going to college, grad school, and beyond—it was all implicit in my parents’ blueprint for my siblings and I. It was assumed that each of us had the intellect and drive to achieve great things, and that it was incumbent upon all of us to use those skills to somehow make the world a better place. For quite some time, I have struggled to place my finger on a career that would nurture my capabilities and interests, allowing me to make invaluable contributions to a field...