Top 40 of the Last 10 Years

I decided to make a list of the things I would have missed out on if I'd started medical school at 21. Wow, the last 10 years have been busy!

1. Was a paid-on-call firefighter

2. Graduated from college with my BA in Political Science

3. Was an RA, Vice President of my university, and a sorority girl

4. Studied Italian in Italy for several months, traveled all of Italy

5. Was an ecology research assistant

6. Had 4 long term relationships... and a bunch of not-so-long-term ones

7. Moved to Boston, lived in a beautiful brownstone, attended Harvard for PBPM

8. Became a high school chemistry, biology, and sex education teacher

9. Traveled around Brazil, camped on the Amazon River, discovered Rio de Janeiro

10. Helped 21 of my illegal-immigrant students get into college with full scholarships

11. Got my EMT certification

12. Conducted clinical research study at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston

13. Lived in Phoenix (downtown), Miami (MiMo), New Orleans, Boston (South End), Washington DC and San Diego

14. Won a scholarship for infectious epidemiology from the CDC to train in Charlotte

15. Bought my first house, gutted it, and am rebuilding it from my own design.

16. Conducted clinical research for the Department of GI and Cardiology

17. Invited by a prestigious research group in Colombia to work on p. vivax vaccine candidate (I went by myself.... with little ability to speak Spanish!)... and I traveled around Colombia

18. Got my Masters degree in tropical medicine

19. Got to be an extra in a movie with Brad Pitt

20. Was an ID Epidemiologist for the state

21. Watched every episode of Sex and the City like 10 times

22. Adopted the best dog in the world

23. Got into med school!

24. Met my wonderful boyfriend

25. Taught General Chemistry I, II to undergrads

26. Was an HIV/STD safe sex educator for elementary & college students, residential bootcamps, drug rehab, etc.

27. Worked in behavioral neuropsychology researching the effect of the estrous cycle on neuron morphology

28. Learned to speak conversational Spanish

29. Taught over 150 children and 2 adults to swim

30. Evacuated 2 Hurricanes... and actually escaped 1

31. Road trip across the United States 4 times

32. Taught English in Tijuana migrant worker camps

33. Designed my own study to assess tumor cell response to combination treatments for pancreatic cancer

34. Was present (team right leg!) for the birth of one of my favorite student's first baby

35. Advised the 12th grade physics class "solar tech" club... we built a full size (2+ people!) solar powered boat to race in the "Solar Spectacular" competition

36. Was featured in an article in the San Diego Union Tribune for "interior design" advice from amateur, alternative, designers.

37. Built a great circle of friends and advisors who I love.

38. Completed an internship in Washington DC on politics and the media

39. Went skydiving (Ok, this may have been 11 years ago)

40. Canoed up the Colorado River to Black Canyon Hot Springs.

Ok... that's all I can think of right now. But you should make your own list. It makes you feel better!