A letter from Dec 05, 2023

Dear Future Me, Knowing your memory you will likely be confused upon receiving this letter. I purposely picked August 1, 2025 to be the date of delivery because I know it's going to be one of the times where you'll need to hear what I'm about to say the most, especially if you do stick to going to medical school. And if for whatever reason you've chosen a different path for us, don't be sorry or sad for me while reading this, just be confident in your decision and know that you're doing the right thing and choosing it for yourself. At this point, you may have already taken the MCAT for the first time. You may even know your score already. If you did good.. AWESOME! I'M SO PROUD OF YOU! If you did badly or you haven't even taken it yet because you feel you aren't ready, or you're doing that thing where you second-guess yourself because you feel you're undeserving of the opportunities given to you, just stop thinking for a few seconds and breathe. Everything is going to be okay, you just need to have faith in yourself. Take a step back to remember who you are and where you've come from and gather yourself. You can fail and fall several times, but only when you give up is when I'll be disappointed in you. So keep pushing and it doesn't matter the pace, just keep moving forward. I know you're also worried about medical school applications and trying to figure out how to present all your worth and dedication on a few forms. You'll have joined organizations, both for your career and your outside interests, and also had a job or two, volunteered and job shadowed or interned. I just hope that, aside from doing all that for your resume, that you actually learned a thing or two, connected with a few people, and made yourself not just a better student and worker but also a better human. It is currently December 5, 2023 and it is the last week of our first college quarter. My first official college finals season is here and I am honestly a tiny bit excited. Of course I'm more stressed but I feel like this all has been a new experience that I am extremely grateful for. I've met so many people and have been getting far out of my comfort zone which is something that I had only dreamed of. All in all, I just want you to know that I am rooting for you. Everything I do now is for you and our family. But I don't want you to do anything for me in return, I will be in the past and we've spent too many years already letting our past define us. The only thing I ask is for you to be happy. Enjoy the moments, good and bad. Don't forget where you came from and keep being empathetic. Keep in touch with your family and friends and love and support them the way they have always loved and supported you. Love, Jess