This year has been very dynamic for me because I have completely shifted my goals and career paths. It’s been frightening, overwhelming and I have questioned my decision many times, but I am up for the challenge.

I am currently a senior here at Iona and I am graduating in May with a degree in marketing. I have always been focused on graduating early, getting my MBA and working for a Fortune 500 company, but since I was in high school I have had an interest in medicine. I pushed this interest away as a phase and continued to spearhead through my college career to become a successful businesswoman.

Last winter, that interest in medicine turned into an inkling and slowly became a huge weight on my shoulders after I was extremely unhappy at my marketing internship. I knew that business was not the career for me and although I might be successful, I would not be satisfied.

I do not like change and I do not like to be behind on my studies, so for me to completely shift careers as a college junior with the ability to graduate a year early, I was thrown into a whole new, unfamiliar situation. With the support of my parents, I decided to continue pursuing a degree in marketing in order to graduate on time, but I began taking prerequisite classes and internships for medical school.

My dream is to be a doctor, specifically an oncologist – a doctor who diagnoses and treats cancer. I always thought being a doctor was out of my reach, but I’ve realized that my interest in all things surgery and medicine is not a phase after seven years.

I have always been an excellent student, but medical studies were daunting and the aura around being a doctor makes people feel like they have to be a born genius. I am not a genius, but I am a hard worker, and when I want something I will work as hard as I can to be successful.

I am slowly making my way to be able to apply to medical school a year or two after I graduate from Iona. I am working at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, which is a place that is very dear to me because my aunt is being treated there. Being around other medical professionals that have the same interests and desires as me is inspiring. We all have this central goal to eradicate cancer and while that might be impossible, we do not back down from the fight.

In the case of my future career, I listened to my heart. The logical part of me told me to stick with marketing because I was sure to be successful and follow in the footsteps of my dad. But when has anyone been successful within their comfort zone?

I am extremely excited to be taking chemistry because I finally enjoy learning and attending classes. It used to be so difficult to sit through my business lectures, but now I wake up every day thankful that I had the courage to listen to my heart and step out of my comfort zone. I am destined to be successful because of the willpower, determination and passion within me that gives me an adrenaline rush with all things scientific and medical.

I now step into the hospitals I work at and I know that this is the career for me. It may seem small because a career is just one part of your life. However, as a doctor, I will have the opportunity to save the lives of others and if I have the mind for it, how could I not contribute to the cause?