It's been 14 months in Mozambique and 3 weeks back in the US. A new year has arrived and an important resolution this year is to use this blog while I continue to learn through living and working in Mozambique for at least another 11 months.
First, a broad review of why I chose Peace Corps.
Since participating in optical medical mission trips with my mom 9 years ago, I knew my core purpose in life would be to use my privilege for altruistic work. The objectives to reach my goals and the primary beneficiaries (people vs environment) have fluctuated overtime, but the goal remains: do the least amount of harm to anything and influence those around me to do the same.
My love for biology and interactions with serving others in these mission trips pointed to the field of medicine. Only at the end of my undergraduate studies could I feel the actual worth of putting large sums of money into education (as medical school would require), instead of current humanitarian/environmental programs.
I knew that I could not be satisfied working in the US for the majority of my time, but short mission trips are too temporary of programs to make any lasting difference. Peace Corps offered the type of lifestyle I imagine working in for at least half of every year.Before committing myself to practicing primary medicine, this personal experience would either confirm or deny the importance a good medical doctor can have amongst the large array of social problems and could it be the right fit for me.
If I'm not planning on working 2 years at a time at a location, why did I choose Peace Corps?
Peace Corps' emphasis on learning about your community before implementing any type of idea or project was key for my choosing them. I imagined that the community I was placed in (or at least the country), would probably be a future work location for me after finishing medical school. A 27 month commitment on the 'ground level' learning how serious health problems affect the average life and what obstacles exist to relive them, would be the seeds for a lifelong commitment to addressing them.
Next post: What have I been learning through my living in Moz?
No comments:
Post a Comment