Have you ever had a good thing come out of a situation that only seemed bad? In high school, I always envisioned my university career as follows: I would complete my 4 year undergraduate degree and then attend medical school to become a doctor. In reality, my rheumatic disorder and related illnesses lead to a very different path to medicine. Although at the time, I was upset and discouraged by the limitations of my illness, the results of my unique path have been better than I have ever imagined. I have been able to harness my lived experience and story to become a successful MD/PhD student.
When I was almost 12 years old, I became sick with an undiagnosed illness. I had unexplained fatigue, joint pain and gastrointestinal symptoms. I went to several doctors, none of whom knew what was wrong with me. These symptoms persisted for several years and caused significant disruption to teenage and young adult years. I didn’t receive a formal diagnosis of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) until I was 24. After this diagnosis, I was subsequently diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), a debilitating comorbidity that impacts up to 50% of people living with EDS.
Being a teenager and young adult with an undiagnosed rheumatological condition significantly impacted my confidence. I experienced an extreme diagnostic delay of 12 years. I could not graduate from high school with my friends and peers and was forced to withdraw from university several times. I questioned my abilities and whether I was smart enough to be in university. At times I thought it would never be possible for me to be a doctor. Despite many setbacks and challenges, however, living with a chronic illness has had some silver linings. I chose to take my knowledge and lived experience of having a rheumatic disorder and embark on research into my condition. I am currently an MD/PhD student at the University of Calgary, and my research focuses on POTS and EDS.
One of the skills that I learned during my education is how to take your personal experiences and turn them into strengths.. For example, in scholarship applications. Initially, I was very hesitant to even acknowledge that I had an illness because I thought I would immediately be moved to the bottom of the list. What happened, though was acknowledging and embracing my illness opened doors I did not think were possible. Although I thought my illness would only be a disadvantage, it was actually a strength. I was uniquely positioned to have lived experience in the condition that I studied, and this helped to strengthen my research and build connections with participants during the research process. My passion for this research topic and my lived experience comes across in my scholarship applications and has become a strength.
If you are preparing scholarship applications (or applications in general), I would offer the following advice based on my experiences:
Embrace who you are and your challenges, live experiences and successes. These make you who you are and the passion you have will shine through in your applications.
Consider unique skills and personal characteristics you have developed from living with a chronic illness. My experiences have helped to make me organized, determined, an advocate, and flexible to unexpected change. These skills are all advantageous as you embark into a university career.
Think about opportunities or experiences you may not have had if you were not living with a rheumatic disorder. For me, I would not have followed this career path if I had not personally experienced illness. My shared experience with research participants in our lab helps to create a connection that facilitates the research process. This is something I often highlight in my applications.
Reflect upon your development as a person and what you have gained from each experience, such as volunteering, employment, arts or sports. A general tip is to think about what you learned from each experience and not just what you did. What skills did you develop or knowledge did you gain through each of your experiences?
If you are looking at scholarships, make sure to check out the Take a Pain Check Young Scholars Program. This program captures these ideas through an innovative program to recognize and showcase the achievements of young people living with rheumatic disorders. As a recipient of the 2024 STEM Without Limits Scholarship from the Take a Pain Check Foundation, I know firsthand the meaning of a dedicated scholarship program such as this. If you are thinking about applying for a scholarship, go for it!
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