| RebeccaGraham |
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| Rebecca Graham |
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 About Me |
To paint the full picture of who I am, I'll start my story in my adolescent years. At 16 I made a hefty choice to retire from competitive gymnastics due to my lengthening list of injuries and family finances, though my parents were unaware this was part of my reasoning. Gymnastics left a void, so I naturally took the strong work ethic instilled early on by my gymnastics coaches and applied it to my high school studies. I began to excel academically; however after high
school, I simply did not know what my future held. Luckily, I have been blessed with opportunities. I simultaneously pursued an undergraduate degree at UBC and an aerial skiing Olympic dream -- an
exhilarating sport mixing acrobatics and skiing. I balanced academics and athletics for three years. It was during these years that I learned what it really meant to work tirelessly towards a goal. As often is
the case with elite athletes, my time as an aerial skier was ended with an injury. I will forever be grateful for my experience as an aerial skier as my desire to travel and become a doctor blossomed during this period.
March 2007 I officially left the team and returned full time to my studies in microbiology and immunology. Inspired by my high school biology teacher, and driven by an ever-growing fascination with the minute inner workings of the immune system, I chose my degree in microbiology and immunology. Ironically, the most interesting part of my degree was when I was hospitalized for fevers of unknown origin in November 2008. I was an inquisitive patient wanting to understand the science and logic behind each test, and I was truly excited when topics from my bacterial pathogenesis or virology classes would be mentioned. My narrative played out like an episode of House, and days before Christmas I was diagnosed with Adult Onset Still's Disease. I completed my last term while taking prednisone, which was unpleasant to say the least. I struggled with my health until October 2009, which is why I chose not to apply to medical school last year. Many will look at me with pity when they learn of my health woes. But my time in and out of Canada's health care system has actually motivated, and focused me on a medical career path.
Now I'm excited to be participation with Youth Challenge International in a volunteer stint in Tanzania. I am up for the challenge and hope my time spent teaching English, computer skills and sexual health will be mutually beneficial.
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| User Joined: July 15, 2010 |
| Last Login: January 25, 2011
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 Active Rank: #25833 |
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