An Immigrant's Journey to Medicine

My name is Abdullah Ghali and I am a first year Medical Student at The University of Texas Health Center, located in San Antonio, Texas. In 2014, I moved to the United States from Jordan to pursue an education in medicine. In 2018, I graduated from Baylor University with a Bachelor's of Science in Biology.Upon examining the literature, I realized there was a lack of personal memoirs of immigrants coming to study in the United States. Therefore, I decided to write this book in the hope...
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My name is Abdullah Ghali and I am a first year Medical Student at The University of Texas Health Center, located in San Antonio, Texas. In 2014, I moved to the United States from Jordan to pursue an education in medicine. In 2018, I graduated from Baylor University with a Bachelor's of Science in Biology.Upon examining the literature, I realized there was a lack of personal memoirs of immigrants coming to study in the United States. Therefore, I decided to write this book in the hope of giving detailed accounts of what it felt like studying as an immigrant. With the constant discussion of immigration in the United States, I realized how valuable personal reflections would be. While in some parts it may seem that I am constantly criticizing my experience, these insights are by no means about me degrading my experience here in the United States. I absolutely love every part of my development not only in terms of academics but also in my character. I cherish every single struggle and moment that has allowed me to become where I am today. While I am currently a medical student and would love to help anyone by providing insight to gain an acceptance to a United States medical school, this book does not go about the exact methodology of how I did so. It is meant for any person to be able to pick up and read. The language is very simple; however, I attempted to detail my experiences as much as possible. The main goal is to allow the reader to live through the experiences.I did add my essays at the end of the book, however, for those who bought this book with the hope of getting any insight on the mindset of undergraduate student wanting to go to medical school. I added my personal statement as well as detailed experiences of my volunteering, organizational experiences and some awards I won along the way. For those who are interested in pursuing an education in medicine, I would like to congratulate on you choosing, what I believe, the most rewarding and vital profession existent. If I could offer two quotes that have been the recurring themes in my journey, I would choose these: "Knowledge is to know tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is to know not to put it in a fruit salad" Miles Kington"However, to save a life would be as great a virtue as to save all of mankind. "- Quran 5:32While this may be a cliche, it is very important to know why you are wanting to become a doctor. That reason has to be strong enough to get you through the endless nights of hard work that this journey at times will demand. I find it very rewarding to listen to other people's reasons as it inspires me and allows me to develop mine. The path to medical school is a very unconventional road for international students as most people will finish their medical education overseas and then do their residency in the US. In my opinion, I would highly recommend going through the longer and more strenuous process of gaining an acceptance at a United States medical school after pursuing a United States bachelor's degree because there is an overall uplifting and maturing process that the medical system instills in its candidates that I find very unique. The venue to reach out to the stars, pursue high reaches in terms of expanding on one's knowledge and following one's passion is very highly encouraged in the United States. The diversity not only in the patient population but also within the colleagues you will develop will enrich your experience still further. I would like to thank Naser Ghali, Lara Ghali, Mohammed Ghali, Wafaa Al-Hindi, Qayss Al-Sayyad, Kathryn Harrington and Nick Logan, as well as many of my other friends and family, for their contributions to my medical journey.