Dr. Marla?

I have a little news to share (that most blog-readers probably already know)... I'm going to medical school next year!!! That's right. Bring on the late nights and the pj pants. Bring on the cottage cheese and cereal dinners. Bring on the extra-curriculars and the spring breaks. I'm in for 4 more years!

Really, I feel soooo undeserving and thankful to have been given this opportunity. The premed process has been arduous, and I'd be lying if I said there weren't times I second-guessed my desired future. Some of you may remember that I became quite interested in studying clinical engineering as an alternative career choice after serving as a biomedical technician on the Africa Mercy. But these days I'm feeling confident about my decision to go to med school in the fall. I had been thinking and praying about med school and clinical engineering a lot over the last few months, and it seems that both are options that would allow me to glorify God (top priority), and I think I would really enjoy both (also very important). A downside of clinical engineering is that it doesn't quite offer the patient interaction that medicine does. When I first got back from the Africa Mercy I really just wanted to get back to the international missions field asap, because it was so clear in my mind how much need there is, and clinical engineering was appealing because it would allow me to get back to the field sooner. But now that I'm 3 months removed from the post-ship buzz, in the long run I don't mind that I'll be in training for 4-7 more years before I can really throw myself out there. I figure that in our fallen, pre-second coming world, the need will always be there. I've also realized over the last few months that I really miss school! In Jan/Feb I took an engineering class at a near-by community college (had to withdraw from the class once I started working again), and I loved it. I'm really excited about being in classes again. Please remind me how much I love school when I'm studying for my boards and ready to pull my hair out.

OH, and I almost forgot to share where I'll be going: The University of Arizona!!!! This has been my top choice for several years now, so I'm tickled. The school colors are red and blue, which conveniently correspond to the colors of my alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania.
GO WILDCATS!