Aadil, M.D. (Pending...)

My name is Aadil, and this is my first blog post with UIC Radio. If you're reading this because you think pre-med life is aesthetic—color coded notes, early morning study sessions, neatly organized schedules, I need you to lower your expectations immediately.

This blog is about becoming a doctor, but more honestly, it's about becoming myself while trying to become a doctor. I chose medicine because I believe in medicine in a way that feels almost spiritual. I've seen what it means when doctors listen, I've seen what happens when they don't. I'm fascinated by the way science can explain suffering, which isn't just a career but a moral commitment. But once I spent 4 hours trying to do a post lab, I briefly considered becoming a barista instead.

There is something deeply humbling about learning how little you know. Every lecture is a reminder that science is infinitely more complicated than your current understanding. It's a constant ego death that forces you to grow and ask, "is 3 hours of sleep enough long term?"

However, underneath the stress of it all, there is a clarity. I don't want medicine because it sounds impressive, but because I can't imagine doing something that doesn't ask this much of me. Yes, I would love to understand the human body, chemistry, my Calc 2 homework that I can't bring myself to get done— but I also want to understand people.

So, while I don't have a white coat or an "M.D." after my name, what I do have is curiosity, a stubborn belief that I belong in this field, and a horrific sleep schedule.