Tenacity, in my own words, is the sheer persistence and drive to continue on in spite of wanting nothing else to do but give up. I decided to pick this topic, because it relates so well with our MS in Biomedicine program. We’re all here, essentially because of our tenacity. We’ve chosen paths that will enable us to continue on in the careers we’ve set for ourselves, or start a new career in some cases. Whatever the reasons for us being here, we share the common theme of tenacity. We are uncommon among the common. We’re sacrificing time with friends, salaried jobs, and hours of our lives doing assignments. Why? Because we have something in us that won’t allow us to give up. We have drive, passion, desire. Dare I say we’d be considered a little crazy? Maybe. How do we keep that tenacity going? Read on!

My road to becoming a doctor started a long time ago. I knew what I wanted my future career to be at the age of seven. What does a seven-year-old know about what it takes to become a doctor? Don’t we all say we want to be a doctor or lawyer someday? Sure, but I learned quickly when I got to undergrad that the difference between me and the person in my organic chemistry study group emailing their advisor to switch their major, was that I refused to give in. This brings me to my first tip on how to embrace tenacity: Welcome the struggle! We’re going to find ourselves in tough situations in life where we begin to doubt our abilities. We’ll begin to convince ourselves that we can’t keep up with the workload. Do not believe this! You are here because you deserve to be here, and you are more than capable of succeeding. Welcoming the struggle tells your mind that you know it’ll get tough, but you aren’t afraid. Instead of dreading the inevitable, take it as proof that you’re still here. Tough spots allow you to thrive and really get to know yourself. You begin to find out how far you can push yourself!

Whatever background we come from, whatever circumstances we’ve overcome and continue to work through, we have been brought here together. For some, this is our second chance. For others, it is our first chance at something new. We collectively understand that this program is an intermediate between undergrad and professional schools. Learning to manage time instead of letting the time manage you is one of the most important tasks. Tip number two: Take it one week at a time and don’t think about the length of the race! Continuing to remind yourself of the years of school you have left will do nothing but discourage you from your journey. Living in the present is one of the single most powerful things you can learn to do. It allows you to be grateful for where you are now and enjoy what’s around you in the present. It also helps the time go by quicker because we’re actually paying attention in class, instead of constantly checking the clock.

My last tip has to do with teamwork. It’s imperative that we work as a group and learn to encourage and help each other out. It’s easier to stay in the race when you have other people cheering you on. Network and get to know other tenacious people. I can speak from personal experience that when I was at my lowest point, my personal group of friends kept my goal alive. We need other people to help us get through! Bouncing that type of energy back and forth between members of your cohort can work wonders. As tempting as it is to think of this program as a competition, it’s more rewarding to help others out when you see them struggling. I can see that we’re doing a good job of this already, and I’d love to see us keep this up!

To wrap this up, I want to reiterate the importance of tenacity. Tenacity is what has brought us this far, and it is what will keep us going in the future. Embracing the tough spots, learning to manage time, and cheering each other on will get us into our prospective professional schools. We have a kind of determination and drive that you don’t see every day. We are unique in our own right, just by being us. This program allows us to hone our skills and learn to think like the people we want to be someday. We make each other stronger, just by being around one another. We are, in a sense, guiding each other along to the next step. Keep going everyone!