OSU is a big school and often times it can seem overwhelming.  However, there are many resources available on campus to help; the First Year Success Program aims to help freshman transition from high school to college. For my freshman survey class, we had a First Year Success Series (FYSS) assignment. We were required to attend three of the FYSS programs at our discretion.

Surprisingly, I found one of these events to be very rewarding. As I mentioned in my previous artifact, I am unsure of what I want to do. I have multiple interests, but I don’t know what career I want to pursue. The FYSS program I attended was called “Find Your Career Path: Career and Major Exploration and Decision Making.”

This session focused on career exploration. While we were there, we completed a RIASEC self-report to determine what best suits our personality.  This event helped me realize that there are multiple paths that lead to the same career; also, some majors are flexible and they can lead to a variety of different careers post-graduation.

The session also reassured first me that it is ok to not know what you want to do and it is ok if you change career paths along the way. The session reiterated choosing a major doesn’t determine your career from here on out. Often times, people in certain careers don’t graduate with the major for that career.

As I mentioned above, OSU can seem like a large and overwhelming university.  However, resources such as the Office of Career Management and Career Counselling provide individual help. They offer support and aid in discovering the best career path for you.  The office of Career Management also helps students after they determine a career they would like to pursue.  One helpful resource they offer is help with resumes.  They help build and review resumes, which is something that I plan to use in the near future.

As a STEM EE Scholars student, one would think my major falls in a STEM category; however, I’m a business major in a STEM program.  Originally, I did not know how this would playout, but I’m so happy with the way it has so far.  I have a love for science, especially health sciences, but I have always torn between medicine and business. My economics class senior year pushed me more towards the business route, but I still have an interest in science.

Surprisingly, one of the STEM EE events I attended pushed me to look more in depth with what I could do for my current dilemma.  This lead me to a Pharmaceuticals Start Up event.  This was really interesting and eye opening because it appealed to my business and medicine interests.  The speakers we’re advocates of medical school explaining that it opens a lot of doors.

With this is mind, I started to think more about it and consider med school.  Coincidently there was a Medical Student Panel event coming up the following week.  I decided this would really help me out and answer any questions. The event was held Cunz Hall on September 21, 2017. There were four medical students on the panel, each with a different major and a different experience level.

This event was a game changer for me. I learned that no one takes the same path to get where they are now.  For example, one girl was and electrical engineer major and one boy was a microbiology major.  They stressed how important it is to not compare yourself to your peers. Whether it is what major you choose or when you take the MCAT, everyone learns differently and everyone eventually gets there. They explained as long as you take the prerequisites, you can apply for med school.

The electrical engineer major went on to explain that she still doesn’t know what she wants to do even as a second-year medical student. She explained that she had an interest in medicine and went for it. Her big thing was that there are always going to be two paths in life. One is going to be higher and harder. Don’t take the easy path because you might have to live with the regret of not trying.  She explained that even though medical school may be harder, in the end it will open more doors and opportunities.

After attending this panel and talking it over with my parents, I think medical school is something I want to try. I want to remain a business major and pursue a degree in either accounting or finance, but I want to take the medical school prerequisites to keep that door open.  This way I can get the best of both worlds as I try to figure out what I really want to do.