I'm gay
Ever since I can remember I have felt different. When it comes to overcoming personal adversity, I would be betraying the person I have grown to become over the past year if I answer this question in any other way than by describing how I came to accept my sexual orientation. The realization that I am gay was a gradual, confusing, and frustrating process. Societal norms and the question of how my friends and family would accept the truth was a constant source of anguish. Losing sight of who I was, I became adept at blending in.
Sexuality is such a small but all-encompassing part of our identities, and I decided if I was ever to come to terms with this part of my identity, I should do so in college with the wealth of resources on campus. I was tired of being miserable and of living a lie, and I chose my final semester of college to be the moment when I finally took charge. This turning point came after a family vacation to Vietnam, a first return to my parents’ homeland and an emotional three weeks of bonding with my parents and siblings. The shock of returning to Berkeley and starting classes jet-lagged, missing the closeness of family, and not knowing how to unleash my most guarded secret culminated in the most emotionally draining time of my life.
Working up the strength to utter the words “I’m gay” to close friends was a nerve-wracking process full of sleepless nights and endlessly waiting for the right moment. The support I received from them was overwhelming, and soon enough I learned the truth in the saying man is not an island. I found so many others that share similar insecurities, worries, frustrations, and histories, willing to lend an attentive ear and a shoulder to lean on. I came away from the process as a better, happier, and stronger person who feels ready to take on the rest of life’s challenges.
I am ready for the academic and emotional rigors of medical school. I am ready to enter the next generation of physicians culturally aware toward all patients. More compassionate toward minority concerns, I also feel better equipped to relate to all of my future patients irrespective of ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or disability, which will allow me to create a positive dynamic that will lead to better health care.
Sexuality is such a small but all-encompassing part of our identities, and I decided if I was ever to come to terms with this part of my identity, I should do so in college with the wealth of resources on campus. I was tired of being miserable and of living a lie, and I chose my final semester of college to be the moment when I finally took charge. This turning point came after a family vacation to Vietnam, a first return to my parents’ homeland and an emotional three weeks of bonding with my parents and siblings. The shock of returning to Berkeley and starting classes jet-lagged, missing the closeness of family, and not knowing how to unleash my most guarded secret culminated in the most emotionally draining time of my life.
Working up the strength to utter the words “I’m gay” to close friends was a nerve-wracking process full of sleepless nights and endlessly waiting for the right moment. The support I received from them was overwhelming, and soon enough I learned the truth in the saying man is not an island. I found so many others that share similar insecurities, worries, frustrations, and histories, willing to lend an attentive ear and a shoulder to lean on. I came away from the process as a better, happier, and stronger person who feels ready to take on the rest of life’s challenges.
I am ready for the academic and emotional rigors of medical school. I am ready to enter the next generation of physicians culturally aware toward all patients. More compassionate toward minority concerns, I also feel better equipped to relate to all of my future patients irrespective of ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or disability, which will allow me to create a positive dynamic that will lead to better health care.