The first week of ISM has allowed me to make progress in understanding my overall direction for the year. Questions such as “why”, “how”, and “what” were main topics of discussion, which helped me create personal plans and goals for the rest of the year. The question “why” is another way of asking for the purpose or motivation behind a goal. By asking “why”, the “how” and “what” of ISM were made clear this week.

 

The creation of the quote and mission statement were key steps in addressing the “why” question and setting personal goals. The process of choosing a quote was determined by what reminders would be most essential throughout the ISM process, and which quote would represent essential values. The final quote focuses on the importance of not giving up and being unafraid to fail. These are both important things to remember in the medical research field and beyond. The mission statement also focuses on the idea of not being afraid of failure, as well as the importance of innovation and hard-work. Although creating the mission statement was difficult, the process was made easier by following the “why” question. By determining why I want to enter the medical field, the “how” and “what” of ISM were answered. Why? To help people through work in the medical field. How? Innovation and resilience. What? Projects created through hard work and creativity with the intent to improve people's lives and health.

 

The other important step this week was choosing the topic of study for the rest of the year. Although this decision is not set in stone, it is extremely important as a foundation for the rest of the year’s work. Through research based around my “why”, I determined I would like to research one cardiovascular or immune disorder. These body systems are both interesting and the disorders related to these systems are usually life threatening, so any research on these systems could be useful. Further research into these systems and related disorders will be helpful in further narrowing down my topic of study.

 

These small steps have resulted in a better understanding of my purpose in ISM (my “why”), what I would like to do in ISM (my “what”), and the steps I plan to take to achieve my goals (my “how”).