September 1, 2024

Summary

Aala, a second-year premed student at ISU with a passion for women's health, shares her journey. Born in Portland, Oregon, to a Thai immigrant family, she turned to academia as a coping mechanism after losing most of her family. Her grandmother's support for her studies has made her feel close to her even after her passing. Aala's love for medicine is matched by her affection for her pets, her hobbies like sewing, and her stress-relief through music from Amy Winehouse and The Cranberries. She also discusses her competitive swimming career and her current work as a pharmacy technician, which she sees as a stepping stone in her healthcare career.

Takeaways

• 🌐 Aala's family immigrated to America from Thailand in 2001, and she was born in Portland, Oregon in 2005.
• 📚 Aala started studying at Idaho State University (ISU), focusing on pre-med studies within the College of Health.
• 🏥 She aspires to work in either Obstetrics and Gynecology or emergency medicine, with a strong interest in women's health research.
• 🏡 Aala's academic pursuits have been a source of solace during her family's hardships, including the passing of most of her family members.
• 🐾 Her pets, a cat named Otter and a dog named Grizzly, whom she rescued, are considered her closest family members due to language barriers within her family.
• 🎵 Aala enjoys listening to Amy Winehouse and The Cranberries as a means of stress relief and finds their music very meaningful.
• 🏊 She has a competitive swimming background, having swum for 16 years, but ended her swimming career at 19 to focus on her studies.
• 👕 In her free time, Aala enjoys sewing sleepwear and dresses, which helps alleviate stress during school and heavy workloads.
• 💼 Aala works as a pharmacy technician, a position she achieved after six years of waitressing and is licensed at both state and national levels.
• 🎓 She plans to use her pharmacy technician experience to gain insight into healthcare operations and as a stepping stone for future healthcare careers.

Q & A

What is the significance of the phrase 'one child one pen and one book can change the world' to the speaker?

This phrase is an excerpt from the speaker's favorite book and likely represents the belief that education and individual effort can have a profound impact on the world.

Why did the speaker's family immigrate to America?

The script does not explicitly state the reason for the family's immigration to America, but it is mentioned that they moved from Thailand in 2001.

How has the loss of family members influenced the speaker's life and studies?

The speaker has experienced the passing of most of their family in recent years, which has led them to find solace and a sense of connection in their academic pursuits, particularly in the field of medicine.

What is the speaker's academic status at ISU?

The speaker is a second-year pre-med student and a junior at ISU, with a focus on women's health and the intention to work in either Obstetrics and Gynecology or emergency medicine.

Why is women's health research important to the speaker?

The speaker advocates for more female representation in medicine and considers women's health research to be extremely important, although the specific reasons are not detailed in the script.

How do the speaker's pets, Otter and Grizzly, contribute to their life?

The speaker considers their cat Otter and dog Grizzly to be their closest family members due to language barriers within their human family, providing emotional support and a sense of belonging.

What are the speaker's hobbies outside of their medical studies?

The speaker enjoys watching the H3 podcast, sewing sleepwear and dresses, and listening to music by Amy Winehouse and The Cranberries as a means to alleviate stress.

How long did the speaker competitively swim and what impact did it have on them?

The speaker competitively swam for 16 years and was a keen swimmer. However, they ended their swimming career at the age of 19 due to the focus required for their schooling.

What is the speaker's current profession and how does it relate to their healthcare aspirations?

The speaker is a licensed pharmacy technician, a position they achieved after six years of waitressing. They are proud of their job and plan to use their technical degree to gain a footing in healthcare and insight into general healthcare operations.

How does the speaker plan to use their pharmacy technician experience for their future in healthcare?

The speaker intends to use their experience as a pharmacy technician to gain insight into healthcare operations and to work fewer hours compared to physician shadowing, allowing them to balance work with their studies.

What is the speaker's ultimate goal in sharing their personality with the class?

The speaker aims to learn more about themselves throughout the semester and to also learn more about their classmates, indicating a desire for personal growth and connection with others.