A Leap of Faith

        In three days, I will most likely be on the rooftop of a downtown loft with a half empty bottle of wine by my chair, watching the sunset while drowning out the day’s events. What’s in three days you might ask? Well, to some, it is just a test. I would tend to agree with them on this point; however, this test isn’t your average run of the mill test. It is a test which has the power to determine your future at least for a year, and maybe alter the course of your future forever. This test is called the MCAT. MCAT. What does it even stand for? Medical College Acceptance Test? Mean Creation About Terror? Man Can Attack Tigers? Whatever it stands for, those four letters have been haunting me all summer.
        Now, I know you are probably thinking, “Don’t stress yourself out, man. It’s just a test. It doesn’t mean as much as you think it does.” Okay. Again you would present a valid point because a medical student applicant is more than just a number and should be evaluated based on their experiences and character traits, and of course their performance in school. But as I approach and study the process of applying to medical school and the culture surrounding it, the issue of numbers seems to dominate everything. There are grade point averages, character counts, MCAT scores, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. It’s an endless cycle of numbers. Every school has their specific set of numbers they look for when accepting an applicant. This year it appears they enjoy the numbers 3.67 and 30. Well I would like to meet Dr. 3.67 30 and see what the fuss is all about.
        If I’m going to be reduced to a number, how should I feel about that? Have I worked the past four years only to turn myself into two numbers that define whether or not I’m good enough to follow my dreams? Who determines these numbers? I imagine some individual sitting in a chair stating to a committee, “This year, I enjoy numbers greater than 3.6 and 30. Please find me individuals that fall into this category. I will then decide whether or not I should let them pursue their dreams after I examine their personality, which is only a supplement to my overall opinion of said number.” Which brings me to an even more horrifying thought: how is it that an individual has the power to alter the course of someone else's future?

       There was once a small boy running through the forest, and as he ran through the endless lines of brown and green, he felt he would live forever. Nothing could stand in his way. Suddenly the boy reached a ravine and looked over the edge. It was dark and dangerous down below and a fall would surely bring death. A figure revealed itself within the trees on the other side of the ravine and called out to the boy. The boy, confused as to why there was no crossing, asked the figure if there was some way to reach the other side. The figure looked at the boy and told him to give him a number between 1 and 50. If the number given was satisfactory, the figure would reveal the way, and allow the boy to continue his run through the trees, where he would surely live forever. The boy thought about what number to give and decided to tell the figure 25, since it was halfway between 1 and 50. Upon the boy’s reply, the figure slowly shook its head and retreated back into the forest. The boy’s number wasn’t good enough. Suddenly struck with the realization that his journey had come to an end, he began to cry. As he sat their crying, tears falling into the dark abyss below, a girl arrived at the ravine. Again the figure returned and asked the same question. The girl thought for a minute and replied the number 32. The figure reached up and quickly slung a rope over to the girl. She grabbed the rope, and as she swung across the ravine she looked at the boy crying on the edge of the ravine and shouted, “A leap into the dark is sometimes required to find the light.” And with that, she landed on the other side and disappeared into the trees, surely to continue her run and live forever.
        The boy thought about what the girl said. He looked down into the deep ravine where his tears had fallen, wondering whether he should jump in and take a leap of faith. Trusting the advice given from the girl who succeeded in crossing the ravine, the boy closed his eyes and let himself fall into the ravine. As he fell into the darkness, he could feel the wind rushing around him. He could smell stone and water, and as the light disappeared from view he gave in. Suddenly he plunged deep into a sea of black, the salt stinging his eyes as the oxygen in his body ran out with every movement. Just when he couldn’t hold his breath for any longer, he spotted a glimmer of light below. And so, he exhaled all of the air in his lungs so that he could sink faster. As he traveled deeper toward the light he began to lose consciousness. Suddenly the light disappeared and all was black. When the boy awoke, he was laying on the shore of a beach, waves crashing around him, trying to push him into the life that lay ahead, and pull him into the life he once knew. He stood up, brushing the sand from his face and knees. As he looked around, he was amazed by the tans and blues that filled his vision. It was beautiful. He began to walk on the beach before him, which slowly turned into a jog. The jog transitioned into a run, and as he ran along the beach, through the endless shades of tans and blues, he felt he would live forever.
   

      Someone may have the power to alter the course of my future, but they will never have the power to take away my dreams. As long as I trust my heart and follow the dreams within it, I will ultimately find what it is that I seek. In three days I will take the leap into a ravine of my own, but I know that no matter what happens afterwards, I will emerge with the power to continue.