Although my main passion is architecture, I have always had another
inclination to help people and have thought about a career in the medical feld. In order to explore this feld urther, I chose to step out o my comort !one and volunteer at a hospital. "ltimately, my experience volunteering at the hospital has confrmed or me that my passion lies with architecture# however, I was able to gain a greater appreciation or what medical proessionals encounter on a daily basis and had the opportunity to ma$e connections with proessionals that will help me in my uture pursuits. In order to explore a career in the medical feld, I spo$e to my teacher to in%uire about community resources and volunteer opportunities. She recommended that I register or a volunteer orientation at Scripps &emorial 'ospital near my house in (a )olla. Ater applying or the orientation, I was contacted by hospital sta* to register or a two day training. Alter training, I had the opportunity to select the volunteer experience in which I was must interested in participating. +he choices ranged rom ma$ing prescription runs ur nurses, visiting with elderly patients, assisting visitors with hospital directions, and wor$ing in the ,perating Room I elt that i I was going to really get a hands on experience o what it was li$e to be a physician at the hospital, I would have to volunteer in the ,perating Room I was really luc$y because they only had one position let and I signed up immediately. +he frst day I wal$ed into the ,R was the most cra!y, antastic, wonderul day. It was such a small area, there were only -. rooms and yet I got lost or the frst two days I volunteered. I met so many new and $ind people. +he best part was that I got to be in the room watching surgeries. I had the opportunity to watch heart, eye, bone, brain, and general surgeries. +he opportunity to watch surgeries gave me a greater understanding o the s$ill involved in becoming a surgeon. I eel that had I volunteered elsewhere in the hospital, I would not have had the opportunity to really see what it was li$e to wor$ with patients. ,verall, my experience in the ,R gave n a greater perspective o what it is li$e to wor$ in the medical feld. I had the opportunity to net proessionals who could give me a hands/ on view on what this career is all about. +hrough this experience, I was able to confrm that architecture is where my passion lies and I can pursue this career with greater confdence.