Extending my metal chopsticks to gather a small helping of stir-fried beansprouts from

the middle of the dinner table, my grandmother asked me, in Cantonese, if I was going to follow
my aunt’s footsteps and purse a degree within the STEM field. I was thirteen-years-old [a
freshman in high school] and couldn’t bear the thought of disappointing my grandmother or the
rest of my family, so my only response was to nod my head and respond with “yes”. At the time,
I did not know what type of field my grandmother was specifically inquiring about, however, as I
declared the path that I would embark upon, a warm feeling of excitement and achievement
surged through me. Although I knew the path to be frustrating and extremely rigorous, I knew
without a doubt I couldn’t see myself pursing anything else.

Similar to the SeekPNG illustrated image, the weekly dinner at my grandparents’ home in
Sacramento, were where I bonded with my family over deliciously smelling, homecooked food and
conversation was everlasting 1

With my mind set on achieving a STEM degree, all throughout high school, I decided to
enroll in courses that would benefit and better prepare me for the STEM track in college. This is
when I was first introduced to anatomy and physiology, major components of medicine. I can
remember being in a dimly lit classroom, surrounded by formaldehyde-preserved cats in
translucent white bags and the smell of Vicks VapoRub. I was completely ecstatic upon being
handed the 10-blade scalpel for the final cat dissection. A rush of adrenaline pulsed through my
veins as I placed my hand on the scalpel and began to press the tip of the blade into the chest of
the black cat, to make the initial “Y” incision. I was deeply concentrated on applying enough
pressure to pierce the thick layer of skin, with my hands shaking out of apprehensiveness about
using the right amount of force, just enough to pierce through the first layer of skin, without
puncturing an organ that would induce bleeding. It was a unique, profounding experience which
few get to participate. Although it may sound disturbing, but being able to participate in the cat
dissection made me realize that I could not imagine myself in any other field of study or career.
 The combination of formaldehyde and Vicks VapoRub drifted through my nostrils as I reflected the
skin of the neck to reveal the strap muscles. The image was captured by myself!

With the knowledge I gained during the course of high school, I decided to pursue a
bachelor’s degree of science at the University of California, Davis to further educate myself in
the different aspects of science, especially anatomy and physiology. Unfortunately, as an
underclassman, my opportunities to study anatomy and physiology were limited by the seniority
of other students and the prerequisites required to take those courses. Senior standing students
and those who met the prerequisite requirements were given priority when it came to registration
for anatomy and physiology classes. Despite registration limitations, I remained determined to
enroll within these courses.
Fortunately, after completing my first year at UC Davis, I was offered an internship at the
Coroner’s Office, where I was introduced to a medical field that is not widely communicated
about. This is where my interest and love for anatomy and physiology flourished. During my
experience as an intern, I was able to participate in crime investigations as I attended autopsies
and crime scenes to collect evidence and property. This internship provided me with a hands-on
experience, enabling me to experience anatomy at the forefront and gain a more in-depth
understanding of anatomy. One of the unique aspects of this field that intrigued me is how the
assessment of abnormal anatomy and pathology can allow one to determine a decedent’s cause of
death.

The process of rigor mortis caused me to twist and open the closed fist of a decedent to gather
fingerprints, similar to the KasperSky illustrated image, for positive identification 2
 Although the internship provided an opportunity to acquire more knowledge, the
heartache and burden that accompanies this field of study and career is not for the faint of hearts.
Some of the cases that I was involved in were nauseatingly gruesome and became more mentally
challenging as my feelings toward the decedents (including newborns, children, the elderly, etc.)
began to get involved, and as more disturbing information was revealed. The fleeting thought of
quitting or walking away constantly crossed my mind as a result of the gruesome sights,
frustrating outcomes of cases and the despair associated with this career. However, the company
I surrounded myself with served as my support group and allowed me to relieve the stress I
experienced during my internship at the Coroner’s Office. Despite the physical and emotional
toll that this experience took on me, I did not allow the stress and the mental strain to make me
quit and persevered through my one-year term. In the end, I learned a great deal of anatomy and
physiology in ways that textbooks could never teach me and I could not be happier with my
decision to stick it out. The knowledge and insight that I gained from the doctors and coroners,
who have been in this field for decades, inspired me in ways that allowed me to see both the
medical and forensic fields in an entirely new light. Every case that I was involved in taught me
something new, including new ways to look at situations and everything involved, how to assess
seemingly minor details that could completely change the outcome of the case, and many other
insightful lessons. Everything I learned illuminated the incredible ability of forensic pathologists
to amalgamate the pieces of a puzzle (decedent history, medical records, witness statements, and
autopsy findings) and make a final ruling. Although I endured many hardships in this position, I
learned that fully engaging yourself in an experience will allow you to gain a better
understanding of a field and truly appreciate the individuals with careers in this field for their
experiences and what they endure. My experience also played a pivotal role in the career I have
decided to pursue.
Although I have gained a fair amount of knowledge of anatomy from my experience at
the Coroner’s Office and the dissections from high school, there was always more to learn. I
discovered that learning anatomy and physiology is a continuous process meaning learning is
never completed even if you are a professor. Therefore, following my second year at UC Davis, I
was given the opportunity to attend a forensic fire death investigations course in San Luis Obispo
where the focus of the course was to collaborate with individuals from different professions (i.e.
firefighters, police officers, arson investigators, detectives, forensic pathologists, etc.) to
determine the cause and manner of death of an individual discovered in a structural fire. The
course provided an in vivo scenario in which all these agencies must come together and
collaborate, gather information (each member specialized in a certain aspect of an investigation
such as: fire investigator, forensic pathologist, CSI, etc.), and decide as a single body on the
cause and manner of death. In the classroom, I was taught to understand how the thermal energy
that radiates from fire can cause a decedent to present in a pugilistic position as a result of
shortening of the flexor muscles pulling joints into contraction, heat exposed soft tissue (skin,
muscle, fat) may exhibit: splitting, blistering, and color change; and heat induced muscle
contracture can cause joint separation and dislocation. The course had given me an opportunity
to fine tune my ability to work as a team and add to the knowledge that I had gained from my
internship at the coroner’s office. Being able to participate in the investigation rather than
observing the process from the sidelines provided me with a greater understanding of anatomy.
By building this type of environment for myself, I have the mentality that keeps me motivated to
better understand anatomy.
 With my time at UC Davis coming to a close, I was finally able to enroll in anatomy - the
hardest and most intense course available. Even though I had experienced a great deal, I still did
not know all the anatomical parts of a human being. The course enabled me to get an in-depth
understanding of anatomy (muscles, nerves, and organs), similar to the anatomy course taught at
the medical school. I was able to learn from medical students and previous students that were
successful within the course. In order to succeed in this course, I discovered the best method to
study. Once the laboratory session for the course was completed for the week, I would utilize the
resources that were provided (Google image and Netter atlas) to reinforce the concepts. After
understanding a region of the body and being able to visualize and identify them in any cadaver,
I taught others which allowed me to further grasp the concepts. The discovery of this method and
success I achieved in this course motivated me and made me realize that if I could pass this
intense and difficult course, I have the potential to succeed in my pursuit of a career within
STEM.
The adversity I faced during the journey leading to my career of choice is what shaped
me into the person I am today and what brought me where I currently am. As of now, I am a
couple months away from graduating UC Davis, in the process of applying to medical school and
taking the MCAT for the very first time. I am so grateful for the experiences and knowledge that
I have acquired. Anatomy has given me an insight to a spectacular field and the courage to
pursue a childhood dream.

Similar to the WikiHow illustration, preparation for the MCAT is the very first
obstacle one must overcome in a series of tribulations to becoming a doctor 3

Reference
1. https://www.seekpng.com/ipng/u2w7i1a9i1o0r5u2_hand-drawn-cartoon-family-reunion-
decoration-vector-chinese/
2. https://pando.com/2015/03/02/qualcomms-fingerprint-scanner-is-the-only-thing-most-
consumers-will-appreciate-from-mwc/
3. https://www.wikihow.com/Prepare-for-an-Exam#/Image:Prepare-for-an-Exam-Step-3-
Version-2.jpg