SHARING GRATITUDE
With Gratitude : Reflections on an International Journey to Louisville
I had never dreamt of Africa . I have never had a farm at the foot of the Ngong Hills . That is perhaps why , when I first set foot on the African continent , I did not expect that it would have such an impact on my life . It was during my high school years in Tripoli , Libya that I decided to become a doctor .
Those words are how I began my medical school application personal statement . For me , the New Year brings a need for retrospection . That is especially true now that I am mid-career . In the last few days of the year , I find myself reminiscing on the days when I decided to become a physician
by ANNA HART , MD
and the experiences , thoughts and feelings that led to today . I decided to become a physician in high school , and during that time I lived in Tripoli , Libya . I went to Tripoli with my parents who worked for the Polish government . After reading Karen Blixen ’ s Out of Africa and Ernest Hemingway ’ s Green Hills of Africa , the African continent to me became a place of mystery , adventure and glamour . I was enamored by the notion of the desert winds bringing the fragrance of mysterious and sensual spices . Quickly , I realized that it is also a continent of vast disparities overflowing with poverty , hopelessness , despair , sickness and death . Nonetheless , this only fueled my conviction to one day return to Africa as a physician .
As a child of a Polish diplomat , I traveled around the world and called many places home . I consider myself fortunate that I was born in New York City . There were stints then back home in Warsaw , Poland , in Toronto , Canada and then in Tripoli , Libya . After I finished high school , my parents returned to Poland . My path took me back to the U . S . My American citizenship allowed me to easily return here to pursue my post-secondary education . My undergraduate time was spent at SUNY Stony Brook on Long Island , New York . Here , I was able to put myself to the test . Alone without family and friends , I realized the challenges I would have to face in pursuit of my dreams . Slowly , as I was becoming more independent , the feeling of homesickness was easier to control and overcome . I became very active in academics and in the campus community . My classes became increasingly interesting , and I felt reassured that my dreams would transform into reality . Four
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