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How I Decided To Become A Doctor

26 Mar 2020

Watch on YouTube

This is a YouTube video titled "How I Decided To Become A Doctor" containing a conversation recorded on March 26, 2020. The dialogue features Ask AI Mark and another speaker discussing Ask AI Mark's personal journey and reflections on deciding to become a doctor, including his solo backpacking experience and connection to Buddhist principles.

How I became a doctor was I basically grabbed my backpack, filled it up with a week's worth of food, and just walked for a week. And just really... Walked and walked. I went backpacking in the Shenandoah Valley and all by myself, and I just had this incredible spaciousness and time to really reflect and be and think and...
Do you remember the moment that it clicked in for you?
Yeah, I'm like, I really want to do something where I'm in contribution and service and, you know, actually add something to the world. And I felt like, why not? Because I wasn't pre-med at all. It was after I graduated from college. I'm like, okay, now what? I got a degree in Buddhism, so what the heck am I gonna do? That's cool, man. I'm not gonna become a monk, but the principles of Buddhism are about healing. It's really about healing the mind and healing the soul. It's all sort of connected, and it just sort of took me to like, okay, well.
Why don't I try being a doctor?
And it sort of worked out. It's been okay.
Well, you've also been able to bridge.
Those two worlds. Yeah, yeah. But it was really taking that long extended solo walking being in nature with no nothing. You know, just me and my backpack and my little camp stove.