By Bianca I. Mena
Mrs. Abbas, a former Chemistry teacher, quit her job at Lane and in August enrolled as a freshman in the medical school of Marian College in Indianapolis.
“Everyone thinks I’m crazy,” Abbas said. ”I just quit and I had something really good going on for five years and I just got tenured like two years ago.”
According to Abbas, to be considered to go to medical school, one must be dedicated and patient. In most cases, one must be determined to pursue medicine, at most, two years before entering the school to complete all of the required forms and tests.
“I started [class] in August and my application was submitted June 2012,” Abbas said. “They start interviewing a year before being admitted. I was offered a spot in November of 2012.”
Despite her acceptance in November to attend medical school this past August, Abbas did not decide to take the opportunity until late last May when she finally told her colleagues and students.
“The chances of getting into medical school are very slim,” Abbas said. “Unless you have something concrete, there is no point of mentioning it. I didn’t even make a decision until late May.”
With the program that Abbas is a part of through the medical field, she has just about every year’s schedule.
“The first year I just want to concentrate on passing everything,” Abbas said. “The first two years, we are assigned a mentor where we go and visit a clinic once a month where we shadow our mentor. The third and fourth year we are in the hospital rotation. If I successfully complete [the four year program], then the school gives me a degree, but then I start the residency. [Residency] is a job where you work about 80 hours a week with very low pay.”
Abbas’ medical school plan has now become a seven year program. Along with quitting her job and starting a new life in Indianapolis, she has also left her husband behind in Chicago to pursue a dream in the medical field.
“Both people can’t quit,” Abbas said. “You are taking your whole life and you’re pulling it apart and for seven years you are going to try to put it back together.”
Despite Abbas’ husband’s absence, Abbas is still able to feel his support.
“We are at a comfort level, that even if we have to live apart, we know we will still be okay because we know that we have developed a strong relationship,” Abbas said.
When she described the people that she takes classes with, she found that she was not alone in pursuit of a medical education after leaving a steady job.
“There is one nurse and one dietitian who quit their jobs,” Abbas said. “There are many other people with MBA’s and with really good settled jobs, and they just quit to pursue a career in medicine.”
One of Abbas’ greatest inspirations to become a medical student came from volunteering at a local hospital in Chicago.
“Three years ago, I started volunteering at Skokie hospital once a week,” Abbas said. “I really liked it. I was volunteering in the ER. It was very fast paced and you needed to know a lot.”
Now, as a college student, Abbas has been adjusting to be dedicated to her school work.
“There is so much studying,” Abbas said. “My day starts exactly at eight [for class]. And then my day goes nonstop until five in the evening depending what day it is and that is just classes. Basically I have to study until my eyes shut. As soon as my eyes can’t take it anymore I fall asleep.”
After her education this term, she has made plans to come back to Chicago for the summer.
“I’m going to come back home,” Abbas said. “[Of course], if I pass everything. If not, I’ll be here making sure I get through stuff.”
