Personal Statement

 By Wajiha Khan

I was four when I got my first pair of spectacles. They were a curious entity: glistening, circular lenses set into amber brown horn rimmed frames. However, wearing them wasn’t as uncomfortable as the negative attention it drew in from my peers. My glasses were snatched away and I was drilled on whether I could make out the two fingers they were holding up. Needless to say, I despised wearing them.. Every week I brought them home, broken or scratched . Yet there was a certain thrill in seeing those glasses fragmented and getting rid of them if only for a day for the next day I would be handed a repaired or a new pair.Nonetheless, it was my weak eyesight that led me to frequently visit the eye clinic. The peaceful and comforting ambiance, customary chatter with the Ophthalmologist and the enthralling instruments and apparatuses that lined his office, drew me in butterfly to a flower. The urge to do an in-depth inspection was overwhelming but I had neither the courage nor the time during my trip to the dimly shaded but fascinating room. But what I most looked forward to was the exhilarating feeling of my name being called out by the receptionist and the neon red inscription of my name on the wall, in the far corner of the room.Thus, I looked forward to my monthly visits to the clinic. Though they came to a halt once I recovered my eye sight completely, which taught me that medicine is a field where miracles indeed do occur.

From then on, sciences have held a major interest for me. Not only are they eye opening they give way to ceaseless possibilities. Imagine what avant-garde breakthroughs and innovations could be made with the endless knowledge of science .Recovering my eyesight, a feat near impossible had proper precautions not been taken at the right time, gave me new confidence and a drive to dig into the wonders of science. Weaving through internships at AKU and SIUT, I saw how a listening ear and comforting word alone can heal the hearts of the patients and strengthen their will to recover. People came from far away and rural areas to look for cure. Their suffering made them look haggard and their eyes were daunted with the prospects of a dark future but with each step of progress in their health, it was all soon replaced by rosy cheeks, light-hearted chatter and bright smiles. As those who were once incapable of movement without a stretcher hobbled into the room, they would cheerily boast to me of their improvement.

These experiences have nurtured me so that now I can proudly say I am capable of working, coping and communicating in different environments. Yet if there ever is a moment of self-doubt, I just have to pop open the last drawer of my old cupboard and run my fingers through the cracks in the glass of the spectacles that I had broken once. Then with a clearer vision, I can turn to tackle the obstacles that lie in the way of my quest for knowledge.