Narasi Perjuangan - Bernadine Anastasya Ruswan

My Journey to Become a Student of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Indonesia

Hello! My name is Bernadine Anastasya Ruswan but most people call me by my nickname Tasya. I previously studied at Binus School Simprug. I am currently a student of the medical program at the University of Indonesia batch 2022, through the Talent Scouting route.

As an opening, I will explain my views on FMUI. In my opinion, FMUI is a medical faculty that is in great demand by people who aspire to become doctors and of course FMUI is the best medical faculty in Indonesia. I think people who study at FMUI are very intelligent and diligent people. Therefore, being able to study at a renowned university such as the University of Indonesia which produces many outstanding students who are knowledgeable, is a great honor because we can learn from the best minds who will help shape us into individuals who are not only beneficial for ourselves but also for others around us.

I was one of those kids who always wanted to be a doctor. When I first wanted to become a doctor, my father was an anesthesiologist. I was amazed by my father's skill in treating patients. I used to like going to the hospital just to see my dad and also to pass the time. As time goes by I want to become a doctor more and more to help people. I've always felt compelled to help others, and of all the jobs I considered, a career in medicine was the one that best suited my personality, abilities, and intelligence. I have had the honor of seeing how my father makes a difference in the lives of his patients by supporting them in ensuring their condition after surgery and when they return to normal life. I understand medicine as an act of service, which is in line with my values ​​and is a dream.

To make it happen, I have to work hard in the form of learning. Science has been the subject at school that interests me the most. The human body and understanding various diseases is an interesting topic for me. I am very determined to develop a deeper understanding of things that are common around us, like how we digest our food and how humans get sick, or small things like how atoms work. I acquire and expand scientific knowledge from several scientific papers written for science class as a project that helps deepen my understanding of a particular knowledge through the research undertaken to complete the paper. I really like things that are closely related to science. Biology is a very important subject that must be mastered to become a doctor. Since middle school, I have been diligent in studying biology. In grades 11 and 12 while on the school's IB program, I chose science-related subjects such as biology and chemistry to help build my journey to becoming a medical student.

Of course, I have always had a great interest in human biology and science in general, but the social aspects of medicine are equally important to me. Simply observing the positive effects of drugs on people everywhere has established it as a career choice for me. From reading articles about how surgery saved the life of a sick child, to personally listening to the story of a friend who had some form of sport related injury and could barely continue to exercise, he got better with the help of his amazing surgeon who suggested different methods to cure it, which had a huge impact on his recovery. Cases like these have made me believe that being a doctor and providing healthcare to people is what I really want to do.

In high school, I prepared myself by self-study and taking tutoring (bimbel). Not a day without studying became one of my routines during high school. Of course there are also certain times to play. With my efforts, I don't forget to pray because effort alone is not enough, we must also put our trust in prayer. While waiting for the announcement, I was curious and nervous about the results of the announcement. After hearing the announcement, I feel happy and of course I am also grateful that one of my dreams has come true.

My struggle to be able to study at FMUI, especially medical studies, was very hard and tiring. There were many times where I thought about giving up or changing my plans and looking for an easier option because the journey was too difficult and complicated. I became stressed many times and the pressure of failure was on my shoulders. But in those difficult times I again reminded myself of a quote that motivated me to keep going "It doesn't matter how slow you go as long as you don't stop." by Confucius. I made this quote as a reminder that giving up on a dream must be a choice even though the dream seems very far away and difficult to achieve. And from the experience of being accepted as part of this FMUI, I can learn and realize that no matter how difficult the journey, you must keep going because the final destination will be commensurate with the struggles and challenges. This is how I felt during my experience of being accepted at the medical faculty of the University of Indonesia. I was stressed, scared, and tired while working for my place at FMUI 2022. But one thing that I keep is hope. I always hope even if it's just a little, I keep that little hope to motivate me not to give up and keep going. The drive to be better and understand more has been the motivation for me to always work hard.

My academic experience has served as the basis for this passion and has prepared me to become a medical student. Biology has taught me a lot about the incredibly complex nature of the human body and initially sparked my interest in medicine. Math has helped me become more analytical and has taught me to think quickly and accurately. English and English literature have made me a better writer and have taught me how to think critically when judging any type of text. And, having enrolled in the 'Advanced' course with no prior knowledge of the subject, Chemistry has taught me how to cope with not immediately meeting my own standards in academic or nonacademic. Yes, I now know how to do stoichiometric calculations, atomic structures and how to identify periodic table trends, but the real lesson I learned from Chemistry was learning to deal with self-perceived 'failures'. I now know that doing poorly on exams or anything, for that matter is a learning experience, and I'll have to bounce back and do better next time.

In addition to academic achievement, soft skills are equally important in the medical field. One of them is leadership. Leadership is an important skill in the medical field as it contributes to professionalism to ensure success. When I was given the opportunity to lead a school organization event designed to promote mental health, it was one of the opportunities that helped me build this skill. Working directly with other volunteers fosters my collaboration skills by encouraging me to get out of my comfort zone to explore ideas and collaborate on organizing as a team. Being a group leader also motivates me to be more confident in taking charge and improve skills such as problem solving when facing obstacles.

My hope in the future is that I can become a better person than before, I can maintain and improve my good qualities while changing my bad qualities, and I can make my dreams come true. My next goal is to graduate from medical school on time, be the best doctor for my patients, continue my specialist education, and make those around me proud and happy. Then my hope for University of Indonesia, especially FMUI is that I can give my best contribution to the univeristy and faculties, I can be a proud student, and I can get a lot of good and useful knowledge that I can share and use to help positively contribute to and with the local community I’m working with. And my hope for the State of Indonesia is that in the future, I can make a proud history for Indonesia in the field that I am involved in, namely medicine. Of course my hopes and dreams will require great effort and hard work to achieve them. But I believe with dedication, hard work, motivation and patience I will be able to achieve and pass the plan that I have planned. And even when things don't go according to plan, I have to learn to adapt to the situation and take advantage of what I have and to always keep moving forward.

For my plans and overview for the next few years, what I want is that I can adapt well to the environment because being a college student is a big change that will be challenging but can be done with patience and encouragement to adapt. Another thing that I also want is to become an active learner and able to participate in all academic and non-academic activities well. I also wanted to stick to the values ​​I had learned during high school and develop them to adapt to new circumstances. I want to be able to move forward during my medical student journey without giving up and learn from failure not to repeat the same mistake twice.

Furthermore, for the future preclinical period, I plan to graduate on time and besides that I plan to become a doctor with high morals, smart and open-minded. In a sense, I will help anyone in need, because that is the noble duty of a doctor. To achieve this I have to work hard and dedicate myself to my learning and be open to learn new things which will enrich my knowledge. This can be done by me joining organizations to broaden my perspective by socializing with new people and opening up to new things. To achieve this goal I must be dedicated to work hard and have a strong motivation that will keep me going not only to achieve my goals but also as the next generation of the nation who will one day be an example for future generations.

Then while undergoing clinical studies, I will continue my studies and then I will study further to a specialist level. To do this I have to be willing to dedicate my time to more hours of study and gain further knowledge that will prepare me to become a doctor who is not only highly knowledgeable but full of passion, who will be able to help the local community.

For my hope in society, I hope that people will trust the health care system more and not be afraid of it. People must understand that health is the most important thing that humans have and therefore it must be protected as best as possible because health cannot be bought and is very valuable. People should not underestimate their well-being and understand that they must act quickly if they encounter a health condition and go to the hospital to get the medical care they need.

My hope for the next generation is to always think positive, hopeful, work hard, be dedicated and confident because these are the key steps to becoming a student of the University of Indonesia Medical Program. Dedicate your time to work hard and stay optimistic while studying to maintain good grades during high school that can be used as a foundation for later university studies. Keep a positive spirit, keep trying and work hard and be serious in achieving your dreams, goals, and ideals, and don't be afraid to fail because failure can be used as a learning opportunity to achieve better. Most importantly, you must do these things for yourself and on your own accord. You yourself must be your own motivation, because in the end we are the ones who can help ourselves. When we ourselves are dedicated and willing, I believe we can achieve anything we set our minds to. “You can. You should and if you're brave enough to start, you will.” – Stephen King