Dylan G.

Photography by Emma Kraus

If you’re reading this, it must be quite tough for you right now, and wow, I know how that feels. 

To feel like you are surrounded by so much pressure that you feel you might crack at any second of the day, being ripped apart by all the different options and paths facing your future, and feeling your only option is to give up. 

I felt that exact same way during my undergraduate years at the University of Michigan. While being a pre-med student, I always felt as though something was missing; that something was theatre. I spent my entire childhood life in the spotlight. Spending many hours in voice lessons, auditions, and rehearsals, my life was spent on the stage in full view of all the spectators in the 500-person auditorium. When I got to undergrad, I knew medicine was my future, and I had to say goodbye to theatre. As time went on, I began to crack under the pressure. The academic rigor and the dreaded MCAT made me question if I was cut out for medical school. 

My junior year in undergrad, I had unused course credits and so I decided on a whim to add Acting 101 to my schedule for non-theatre majors. To this day, it was one of, if not the best, decision I made in undergrad. I felt connected again, as though what I had lost for only 3 years had suddenly come flooding back into my life. 

I felt that ability to take a couple hours out of my day to just be someone else, even if it was just pretend. I was able to escape the pressure of my other life, which allowed me to breathe and feel full again. After this, I decided to apply for a dual degree program in Biochemistry and Theatre Arts, allowing me to take 5 years of undergrad as a pseudo-theatre gap year. It was rejuvenating. 

When I decided that it was ok to allow the time and space to do the other things I love, I felt healthier, and happier. My scores academically increased, and I made a huge jump on my MCAT retake. I felt more confident, more joy, more like myself again. I no longer doubted my ability to succeed in the medical career.. I knew I was going to be able to tackle the rigor of medical school and the process of applying, and here I am today, SLAYING the game. 

All this goes to say that limiting yourself to one bubble, even if you have other interests, can drastically impact you and your mental health. You don’t have to say goodbye to anything just because you chose to focus your life on something else. Now, this is my experience and maybe it won’t be yours. However, if you feel anything like I did back then–mental health in shatters and confused about most certainly everything– remember to take a breath, think, try adding something new or old, or something you just love, and see where you come out on the other side.

Dylan G., Boston University

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