Throughout my childhood, I always asked my father to tell me the story of his escape from Vietnam with thirty of his family members on a fishing boat. He always concluded by saying, “always give back to those less fortunate than you.” At that moment, I didn’t take his words to heart because I did not understand my father’s humble beginnings or the struggles my family faced during the Vietnam War. In time, I began to comprehend my father’s words when I began to volunteer at a hospital and work with underserved populations. For this reason, I considered a career as a medical professional. Ultimately, it was not until I was able to relate to other suffering of others when I truly developed a sense of duty to help underserved populations.
My first genuine encounter with the power of medicine occurred when
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I joined Best Buddies to help end the oppression of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Jason, a student enrolled in Best Buddies, had few words to say and was hesitant to participating in an arts and craft activity. I persistently tried to break him out of his shell. When I discovered that he loved to play basketball, I facilitated a game between other volunteers and students. By the end of the day, Jason’s personality broke through. He was laughing, smiling, and was already talking about looking forward to the next week. Even though my time with Jason was enjoyable, I learned the struggles that people with intellectual disabilities face every day. I observed that when Jason was quiet, he would try to call people on his phone. He yearned to express himself, but many times the person who he was calling would not pick up. Eventually, I started picking up his phone calls because I had a commitment to Jason. I believed that through our friendship, I was empowering him to live a happier