Cultural Persistence Anonymous

I was three years old when my parents chose to emigrate from China to Canada in order for my father to pursue his medical career. It was a difficult journey for my parents because of cultural and language differences and for me, as a small child, leaving the familiarity of my home and relatives. We relocated several times during my childhood and with each move I had to change schools and become acquainted with new environments and make new friends. These frequent changes in my family’s home gave me opportunities to develop the social skills necessary to adjust to new situations quickly and have made me a more resilient person.

While my father worked late into the nights preparing for his medical board exams and writing his research papers, I watched how his dedication and persistence paid off; he is now a licensed physician and a productive research scientist. I learned that dedication, determination and persistence are important aspects of commitment to one’s goals. Even thus, I am no stranger to the difficulties that lay in the path to entering such a profession.

My parents’ work has always fascinated me (both my parents are involved in medicine and medical research) and has stimulated me to become involved in many science...