The Cadaver

I could feel the nerves run up and down my body while butterflies danced in my stomach.

Or maybe it was the coffee I drank earlier that made me anxious for what was going to come up.

I watched as my teacher rolled out a long mass shielded by multiple sheets.

The first layer he had to unfold only revealed more pieces underneath.

And one by one we got closer to the object of matter.

When it was the final layer I leaned over to get a better look at her.

It was the red polish on her nails that made me remember I was looking at an actual person who was once walking, talking, and breathing just like me.

That day led to me to my career path.

It wasn’t the knowledge or the pay that hooked me on medicine.

It was being present in all the possibilities to better life.

It was the science behind how we work and interact.

It was being able to physically help people and to see the results.

The day I went to the cadaver lab was the day I knew that I was going to become a doctor.