2018山大日记：基础医学院MBBS留学生 Kwanele Ntaka
6月28日 星期四 晴
My adventure to China started when I was in first grade. The desire to help people and be able to make a change in a person’s life was planted by family values and from there the dream to be a doctor began. I didn’t know that it would escalate to me moving to another country to pursue this dream, especially China!
I am telling this story in my comfort zone in Jinan, listening to music and watching a beautiful Jinan sunset with familiar faces who have been with me since 2013.
When I was finishing my last year of high school, I was exposed to many career opportunities that promised a job security and a comfortable lifestyle. These career opportunities challenged my initial plan to study medicine and I finally decided to take the plunge after China offered me a chance to do what I always wanted to do from the start.
March 2013 marks the starting line of my Shandong adventure. I remember being in the airport about to board my flight to China, it felt like a dream, as though it was all in my mind. The reality of my journey only hit me when I landed in Jinan. Taking the bus with my future classmates and seeing their excited faces and confused looks as we moved around after a tiring flight. I started to panic and doubt my decision and question my calling. Was this a right thing to do? Given the money my parents would spend and the number of years I will be here studying I started to see that my journey would be a frightening but fruitful one. There was no turning back.
My nerves calmed down after meeting the friendly university staff and feeling their warm kindness even if we could not really understand a word of Mandarin! For the first few months we used hand signs and simple phrases to get around town! I remember my favorited phrase 我听不懂！
Through the years I have grown, not just physically but mentally. I have learnt skills that will carry on through into my career such as being part of an amazing team of researchers who taught me how to read published articles and formulate an acceptable paper.
I remember all my experiences, the best and the worst because through them, I have become a force to be reckoned with. My best experiences are plenty but on top of the list has to be my graduation day. I felt like a king being honored by my university dean and having my closest friends around me to celebrate our achievements.
The China chapter has come to a close and the magnificent elements that were involved made me who I am today and through that I have become a doctor. This has been an unforgettable experience that I will never forget. I will continue to lift the name of the university high as without this fine institution, I would not have achieved my dream, my calling, my identity.