When you attempt the “impossible” task, your desires will inevitably be tested. Your motivation will be tested. And many times during the test to reach the “impossible”, you will find yourself questioning the very original ideas and ideals that started you on the quest. When this occurs, the test to succeed can actually lead into another test of your reasoning and ability. In pursuing education, we take so many tests! Yet, unlike manmade tests, using educational and random guessing techniques will not lead you through to the right answer when it comes to answering questions about life. You will be unable to look throughout a test booklet in an attempt to get an idea of how many questions left you have ahead to answer and how difficult they may be. You may try hard to figure it out, to rationalize. But, in all your contemplating of this “impossible” task, you will surely fail with your own reasoning. Even without knowing the trials you are destined to face, you just have to go through. In taking manmade tests, some people favor the 50:50 ratio given with True or False test questions over the one-fourth ratio of multiple-choice questions. Not me! True or False test questions in my opinion seem so binding and limiting, much like the tests we go through to reach the “impossible” task. In this test, I find the choice is either, [A] to go forward all the way, or [B] to do nothing. It can be a difficult decision, but no one is exempt from the test of tenacity.

When this “impossible” task is finally accomplished and you begin to get congratulations from all those who supported you and also from those who initially doubted you, the path you took can seem to onlookers as a straightforward one. I received a wonderful compliment from a dear friend, also a physician, who knew some of my trials. She mentioned to me how I made it seem so mistakenly easy and that others seeking to follow will surely fail without a co-existing determination. If you happen to be one of these onlookers, admiring the success of others, don’t be fooled into following a path, taking a similar test, just because you know someone who succeeded or passed. Maybe there is a different course or test for you to take. As unlike the man-made tests we take in school which are designated and standard, the test to reach the “impossible” is one that you select. Whether you fail or succeed is also entirely up to you….

…..When you are frustrated because of tests, you can easily pull your hair out until you have nothing left in it but damaged, split ends! This is exactly how I felt about the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). I took this test more than once because I believed that if at first you do not pass the test, retake it. But, even after the last time of my taking it, after I thought I had given it my best, I still hated my scores! I was devastated and thought, “What more can I do?” After all, most medical schools use numbers as a screening tool in their selection process, not offering an interview unless you make a certain percentage. I just didn’t think my scores were enough. One of my Program Advisors at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine told me he didn’t think I was a good enough candidate as well. Anyone, especially a minority, attempting to become “a first in their family” for anything will undoubtedly face difficulties. When people and Satan say, “That’s an awesome task before you and you’ll never do that”, you must stay firm, knowing that God will protect you. If you don’t believe in God, you might wanna consider giving him a try. But either way, some things are inevitably going to occur that you must go through. Once I received my scores and after I tuned out the opinions of others, I had to get the nerve to reapply even with those “bad” scores. Ms. Saundra Kirk, of UCSD SOM, helped me to realize that in spite of my average scores, if it was God’s will and if I didn’t give up, I would reach my goal. So when it seems like your best isn’t enough, stand tough. If you’ve given it your all once, give your all once again. Use what you have without relying on what you have. You may fail a test, but God never does. He has the resources. He can open doors that your own intellect can’t even imagine to knock on! So, if you don’t perform well on manmade tests, you must continue to improve on them. Even though it’s hard, if you can get the strength to endure you will inevitably obtain just the right score to have done great on God’s test…a test of faith…

…I cried tears of joy the day I finally received that first thick envelope from my mailbox that said I was selected for an interview. I asked God to forgive me, for I had placed my faith in the wrong places, in my own abilities and inabilities. I had answered the wrong answer to the “faith question”. Because truth is, faith does not face facts. God doesn’t face facts. I believe God took me through it so that I wouldn’t think my own intellect did it. Even if I had aced the MCATs, there’s no guarantee I’d be the physician or even more so, I would not be the person I am today. I am not saying to give it all to God as you must prepare to do your part. But, your self-effort can never equal God’s effort. Even if you have been rewarded for things gained from your self-effort, the reward is not as lasting as God’s reward and does not in any way equate to His best for you. Your self-effort has a limitation that you become satisfied with. With God, those same limitations can be exceeded. If you can just develop hope and patience during the test, you’ll notice him make intercessions for you despite your ‘have-nots’…