The Doctor I Dreamt to Be, and the Doors That Closed

 The Doctor I Dreamt to Be, and the Doors That Closed

When I was a 6-year-old child, I dreamt of becoming a doctor. I didn’t think about barriers or rules back then, I just held onto that simple dream with all my heart.

Years later, when I was in 12th standard, it was time to make real decisions about courses and college admissions. Medicine was still the only word my heart held on to. I pictured myself in a white coat, holding a stethoscope, serving people, and breaking barriers.

But one day, when I spoke about pursuing MBBS, the words that came back to me crushed something inside:

“People with a problem above the hip aren’t allowed to study medicine or become doctors.”

It was said so firmly, as if it were a law of nature. Hearing that, I felt the words “you can’t” echo in my heart.
I can still recall that moment my dream breaking, falling apart right in front of me. I walked out with a forced smile, but inside, I was in pieces.

That day, I had to let go. Not because I wanted to, but because the door was shut before I could even knock. I chose another plan, another path, another dream. But a small ache has always stayed with me the “what if.”

Just recently, I came across a post by Cochlear about CIGICON at Cochin, celebrating cochlear implantees who are now pursuing MBBS and BDS.

For a long time, I just stared at that post.
Here they are young doctors walking the very path I once longed for.

A part of me felt pain, a quiet ache that whispered, “That could have been you.”
Another part of me felt pride, joy, and hope because if they can, maybe one day the world will not shut its doors so easily. 

 

Dreams are strange. Sometimes, they don’t die, they just wait for new dreamers to carry them forward. And as I watch these students walk into hospitals and lecture halls with confidence, I feel that maybe my broken dream is still alive, just living in someone else’s story.

And if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it is this:
When someone tells you “you can’t do this” or “you don’t belong here,” don’t let their words decide your life. Listen instead to your heart, your courage, and your hope. 💫

Because the world changes not when people say “you can’t,” but when you dare to say, “I will.”

💭 What’s a dream you were once told you couldn’t pursue?


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