Help with a PreMed major?

Help! I need some advice about my life...?

• I am currently a junior at the University of Washington. It's a long story but in a nutshell....I am 21 and have been diagnosed with PTSD and depression. When I was 16, something happened in my family and so my parents sent me to live with my godfather and his family. I stayed there for 21 days where I can brutally beaten and raped. I feared for my life. He constantly threatened to hurt my family so being the naiive 16 year old that I was, I listened and didn't tell anyone. My home life was bad at the time. No one understood what I was going through and I started to distance myself from my loved ones. I went on like this for four years. I tried my best to forget and used schoolwork to distract myself. I got myself into college and thought that by ignoring everything that I'd be okay. I was wrong. During my second year of college, I saw my godsister on campus. She was accepted into UW as well. I had a panic attack and memories flooded back to me. This was when my life began to fall apart. I couldn't get myself to focus in that class so I ended up skipping class. I began to distance myself even further from people and eventually got to the point where I felt like suicide was my only option. I was then admitted into a psych ward, where I was also diagnosed with thyroid disease in addition to chronic PTSD and depression. There a doctor shared with me her own personal story. It really inspired me and at that point I didn't feel so alone anymore. I decided to pick up my life and to dedicate the rest of my life to helping other people just like me. I wanted to be just like that doctor and to use my own personal story to help change someone else's life. Prior to this I was studying nursing and was planning to double major in linguistics. I had finished all my prereqs and was ready to apply. I took almost year off to fous on my health but then returned to school this past autumn. I took prereqs for psychology and med school. I just was admitted to the major and am now completing the major requirements. I'm also finishing up the last quarter of general chemistry. I got a 3.8 fall quarter and winter quarter. My family life has also gotten a lot better now that they finally understand all that I've been going through. The problem is however, I can't help but worry. PTSD and depression is bad enough but throwing school into the mix seems almost impossible sometimes. All my friends are going to graduate next year and I just feel so behind. I'm not going to be able to apply right after graduation. Sometimes, I feel like I've wasted my life. I try to think positive and think about why I am doing all of this but lately even that seems to be hard to do. I haven't been sleeping well partly because I am worrying all the time. I have a 3.65 GPA and am currently volunteering at a hospital. I also tutor elementary school students and have been involved in some clubs. I still feel like its not enough though. Is there any advice you guys can give me? Am I crazy for wanting to start premed my junior year? Has anyone gone through what I've been through? Any inspirational stories? P.S. please keep any rude and negative comments off this. I am really just looking for some sincere and genuine advice.

• Answer:

  Though, im probably too young to answer the college qeustions. I think that what you have over come in your life is amazing. I personally have had challenges with abuse,loosing my home and bullying.Eventually at school i stopped trying. I had to retake a ton of classes because i purposefully failed them. I am behind and it used to bother me but i know i wouldnt had been able to pull through in the first place. Whenever you feel like you've wasted your time,remember if you hadnt taken the time if the events that had undergone hadnt happen,you wouldnt be where you were today. You are helping people and helping yourself. Dont regret what you have done because there isnt any changing the past,its over and done. Even if you are a tad behind everyone gets to where they need to be somehow or another. I think that you should wait for pre-med you have your whole life. Why rush yourself. I think your are doing plenty. I hope anything i said helps,even if im just some random sixteen year old girl :)