COM Outlook Summer/Fall 2019

NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY | 27 I remembered the relationships I’d built through various volunteer and leadership positions, through shadowing physicians, and through didactic involve- ment. Those relationships helped me surge toward the finish line. If I hadn’t pursued my dream to become a physi- cian, those relationships would not have been built— and I would not trade them for the world. It’s hard. There is no doubt about that. But the journey is worth the struggle. My story is not very typical of a medical student, and that’s okay. Pursue your passions, do what you love, and never back down from the challenges you are presented. Ultimately, one thing is certain: You do not want to be at the last 15 feet of your journey, then think back later and wonder why you did not pursue your dream. I promise you can make it happen. o Rylan Holmberg is a second-year KPCOM student. Above: Rylan Holmberg (center, with beard) poses with a mix of fellow NSU students, volunteers, and physicians at the 2019 Pride Festival Health Fair held in February at Fort Lauderdale Beach. Holmberg recovers from the injuries he sustained in a 15-foot fall from an Air Force jet. Holmberg during his Air Force basic training in 2007.