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You Had Me At New York!
Submitted by: Gunjan U.
New York City, USAA doctor, a dreamer, a believer and oh yes, a soulful human.
Just a heads up! This is going to be a long one. Firstly I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to Rhonda Byrne and all the teachers in The Secret. I have read all your books and they have become a way of life for me now. Every book has taught me something that has reshaped my thinking and my life itself. Thank you so much!
I have known and used the law of attraction for ten years now and I have attracted so many amazing things, people and circumstances both knowingly and unknowingly. But this one is the best, the kind of thing that leaves you flabbergasted and awestruck!
It all began with a thought I had when I was 12 years old. Someone asked me what I wanted to do when I grew up and I said I wanted to be a doctor and I wanted to live in the USA. This has been a blessing for me as I have always been clear about what I want in life, no doubts, no second guesses. So I went to med school and became a doctor in India. Now came the part of going to the US. You have to take the United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE) to get into a residency training program in the US. Step 1 is 8 hours long, step 2 is 9 hours long and there is another practical exam to take, after which you can apply for residency. While in med school, I talked to a lot of people and almost everyone told me that it is going to be extremely difficult to get in because not only are the exams arduous and grueling, even the application and interview process is tough. Thanks to the book, Hero, I took that energy from the naysayers and used it to deepen my conviction in my dream. Of course, I also met so many angels who helped me throughout the process.
To gain some clinical experience in the US, I applied for clinical rotations and one of my seniors had told me about this hospital that would readily accept foreign students for rotations at that time. I applied over there and used the law of attraction to get accepted, and of course, I got in! I knew that my rotation was in New York City but I didn’t feel the weight of it till I got accepted. It was part of a big hospital network and right in the middle of Manhattan, too!
I came to NYC and on the first day itself, my sister and I went to all the go-to places like Central Park, Rockefeller Center and Times Square. This was on December 30 so the throng on the streets was unbelievable! It was also snowing very lightly, not reaching the ground and it was my first time to experience snow. I was like a kid that day, just feeling the flurries and dancing while walking on the streets! I was super jetlagged and yet all I could feel was this overwhelming love and excitement. Maybe the lack of sleep had something to do with it after all. And thus began an incredible romance of my life!
During that first month, I learned a lot about myself, both professionally and personally. I loved to learn in my hospital and explore the city. My fellow told me that I had seen more of NY in less than a month than she had in 2 years. All the magic of this city was in the streets and I had never felt more alive, powerful and myself before. Seeing the busy, hectic life that New Yorkers have, I was not sure if this would be my final destination but my love for this city made me wonder just how it would feel to live here and be a part of it.
After that first beautiful month, I went back to India and embarked on a long journey of 2 years which included ridiculously long study hours and two monstrous exams. Then I came to the US to take the practical exam and do some clinical rotations. During this whole time, so many people told me that this seems like such a struggle and a never ending process but to me it was a voyage of growth and self discovery. Through the LOA and relentless practice of gratitude, I attracted everything that I needed during every step of the way. Sometimes I did not even know that I needed it until it came my way! I feel like I am the child of the Universe and it just puts whatever I need in my path like it is saying, “Here you go kiddo!”
After the entire application process and yet another exam, I finally got two interviews, and of course, one of them was from a program in NYC! The interview itself went so smoothly and the assistant program director who interviewed me was really impressed with me. Two months later, on match day, I came to know that I matched, which was a big deal in itself! Then four days later I came to know that I matched in NYC! I did not want that day to end, it was the day when you realize your dream has come true, and so gracefully too!
Hold your horses, I though. This was not the end of the journey. I matched right when the Covid 19 pandemic started. So there was a lot to be done before I could reach NYC and start my training, most significantly I had to get my work visa. There was so much uncertainty during those two to three months and there were absolutely those moments of doubt that would make me wonder if I would be able to start my residency this year. But in those moments, sometimes just my awareness of those thoughts and sometimes talking to my best friend, would help me shift my focus and invoke my faith. My absolute, undying faith in the Universe reassured me and gave me peace of mind.
Finally, through all the obstacles, the Universe came through for me and everything that happened has been nothing short of a miracle! My visa got approved on time, the US embassy in India reopened right after that, I got my visa appointment in the emergency slot and got my passport stamped and I got a ticket on the exact flight I wanted in an evacuation flight when so many people could not get any flights at all! Every step was just magical!
Here I am today, sitting in my apartment in the Bronx, New York City, on a Sunday, resting up before my night shift starts tomorrow and every cell of my body is beaming with gratitude as I am writing this story! I have been here for less than two weeks and it already feels like home to me! It all started with a thought of wonder. I had no idea how I was going to achieve this incredible feat but then again the “how” is the domain of the Universe! My passion for medicine and my love for this city was all the fuel I needed in the creative process.
To anyone who wants to manifest their desires, if you can just practice gratitude and have faith in the Universe or any higher power that you believe in, you will have everything you want and you will be in awe of life! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Here is some magic dust for all of you!