“I have to see it.”

In medical school, I learned that the fundamental practice of medicine consists of the patient interview and the physical exam. Two parts. Nice and simple. Currently, there is an issue of health disparity among the minority populations in the United States. At the end of the day, it’s in everyone’s best interest that the entire population is healthy. The disparity in educational attainment in this country is not really a pressing issue, to be honest. However, you don’t want a certain group to be sicker than another because that will lead to resentment and potentially foster a more sinister reaction (i.e. social unrest, violence, etc…). In terms of justice, health equity should absolutely come first.

Now, I’m not a physician because I left medical school; however, I think a person is defined by the path that they’ve taken and the experiences they’ve acquired. As someone who has had some medical training in his blood, I’ve adopted an “I have to see it” approach where if I’m curious about something, I need to first cast my eyes upon what it is before I can begin to understand it. This is a philosophy that I’m sure will undoubtedly stay with me for the remainder of my career as I transition into the field of architecture.