My second year as a student at the University of Cincinnati has been one full of new personal and professional experiences. The most prominent of these experiences was completing my first co-op rotation in a research lab at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. This opportunity allowed me to grow in a way that improved my view of my academic and professional career and reignited my passion of pursuing a career in medicine. In the fall of 2018, I took on an extremely heavy course load at 18 credit hours with demanding courses such as Organic Chemistry, Anatomy and Physiology, and Engineering Physics. In addition to my rigorous classes, I was working at a part time job about 15-25 hours per week. The fall semester taught me how to prioritize my responsibilities. I learned that sacrificing things like fun activities with friends or going out to dinner with family were sometimes necessary in order to meet my academic goals. By the end of the semester I had felt defeated; although I earned grades I was happy with in each of my classes, I felt I had pushed the limits of what I was capable of and began doubting myself and my ability to pursue a career in medicine. By the time spring arrived I was very much looking forward to the experiential learning awaiting me in my first co-op, as opposed to another semester of class work. During my first co-op rotation I worked in the Biomedical Acoustics Laboratory in the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. Working in a research lab was a new experience for me and it took a few weeks before I fell into a routine and understood how work in the lab is accomplished. My work in the research lab taught me many things about myself and my goals for the future. While I appreciated that I got to work in a lab located in the medical school, I learned that a research career is not something I want to pursue. I found myself more interested in the hospital side of the medical school where patients, doctors, and students interacted with each other. Through some reflection, this helped me realize that a career in medicine is exactly what I want—especially the doctor-patient interaction. It is important to me to have a more hands on approach to my involvement in the medical field as this inspires a stronger work ethic within myself. I was fortunate enough to work in a research lab that conducted periodic meetings with the physicians involved in the research. This included interacting with many radiologists, which sparked an interest to pursue a career in radiology. Thinking about a career in radiology is exciting because it would perfectly connect my undergraduate course work in Biomedical Engineering and my desire to work in medicine. The realization of my interest in radiology revived my respect for future course work and has contributed to my increased dedication to learning. In the next year, one of my goals is to take more pre-med requisites, such as psychology and biochemistry, with a new excitement for learning the material and working towards a career in radiology. My second year at UC has tested me; I am extremely thankful that through enduring a demanding semester and completing my first co-op rotation I was able to look to the future and develop a stronger goal-oriented mindset.