By: Mohammed Hammoud
Many of us are confronted with hopeless situations in which we no longer feel guided. Whether it be rejection from dental school to not feeling passionate about our future choices, we ask ourselves, why?
It creates a sense of frustration because we fell short of our dreams. In most cases, people give up. But there are stories of people who transform their personal tragedies into achievements. This is the purpose of this post.
My Story
For those of you who do not know me, my name is Mohammed Hammoud, and I am a second-year dental student at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine-School of Dental Medicine. I was born and raised in Dearborn, Michigan, by two immigrant parents seeking greater economic opportunity and social freedom.
My four siblings and I come from a humble, yet struggling, working-class family. My mother was a stay-at-home mom raising 5 children with my father, a truck driver for most of his life.
As a result of the values and morals they instilled in me, I was able to succeed in school despite neither parent having a college education. I attended the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor for undergrad before applying and being accepted to dental school, but it was no easy journey.
Ali
In Islam there is a saying that a family’s eldest son takes on the role of the father, helping to care for, mentor, and guide his younger siblings. My oldest brother, Ali, did just that. He was the backbone of our family and my best friend.
In the Fall of 2015, he tragically passed away at the young age of 27. I was never able to be the same child before that day.
The unexpected nature of his death left me feeling alone and lost. Before that day, I was carefree and dependent, but my responsibilities as a son soon changed. I was expected to care for my younger sister and mother, despite not feeling able to take care of myself emotionally and mentally.
I asked myself, “how can I better my future, be there for my family, and recover myself from such an event?”
At this point in my life, my mindset had fully transformed. It went from focusing on myself to focusing on my family. It went from living day by day, to creating memories in the time you have with the people you love. It went from not giving attention to my purpose in life, to WHAT is my purpose in life.
Reaching adulthood in the U.S is not determined by age, but by experiences that define us and what we do in moments of weakness. To this day, I reflect on the life my brother lived and how I want to be remembered: As a man of principle, respect, and compassion, just like Ali.
My brother Abdullah always says, “Ali made you feel like you can grab any star in the sky, you just needed to reach out and pick one.”
My search for purpose continued with me throughout undergrad. From shadowing local dentists in my hometown to pursuing my degree in public health to traveling different parts of the world, my focus was how to leave my mark on this Earth not knowing how much time I have left.
My Passion for Dentistry
It seemed as years went by, my passion for dentistry was not always to give someone the brightest smile (literally), but to give them the attention and love they deserve, allowing them to feel comfort in my dental chair.
Personally, I did not receive dental care until the age of 10 because of financial difficulties. After years of work, I had a smile I was proud to show off but more importantly, a story between a dentist and patient that inspired me to want to do the same.
To inspire me even more, I had the opportunity to study in Cape Town, South Africa gaining more experience in oral and public health. Through conversation and first-hand experience, I learned that dental care faces many disparities, and I hope to one day play a critical role in this aspect as well.
My potential as a student and one-day practicing dentist is to empower individuals to greater health and life choices. I want to have the difficult conversations with my patients, old or young, and show them how much value in their life is possible only if they only ask themselves “what is my why?”
How can a desire to finding meaning align with our health, life choices, and how we interact with each other?
The concept of purpose in life has been gaining popularity. I can tell you my purpose blossomed from what was the most stressful time in my life because I gave this mental component of my life the same attention as any physical component of my life would need.
My purpose has continued to grow through dental school, and I look forward to sharing my experiences as my years go by. I remind myself every day why I am doing this. I find myself in a healthier state that is allowing me to succeed in dental school despite the challenges one may face.
To the ones who made it this far, thank you. I want to express that I am a source who wants to help you better yourself mentally, physically, and emotionally in any way I can. I look forward to growth, success, and change with these posts.
I leave you with a quote by Friedrich Nietzche, a German philosopher:
He who has a why to live for, can bear almost any how.
At your service,
Mohammed Hammoud
My name is Mohammed Hammoud. I was born and raised in Dearborn, Michigan by two immigrant parents who raised me and my four siblings. After graduating high school, I pursued a bachelor’s in public health sciences from the School of Public Health at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor. It was then that I had a few opportunities to travel abroad and learn more about myself, my passions, and my purpose. I always had the dream of becoming a dentist and it was during the summer of my senior year that I applied and was admitted to LECOM, where I am now a second-year dental student.
