Chapter Three, Journey Down the Medicine Path Summary and Analysis

Alvord had been fascinated by human anatomy since high school and interested in medicine since she held a job at a reservation pharmacy when she was fourteen. She also began to read about anatomy. When she finished Dartmouth, her fascination with anatomy remained strong. Alvord also knew that she could not return home, so she found a job as a research assistant for brain physiologist, Gary Rosenberg, at the University of New Mexico.

The pay was awful and the job was not very glamorous, but Alvord learned a lot. Rosenberg encouraged her to go to medical school. Initially she thought she wasn't capable, but the idea seized her. After a few weeks, she decided to try the sciences again; this time she did well in biology. The body seemed...