“See the world. Do something fantastic. Go and live because those experiences are going to make you a better person. It’s going to make you a better doctor. It’s going to make you a better healer.”
With a message of hope and inspiration, local doctor Randy Christensen imparted his personal wisdom on aspiring medical students Thursday at the Walter Cronkite School’s First Amendment Forum and entreated them to chase their dreams, not simply career goals.
“For a life to be really great, you have to take those chances, you’ve got to go out there,” Christensen said before a crowd of about 75 students and staff. “Your workday and what you do for your career says a lot about you … but it shouldn’t necessarily say everything about you.”
Via a mobile clinic, Christensen treats homeless youth in Phoenix and Mesa. He used the speaking opportunity to tell students about his unique line of work and advise them on how they can help.
Despite receiving vast recognition for his dedication to the homeless from news corporations such as CNN and the Arizona Republic, Christensen said the media attention does not drive his work.
“I think those awards are wonderful,” Christensen said. “They bring my team to the public, but in the end they’re not what keep me going. The things that keep me going (are) when somebody tells me, ‘I would not have made it without you.’”
Maranda Thompson, a health sciences sophomore in attendance at the lecture, said she had plans to bring together different student and service organizations to collaborate and make a difference in the community.
“Anyone can do it, but you just have to keep pushing. It may seem like a lot, but it works out in the end,” she said.
Freshman pre-professional health sciences major Chad Ligaya said he was inspired by Christensen’s speech. Ligaya added that Christensen motivated him to passionately pursue becoming a mentor for young children.
“If I can give help to someone, that’s all that really matters,” Ligaya said. “The little spark it ignites — it can really set a fire and help people.”
Christensen left students with his own insight on how to keep the passion alive to impact the community while juggling a hectic schedule.
“You need to say yes and really take that chance,” Christensen said. “Challenge yourself to say yes. If you take the next step and you go with it, see how it makes you feel, see how it helps you. The things that you could do are incredible.”
In response to an audience member’s question regarding his future, the self-proclaimed “eternal optimist” Christensen said he believed his company would remain strong.
“I’m working as hard as I possibly can to make sure that my program could exist without me in five years,” he said. “I’m trying to etch out a legacy of some sort.”
Contact the reporter at bianca.repasi@asu.edu
