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'I sleep just 5 hours': Woman juggles 4 side hustles and 12-hour job to fund medical school
In pursuit of her dream to become a doctor, 24-year-old Eeman Farooqui from Buffalo works long hours across multiple jobs and side hustles.
A 24-year-old woman from Buffalo in New York is going to extraordinary lengths to achieve her dream of becoming a doctor. Alongside her demanding full time job, she manages four side hustles, prepares for medical school and sleeps for only about five hours every night. Despite the exhaustion, she says her dream of becoming a doctor keeps her motivated.
According to Business Insider, Eeman Farooqui, a clinical coordinator based in Buffalo, decided to change the course of her career after the death of her grandmother, who suffered a stroke while visiting her in the United States. The experience made her realise that instead of pursuing a career in research, she wanted to work directly with patients.
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Why did she take on four side hustles?
Farooqui had been studying neuroscience and psychology with plans to enter research. However, losing her grandmother made her rethink her future.
She now works as a clinical coordinator, where she speaks to patients, records their vital signs and coordinates communication between patients and doctors. Her regular schedule involves four 10-hour shifts each week, but overtime often stretches her workdays to 12 hours.
Although she earns around $4,500 to $5,000 a month, she says it is not enough to cover medical school tuition and the cost of relocating if she is accepted into a college outside Buffalo.
To bridge the gap, she has taken on four side hustles. She babysits children several days a week, tutors master's students in subjects such as genetics and biochemistry, works as a per diem medical assistant and also delivers food through DoorDash with her husband. Farooqui told Business Insider that DoorDash is her favourite side hustle because it allows the couple to spend quality time together while driving around the city listening to music.
How does she manage such a hectic routine?
Her packed schedule has become even busier after enrolling in prerequisite classes for medical school, which she attends after work twice a week.
The biggest challenge, she admits, is burnout. She gets only around five hours of sleep every night and rarely finds time to meet friends or even visit her parents, who live just five minutes away.
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According to Business Insider, Farooqui said she feels tired all the time but accepts that this is a choice she has made in pursuit of her dream. While the routine is demanding and not something she believes is sustainable in the long run, she says it has taught her discipline and helped her cut back on distractions such as endlessly scrolling through social media.
For now, her focus remains clear. Saving enough money for medical school and becoming a doctor is the goal that motivates her to keep going every day.
