Remembering 9/11: My Memories as a Medical Student

I will never forget the morning of September 11, 2001. At the time, I was a medical student on my OB-GYN rotation at UC Davis. Like so many others, I started my day as usual—driving to work, listening to the car radio.

That morning, the announcer reported that a plane had struck the first tower of the World Trade Center. I remember feeling confused. How could something like that happen? Was it an accident? It didn’t make sense.

By the time I arrived at the hospital, the second plane had struck. In that instant, the confusion shifted to a chilling realization—this was not an accident. This was an attack.

The rest of that day carried a heaviness I will always remember. There was a shared silence among the medical staff, a mix of shock, sadness, and solidarity. We all seemed to know that our sense of safety as a nation had shifted. Life from that day forward would feel different, more uncertain, and more at risk.

Yet amid the grief, there were also stories of courage. We remember the first responders who ran toward danger, hoping to save lives. We remember the ordinary people who became heroes in extraordinary moments. And we honor those whose lives were cut far too short.

Today, as we look back, we carry both the pain of loss and the strength of resilience. We remember. We reflect. And we hold onto the hope that by honoring the past, we can build a future rooted in unity.