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[In this personal
statement, the applicant tied together his heritage, his
work experience and his candid views about the
health-care system to convey a well reasoned and genuine
commitment to helping others.]
My earliest impression of
medicine occurred when my mother repeatedly required the
assistance of physicians in dealing with her chronic
migraine headaches. Her doctors were always there for
her, day or night. The respect that my parents bestowed
on doctors, and the doctors' ability to ease suffering,
sparked a desire to one day become a physician myself.
This was an ambitious goal for someone coming from a
family in which no one had obtained a professional
degree. However, my traditional family-oriented culture,
emphasizing doing good for others, contributed to this
decision to pursue a career in the medical field.
Furthermore, the American individualistic spirit gave me
the confidence and opportunity to undertake a
challenging medical career.
I also had the chance to
gain some firsthand experience in the medical profession
when I volunteered for over a year in the emergency room
of a regional hospital. From my volunteer experience, I
learned the importance of organization and effective
communication skills, and I was exposed to the diversity
that exists in my community. It has also demonstrated to
me why the American health-care system is the best in
the world; I saw some knowledgeable minds using some
very sophisticated equipment. But I also saw many ways
it can be improved. For example, uninsured homeless and
immigrant people would often come in, complaining of
problems they had been having for a long time. Although
we would treat these people as best we could, a
health-care system that intervenes in such sicknesses
earlier would have minimized costs associated with
treating diseases in their later stages.
As a doctor, I hope to
participate in these changes in order to benefit more
people than are currently being served. Doctors should
be able to serve people of all different races, ages,
backgrounds, and cultures. I intend to use my skills and
unique experiences to achieve this vision of what I
think a doctor should be.
Sample Essay
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In
1979, in the Soviet city of Odessa on the Black Sea, a
young man confronted a problem that would forever alter
the course of his existence. This 17-year-old Jewish
man, who wanted most to become a doctor, was denied the
possibility of admission to medical school because of
his religion. It could have been an end to a dream.
I was
that man. My determination to become a physician, and my
parents' support of that ambition, turned our lives
upside down. We applied for a visa to leave Russia;
while we waited, my parents and older brother were not
allowed to work, and all of us were followed by the KGB.
When we finally arrived in America in 1980, we had to
make our way to Seattle without funds, friends, or
command of English. My father, who is an engineer, was
reduced to working as a plumber, while I began each day
at 5 a.m. unloading trucks. Life was a struggle, but we
were all sustained by a dream: my goal of studying to
become a doctor.
Within
a year of my arrival here, after attending night school
to learn the language, I was able to obtain a job as an
X-ray orderly at a local hospital. In this position, and
later as an admitting aide, I was able over a period of
three years to learn much more about American medicine.
I had extensive contact with patients, doctors, nurses,
and administrators, and I found that I was able to
relate well to each group. I saw suffering, healing,
death, and all of the other constants that make up any
hospital environment. I had an opportunity to observe
surgeries, from mastectomies to hysterectomies and
bypasses, and to see firsthand the importance of
positive doctor-patient interactions. I was fascinated
by everything I saw and became more convinced than ever
that I could one day make my finest contribution as a
physician.
When I
first entered college, I had enormous problems with
English, especially scientific terminology, and my GPA
was an unremarkable 2.84. However, as I mastered the
language, my grades steadily improved; in fact, in the
last three quarters I've earned a 3.8 GPA.
Beginning in 1984, I worked as a volunteer in the
autopsy room at my university's pathology department,
amassing more than 500 hours of experience. Just as the
hospital provided me with a chance to observe diagnosis
and treatment, the autopsy room gave me a chance to find
out what goes wrong, what causes death. In that room it
was possible for me to see death, smell it, touch it. I
prepared organs for examination by medical students as
well as assisted in autopsies and cleaning up. I was
even awarded a highly sought-after scholarship in
recognition of my work. . . .
I first
became interested in medicine in high school, when I sat
in on my brother's medical school lectures and later
accompanied him on hospital rounds. My commitment to
becoming a doctor, not to mention my excitement over the
prospect of being able to serve others in this capacity,
is what has driven me and kept me going in the face of
so many obstacles since my departure from Russia. Now,
with my goal in sight and so many recent experiences
reaffirming my passion for medicine, I know that all of
the dedication and sacrifice have been worthwhile. I am
eager to begin my medical studies, eager to meet the
challenges I know they will present.
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Sometimes I like to tell
people that my father knew I wanted to be a doctor long
before I did, but the truth is that the idea of becoming
a physician has probably been gestating within me in
some form or other since an early age. There are
childhood scenes involving my father, who is a
pediatrician, that are indelibly etched in my memory.
When I was eight, for example, a young woman came to our
door with her first baby, who she thought was dying. My
father examined the infant, reassured the mother that
there was no serious problem, and sent both away in a
state of relief. I also remember, a few years later,
being in a restaurant where a woman was choking. ''Is
there a doctor in the house?'' someone asked. My father
came forward and took the appropriate steps to help the
woman in distress. In both of these instances, as well
as many others through the years, I was impressed with
my father's capacity to apply his knowledge and skill in
a way that made such an important difference in others'
lives. He seemed powerful, not in the same way as men
who run companies or nations, but as someone who could
provide comfort, quiet fears, touch a life, resolve a
crisis.
I idolize my father and
admire his commitment and contributions, but this alone
would not be enough to make me want to become a doctor
myself. As I matured, I had a chance to weigh other
options and to take a long, hard look at myself, my
capabilities, and interests. What I discovered, in time,
was that medicine was indeed the most appropriate career
path for me, the one best suited to me intellectually,
emotionally, and otherwise. For the last four years I
have worked one day a week in my father's office, which
has given me the chance to interact with patients (and
their mothers), observe my father at work, and better
understand the dynamics of his practice. Just as when I
managed a sandwich shop in high school and had to learn
to deal with the public, within his office I have also
had to be diplomatic. I have had to relate to many
different types of people, often at very vulnerable
moments in their lives, and do so with sensitivity and
compassion. Two summers ago I worked as an orderly in
the operating room at a hospital in the Los Angeles
area. I was there a minimum of 40 scheduled hours a week
and was on call each weekend. My experience at the
hospital also gave me exposure to the constant pressure
of emergency situations, in which there is little
tolerance for error or indecision. And I was pleased to
discover that I was more fascinated than repelled by the
actual sight of surgery. I saw the delivery of babies,
the treatment of gunshot wounds, hysterectomies, and a
host of other procedures. I was spellbound by what I
saw, and I returned to my premed studies with even
greater enthusiasm and focus.
I have always been a very
inquisitive person, as well as one who delights in
taking things apart and putting them back together. I
cannot help but wonder if these aspects of my
personality do not somehow relate to my interest in
medicine. I know for certain that I am highly attracted
to the intellectual component of the profession and the
fact that constant learning is such an integral part of
being an effective physician. I also happen to find
great pleasure in the company of other people, and I
like the one-on-one facet of the physician's work.
As directed as I am in
terms of my career, my life would be empty without my
family, my close friends (most of whom I have known
since high school), my girlfriend, and the sports in
which I involve myself with great regularity. These are
vital elements of my existence and help me to maintain
the balance I need.
My family is very warm
and loving, and I think they have nurtured in me these
same qualities. Each has taken very independent and
ambitious paths. My mother has recently become a lawyer;
one sister is becoming a psychologist and the other
sister a lawyer. My feeling about the future is that if,
for any reason, I did not become a doctor, I would be
wasting something--namely, my compassion, commitment,
energy, and potential to contribute.
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I originally became
interested in the health care field at a very early age
because my mother was a nurse, and I spent considerable
time in my childhood observing her at work. I was
attracted to the idea of helping people with physical
problems, although I had no thought about any specific
specialty. However, in time physical therapy became the
logical focus of my attention for a number of reasons.
For one, I have memories from a very young age of my
grandfather in Czechoslovakia, disabled by a stroke, his
problems unmitigated by any attempts at physical
therapy. I will never forget the devastating
consequences of this. Conversely, I clearly recall
suffering from scoliosis when I was 6 years old and
having physical therapy permanently relieve me of the
problem. My grandmother, too, was helped by physical
therapy after suffering a hip fracture when she was 89
years old. She is 95 now and still quite active. So,
even within my own family, I have seen the benefits of
physical therapy in a dramatic way. I have been
impressed, too, by the fact that physical therapy
provides a non-invasive means of treatment that can
yield such long-lasting results.
Until two-and-a-half
years ago, my professional background was in the area of
mechanical engineering. After a while, though, I decided
I wanted finally to make the move into the medical
field. Physical therapy represents the perfect choice, a
career with definite parallels to the work I have done
previously; within it I will be able to draw upon my
knowledge and understanding of mechanics and motion, and
also use my analytical abilities to resolve challenging
clinical problems. Four months as a volunteer and
two-and-a-half years as a physical therapy aide have
only served to corroborate and enhance my interest in
the profession.
As far as my professional
goals are concerned, I want to specialize in geriatrics
and neurological disorders, and come to be known for my
professionalism, effectiveness, and compassion.
Currently I work for a hospital group with separate
in-patient and outpatient facilities. This has given me
a chance to observe patients over long periods of
rehabilitation and develop rewarding relationships. It
is my goal to do the same once I become a registered
physical therapist. I hope to be working then in an
acute care hospital with an outpatient facility and
participate in research that furthers growth in the
profession.
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I first became interested
in medicine when I entered college in 1978. When it came
time to choose my major, I selected psychobiology and,
accordingly, studied a curriculum with a strong emphasis
on science and psychology. Then, early in 1981, my
mother became terminally ill with cancer. Although there
are five other children in the family, the
responsibility for caring for my mother fell to me. She
needed constant care, and it was up to me to provide it.
I had to withdraw from
one of my classes at school, while commuting to campus
for tests in the remaining two classes (my routine with
my mother made it impossible for me to attend lectures,
so I had to rely heavily on my textbooks and
self-study). Despite the trauma I was going through at
home, I somehow managed to do well in these two classes
(calculus and physics), keeping up at least part of my
college career.
For four months, I
spoon-fed my mother daily and helped keep her alive. I
kept the entire family going, even after my mother's
death, when I was emotionally and physically depleted (I
had lost 15 pounds during her illness).
After it was all over and
I was back on my feet, I decided I wanted to put myself
back in a situation in which I could help others who
were ill. I started working in the _____ hospital. . . .
I also started working as a student health advocate in
college, following a ten-week training period that
covered diagnosis, role-playing (responding to
''patients'' with a wide variety of problems), first
aid, and emotional concerns--all followed by extensive
testing.
Caring for my mother,
working at the hospital, and serving as a student health
advocate--all of these experiences have not only
solidified my interest in medicine but also have taught
me how essential it is that physicians be sensitive to
the emotional as well as physical needs of their
patients. My life to date has taught me lessons that
can't be learned in a classroom, lessons that--with the
further academic training I hope to receive in medical
school--should make me one exceptional doctor.
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I grew up in
circumstances that provide a classic example of the
frequent disparity between appearance and reality. To
any outsider, my family might have seemed to be enjoying
the ideal upper-middle-class existence: peaceful,
pretty, and privileged. In actuality, however, alcohol
and domestic violence were creating an environment
within our house that, for me, was both difficult and
frightening.
My mother had a drinking
problem, and the encounters between my father and her
often escalated into violence. I spent a great deal of
time trying to care for my mother, a fact of my young
life that I think later on may have subliminally drawn
me toward a career in medicine. Besides instilling
within me a desire to help others who are ill, my
experience with my mother also heightened my sensitivity
to other people and the difficulties with which they
sometimes must cope.
I felt some of the same
sympathy while working last year with a local doctor in
rural Mexico. The poverty and ignorance there, which had
much to do with the parasitosis, diarrhea, and other
medical problems that we saw, were very affecting. I was
impressed by the difference the doctor made in these
people's lives and by the appreciation that they
demonstrated. I was also fascinated by my venture into
an urban Mexican hospital, where I had a chance to
observe Caesarean sections, treat a gunshot wound, and
assist in the delivery of a child.
Complementing my Mexican
experience was my three-month summer internship with an
oncologist at a stateside hospital. In this position I
had the opportunity to observe many physicians and a
variety of surgeries, as well as doctor/patient
interactions. I was also exposed to cardiology,
orthopedics, and urology-among other specialties--and
gained a greater awareness of the compassion and
understanding that a good physician must bring to his or
her work.
The experiences both here
and in Mexico were inspiring to me, and I came away from
them with the feeling that I could do similar work and
derive great satisfaction from it.
In my personal life, I
find pleasure in many different endeavors. I enjoy
traveling and have visited Europe, Hong Kong, Indonesia,
Tahiti, Cuba, and South America. I also enjoy expressing
myself through music. Although I am not a virtuoso on
any instrument, I have played the violin since the sixth
grade and currently write songs on the piano and guitar.
My greatest love, however, is sports, and I participate
in everything from competitive tennis and volleyball to
cycling and scuba diving.
I know that medical
school will require that I summon all of my resources,
but I have the commitment and stamina to look forward to
it all. It will provide me with the best opportunity to
become a productive member of society while making use
of my intellectual talents in a career that I expect to
be constantly challenging and fulfilling.
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During my freshman year,
I was seriously ill with what was eventually diagnosed
as mononucleosis. Extreme fatigue, swollen glands, and
such secondary problems as persistent colds and sore
throats were among the symptoms from which I suffered.
Because the mononucleosis was not correctly diagnosed
and proper treatment begun until the second half of the
school year, I went through many months of feeling
terrible. The consequences for my academic performance
were devastating; I earned the poorest grades of my life
during the prolonged period of my illness. The only
upside to this episode was that I suddenly realized,
much more than most teenagers ever do, that good health
is a precious commodity, one that can never be taken for
granted. In addition, I gained a very deep appreciation
of the role physicians can play in improving their
patients' lives.
With this in mind,
considering my long-demonstrated proficiency in the
sciences, it is probably not surprising that the
following school year I decided to follow a premed
curriculum, with biology as my major. I found myself
taking the most difficult, challenging courses I had
ever faced, but I also found myself more exhilarated and
excited about my studies than ever before. I enjoyed the
entire premed environment, including not only the
learning and intellectual stimulation, but also the
competitiveness that is such a big part of it. I have
always considered myself a problem solver, and the
premed curriculum provided me with a plenitude of
opportunities for defining and solving a wide variety of
problems.
When I completed my
undergraduate work, I chose a somewhat unconventional
course for someone intent on becoming a doctor. Rather
than heading straight for medical school, I did
something entirely different. After taking a physics
course that I had not been able to work into my schedule
previously, I moved to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, for five
months to attempt to become an expert skier. Always an
above-average skier, it was my goal to become a great
skier. I knew that once I entered medical school and,
later, the medical profession, I would never have the
time to realize this objective. So I took a part-time
job in Jackson Hole (first as a resort cashier, then as
manager of a concession stand) to support myself while I
took lessons and skied furiously in the pursuit of
excellence. The results that I achieved were outstanding
and were a great boost to my self-confidence, especially
since Jackson Hole offers some of the biggest challenges
in skiing. The time I spent in Wyoming was very
beneficial for me in other ways as well, because it gave
me a chance to immerse myself in a totally different
environment and reassess my professional objectives. I
came away from Jackson Hole not only feeling refreshed
and recharged, but also with a renewed sense of
enthusiasm about my plans to attend medical school and
become a doctor.
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What satisfactions do
you expect to receive from your activities as a
physician?
My experiences with
patients and physicians while working in clinics has
given me a glimpse into the many rewards a career in
medicine can offer. As a clinical research student at
the Ontario Cancer Institute and the Toronto General
Hospital, I had the opportunity to interact with a
variety of patients. My primary responsibility was to
recruit patients for the research study and to discuss
their illness and treatment. This experience allowed me
to gain a confidence in the clinic, to develop my
interpersonal skills and, more importantly, to
experience the satisfaction of helping another person
heal--mentally.
While I had many
meaningful encounters, one in particular stands out. On
a hot, sticky June morning, I noticed a patient named
Scott roaming the corridors. The expression on his face
touched me, and I followed him to a nearby television
set. The World Cup blazed on the screen, and everyone in
the clinic except Scott was fascinated by the Brazil
game. Scott quietly sipped orange juice while tugging on
his baseball cap, trying to conceal his balding head,
the unmistakable sign of chemotherapy. Sensing that
Scott desperately needed to be cheered up, I initiated a
conversation with a soccer joke. Within minutes, the two
of us were laughing. I felt intensely satisfied,
although I had done nothing for the boy's physical
condition. I had, however, managed to lighten his
sadness, if only for a moment. Seeing Scott's smiling
face, I realized that my future must revolve around
instances like this one, and that true fulfillment comes
from helping another person heal. My summer at the
Ontario Cancer Institute taught me that patience,
compassion, and sensitivity are just as crucial as
scientific skills for medicine.
The ongoing intellectual
challenges a career in medicine offers would also be
satisfying to me. As a student of biochemistry, I am
fascinated by the advances and applications of the
science. Medicine is a constantly evolving profession
which would also meet my passion for learning and
problem solving. As a medical student, I hope to further
cultivate the critical thinking skills and self-directed
learning I developed as an undergraduate. Utilizing
these skills would allow me to help improve the health
of others by acting as a caregiver for the sick and as a
health advocate helping to prevent illness in the
community. I believe this would be the ideal balance
between intellectual and personal challenge. Serving as
a leader in the community also offers tremendous rewards
since it would allow me to help work in partnership to
improve the health of the community. Having worked at a
family practice for three years I have developed a
strong interest in specializing in family medicine. I
enjoy the idea of being able to service a community
while helping improve the health of people of all ages.
Such a specialty would also provide the opportunity to
understand the various illnesses unique to a family and
allow me to better serve them. I believe this would
greatly contribute to the life-long personal and
professional satisfaction I would derive from medicine.
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Martial arts and
medicine. They seem worlds apart, but they both have
played significant roles in my life and for reasons that
are surprisingly similar. They both offer challenge,
require great discipline, and necessitate a
goal-oriented approach.
I first became involved
with the martial arts when I was only 13 years old. At
that time I began studying karate in my hometown in
northern California. Even then I was a goal-oriented
individual who was attracted to the step-by-step
progression involved in studying karate. Within a year I
had earned a brown belt (the next-to-highest ranking)
and was actually serving as an instructor at the karate
academy where I had learned the sport. Dedication,
discipline, and physical and mental prowess were behind
my success, which included being the youngest person in
the area to attain the brown belt.
In college I became
involved in Tae Kwon Do, the Korean counterpart of
karate. This sport, too, requires patience,
determination, and a clear mind in addition to physical
strength, endurance, and agility. Within a year I had
become president of my university's 80-member Tae Kwon
Do club, which ranks among the top sports clubs on
campus. In assuming this position I began to have the
opportunity to test myself as a leader as well as an
athlete.
One of the reasons I
became interested in medicine is that it, too, requires
a meticulous, goal-oriented approach that is very
demanding. Of course, it also happens that the substance
of the profession holds strong appeal for me, both in
terms of the science and the potential for serving
others who are in need.
Most of my exposure to
the profession has occurred within the areas of surgery
and emergency medicine. After first serving as an
emergency medicine volunteer technician at a northern
California hospital (where I had a moving experience
with a young girl's death), I acquired the EMT-1A/CPR
certifications and then worked as an Emergency Medical
Technician-1A during a subsequent summer. This job was a
fascinating, educational, and high-pressure experience
that exposed me to the realities of medicine as
practiced in crisis situations.
My extensive involvement
with cardio thoracic surgery research over the last
three years, first as a volunteer technician and
currently as a staff research technician, has further
fueled my desire to become a physician. I have had to
rely upon my own ingenuity and problem solving skills as
well as what I have learned in the classroom, and this
has been exciting. One of the more unusual aspects of my
work has involved me directly in the procedure of
heterotopic heart transplantation in rats. This precise
and technically demanding procedure encompasses
microsurgery and usually is conducted only by residents.
In fact, I am the only undergraduate student doing this
procedure, which has shown me the extent of both my
manual dexterity and capacity for learning sophisticated
techniques.
I have been fortunate
enough to have had the opportunity to participate and
contribute in almost every way during experiments, from
administering anesthesia and performing extensive
surgical preparations to analyzing the data obtained and
operating monitoring and recording equipment,
ventilators, and the heart-lung machine.
I am a somewhat shy
individual, but I have found that within the medical
environment my shyness evaporates. The opportunity to
help others one-on-one is so rewarding and comfortable
for me that I feel very much at ease, regardless of with
whom I am working. I think one of the particularly
attractive aspects of medicine for me, especially within
such specialties as internal medicine and
obstetrics/gynecology, is the potential for forming
close, lasting, meaningful relationships with a wide
array of patients.
For me, medicine emerges
as the perfect avenue for indulging my impulses to
contribute, to be involved with science, and to
establish important links with others at both critical
and noncritical moments in their lives.
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Not every dental school
applicant has supported himself for five-and-a-half
years jousting and sword fighting in a Las Vegas show.
This colorful and physically demanding work is actually
just one of a number of nontraditional elements of my
background. My academic history, in particular, is
likely quite different from what you normally see. I am
26 years old and will not be completing my undergraduate
work until next spring. Working each night, for a total
of 42 hours a week, has forced me to structure for
myself an educational schedule that has required more
time in college than most spend. However, as a result, I
will be emerging from my university experience with
greater maturity, self-knowledge, and certainty about
the professional direction I am choosing to follow than
many of my peers.
Unlike many others, I did
not begin college immediately after completing high
school. Having no focus at that time, I chose instead to
work for my uncle in the construction industry, building
hotels in Las Vegas, where I grew up. I enjoyed the pay
and working with my hands, but there was a void in my
life and an absence of the intellectual stimulation I
wanted. When I was 21, a terrible tragedy struck my
family. My 19-year-old sister, who was involved with
drugs, committed suicide. Her death was devastating for
me and served as a wake-up call that I needed to set a
meaningful course for my own life without delay. I
tentatively began taking classes at a local junior
college while still doing construction. Not long
afterwards, though, I had the opportunity to become part
of a show at a Las Vegas hotel. I was one of a dozen men
selected (from 300) for this show, largely on the
strength of my equestrian and fencing skills, as well as
my size (I am 6'4''). Since 1990 I have worked from five
to midnight six (and sometimes seven) nights a week at
the hotel, while also attending college. The dangers are
significant, and I have had my share of serious
injuries, including a broken leg, a skull fracture, and
a cut that required 26 stitches. Some of these injuries
had a negative impact on my academic performance, but I
have still managed to compile a very respectable record
(trending upward) even with the rigorous Cell and
Molecular Biology major I chose for myself.
While many around me were
setting their sights on medical school, I was always
drawn to the idea of entering dentistry. I enjoy working
with my hands and have seen my manual dexterity through
my efforts in sculpting, drawing, and building (I have
remodeled my own house and built a loft within it). What
I have learned during the past year, while working as a
volunteer for an oral maxillofacial surgeon, has only
corroborated and intensified my enthusiasm for the
profession. Working with the surgeon has been an
exceptional experience for me because he has allowed me
to observe him in every phase of his activities, from
his initial consultations with patients to the various
surgeries themselves. I have watched his interactions
with patients and seen how he deals with their fears and
concerns. I have watched him repair broken jaws, correct
under-bites and over-bites, and perform extractions. I
am impressed with the intricacy and detailed nature of
the work, the need for precision when working in such
small spaces, the technicalities, challenges, and need
for patience. I like the fact that dentists, oral
surgeons, and orthodontists work in tandem with one
another, and that there is such professionalism and
collegiality within their ranks. I know that I can
function well in this environment, with all of its
demands, and am excited by the prospect of being able to
relieve patients of their pain (be it psychological or
otherwise) and help them lead happier lives. The job
satisfaction expressed by virtually every dentist with
whom I have spoken also appeals to me, as does the fact
that dentists' schedules normally leave them time for a
life outside of the office. As I am a married man who
looks forward one day to raising a family, this is an
important consideration.
I consider myself a
well-qualified applicant who is unusually mature,
grounded, determined, and committed to making an
important contribution within the dental profession.
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From massaging his arm to
simply keeping him company, I tried to assist my
grandfather in any possible way after a stroke had left
his left arm partially paralyzed. As I observed the
multitude of treatments and therapies he underwent to
revitalize this arm, I often found my eight-year-old
mind wishing that I possessed the medical skill and
expertise to help him. In a way, then, my grandfather
was my first patient.
I harbored this curiosity
towards medicine throughout my junior high and high
school years and began to seriously consider making it
my career when I entered college. Due to this abiding
interest in science, I decided to major in biology and
passionately engrossed myself in the department's
courses. Seeking practical experience in the field, I
joined a research team studying the developmental
effects of Ataxia-telangiectasia, a recessive genetic
disease characterized by growth retardation, abnormal
germ cell development, immune defects, and a high
incidence of tumorigenesis. As part of my independent
study project, I cloned a specific version of the p53
gene. Through this endeavor, not only did I realize the
replication, caution, and patience integral to the
research process, but I also garnered an understanding
of the ways in researchers can employ science to study
clinical problems.
Although science has
always fascinated me, it is the interpersonal
interaction that primarily draws me to the medical
field. This persistent desire to help people culminated
in concrete action three years ago when I assumed my
first volunteer position in the emergency room of Mercy
Hospital. My duties there included assisting with
patient admissions and discharges, serving as a liaison
between the busy staff and visitors, stocking supplies,
and delivering patients and materials to various areas
of the hospital. When not directly assisting the staff,
I listened attentively to the patients' concerns and
helped to alleviate their fears.
Such interactions with
patients at Mercy Hospital reconfirmed my aspirations of
becoming a physician and encouraged my decision to begin
another volunteer position. As a volunteer at Vitas
Hospice, I have relished the opportunity to provide
companionship to terminally ill patients. I have always
enjoyed spending time with the elderly; nevertheless, I
never cease to be amazed by the vast amount of knowledge
and life experiences they relate to me. For example,
Mrs. A, a remarkable 102-year-old lady, enlightened me
with the details of Black Tuesday and her personal
memories concerning the state of the country when the
Titanic sank. Another especially memorable experience
occurred on a fishing trip with Mr. C. After the doctors
diagnosed him with COPD, Mr. C.'s last request was for a
volunteer to take him fishing. As I still vividly recall
the jubilant excitement on Mr. C's face as he cast his
line repeatedly into the open water, my memories are
tinged with the bittersweet reminder that Mr. C passed
away three days later. I always imagined that I could
learn much from my patients as a doctor. My experiences
at Vitas Hospice have confirmed such inclinations and
have infinitely increased my love of medicine.
I am thus confident that
I will achieve my goal of becoming a physician. Through
my vast array of volunteer experiences and conversations
with my uncles and other physicians, I have accrued a
solid understanding of what a position in the medical
field entails. While I understand that a career in
medicine requires a great deal of work, I am certain
that I possess more than the requisite commitment and
stamina to meet the challenge. From the time I took my
grandfather's seemingly massive arm in my own
inexperienced eight-year-old hands to the day I recently
accompanied Mr. C. on his final fishing trip, I have
appreciated the dual value of providing comfort to and
gaining knowledge from patients. I can now look forward
to gaining a greater understanding of the technical
aspects of medicine and further cultivating my
interpersonal skills to improve my ability to serve.
Sample Essay
Note: This essay
appears unedited for instructional purposes. Essays
edited by EssayEdge are dramatically improved. For
samples of EssayEdge editing, please
click here.
For the past seven years
I have spent my summers at a camp in California, first
as a camper, then as a counselor, and finally as a
division head. The camp is quite remarkable in that each
summer it takes in, along with its other campers,
approximately 20 children with various learning
disabilities, emotional disorders, and mental
retardation. For two unforgettable summers I worked in
the division that included these handicapped children.
This proved to be one of the most extraordinary
experiences in my life, as it provided me with a chance
to interact closely, on a day-to-day basis, with
youngsters whose courage and capacity for joy impressed
me immensely. Their smiles and laughter were pure, even
as they battled significant personal difficulties for
which they were not responsible. Ironically, as I worked
with these children I was simultaneously fighting a
small battle of my own, resisting my initial resistance
to and fear of dealing with these children.
Before I got to know
these youngsters, I was worried that they would detect
my discomfort, catch me staring at them, misinterpret
something I might say, or be hurt somehow by my actions
or words. I felt that something socially unacceptable
might occur. As I tend to be someone who prefers to
eschew confrontation, this at first seemed a threatening
possibility. The reality was that once I immersed myself
in working with them, my fear of any incidents
disappeared. I began relating to these children just as
I would normal kids, and they sensed this and responded
well. Working with these youngsters, who suffered from
Down's syndrome and other serious problems, gave me a
greater appreciation for my own health and a new way of
relating to others who are ill.
Last summer I was back in
camp as a division head. I was responsible for 79
people, including campers and staff, and had ample
opportunity to test my skills as a leader, diplomat, and
one who gets along well with many different types of
individuals.
Deliberately putting
myself in a situation that at first makes me
uncomfortable is something I have done repeatedly in my
life. Being scared makes me conscientious and prompts me
to do a good job. In fact, I have discovered that the
things I fear the most, the enterprises about which I
have the most apprehension, inevitably turn out to be
activities in which I excel. Medicine in general
certainly represents this kind of challenge, and I would
be less than candid if I did not concede that there have
been moments in my premed years that I have found
intimidating. However, I have also found great
exhilaration in the learning process and in finding out
that I was equal to any challenges that arose.
My interest in becoming a
physician extends back to my childhood, although I also
considered such possibilities as becoming a businessman,
architect, or pilot. My father is a physician, though,
so my exposure to the field of medicine was the most
regular and intense, and ultimately the most inspiring.
Observing my father at work and seeing his satisfaction
with what he was accomplishing made a lasting impression
on me. How great to do something with such benefits for
others and such intrinsic reward for oneself!
For the past year I have
had a chance to be a peer health counselor at my
university. Working in my dorm, I provide counsel to
students with a wide range of emotional and physical
problems. This has given me the opportunity to be a
leader and educator among my fellow students while also
acquiring a little additional insight into the kinds of
problems that a health professional confronts.
I have also worked for
two years as a volunteer in my university hospital's
emergency room, where I have been able to observe a
great diversity of surgeries and the difficult
conditions under which physicians often must function. I
have come away from this experience with a better
understanding of the sacred nature of the medical
profession and the importance of the doctor's work. I
have seen the need for both kindness and strength in
doctors, and I have been impressed by the variety of
skills that a successful physician must bring to play in
his or her professional role.
Sample Essay
Note: This essay
appears unedited for instructional purposes. Essays
edited by EssayEdge are dramatically improved. For
samples of EssayEdge editing, please
click here.
I am a 26-year-old woman
who has spent much of the past nine years engaged in
such unusual activities as jumping out of airplanes,
briefing Chuck Yeager (on more effective flying, of all
things!), running through trenches, being a test
parachutist, taking apart and then reassembling
(blindfolded) a vintage M-1 rifle, earning a pilot's
license, and learning how to survive behind enemy lines
(including resisting interrogations and escaping
captivity). All of this has occurred within the context
of my time in the military, which began when I enrolled
as a cadet at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs,
Colorado.
Even then I was drawn to
science, selecting biology as my major. My freshman
year, when I was a lowly ''doolie'' (a slang derivative
of the Latin word meaning ''slave''), my grades suffered
as I went through the traditional trials of being a
first-year military student. It is a psychologically
cruel and dehumanizing process (and an existence almost
incomprehensible to anyone on the outside), which one
must somehow endure while also meeting a full load of
academic requirements. The isolation and rigidity of
military life made the remaining three years a challenge
as well. I frequently tell people that attending the Air
Force Academy provided me the best experience of my life
(in giving me discipline and showing me the stuff of
which I was made) and also the worst.
At the time I graduated,
I had a five-year obligation to the Air Force. Despite
my continuing interest in becoming a physician, I
decided first to fulfill this obligation so I would
later be completely free to chart my own course. I chose
to become a physiologist with the Air Force because this
enabled me to combine my interest in aircraft and
aerospace with my fascination with medicine. For two
years I ran the hypobaric, or altitude, chamber,
teaching flyers how to use their bodies to be better
test pilots. During this same period I earned a master's
degree in systems management, which I felt would help me
do my job more effectively. For the past two years, I
have been a human factors engineer, testing and making
recommendations on equipment so its design produces
optimal human performance. At night I teach scuba diving
and, in line with my view that a doctor's proper role is
at least partly educational, am earning a teaching
credential.
With my military service
scheduled to come to an end soon, it is finally possible
for me to realize my long-held dream of applying to
medical school. While my experience since graduating
from the Air Force Academy has been highly instructive,
it has reinforced my conviction that I am best suited to
a career in which personal and human considerations are
given highest priority. The interpersonal aspect of the
profession holds great appeal for me, as does the fact
that the doctor's actions have a direct and significant
impact on another human's life. The constant
intellectual challenge, the decision-making demands, the
fast pace, and the fact that doctors can see the outcome
of their work are other elements which attract me.
I know that I have a
highly unconventional history for someone aspiring to
become a doctor, but I also know that I have what it
takes to succeed. My background has taught me many
lessons, including, perhaps ironically, the value of
human life and the importance of human dignity. |
