PERsonal statement (before)

I was five years old when I dressed up in a pair of my dad’s extra-large light blue scrubs for career day in preschool. He had to cinch the waist and fold the legs three times so that I did not trip. It is hard for me to believe, but it is sixteen years later, and I am excited to now be applying to medical school and get the opportunity to fill out those scrubs. I have been blessed, and I am extremely grateful to have grown up with incredible parents who are both physicians. I have been around the field of medicine for as long as I can remember. 

When I was born, I was diagnosed with cryptorchidism. This is a condition in which a testicle does not descend into the scrotum. I had surgery when I was an infant to remove the undescended testicle to reduce my risk of infertility and testicular cancer. Throughout my adolescence, a varicocele developed on my only remaining testicle. A varicocele is an enlargement of a vein within the scrotum that transports oxygen-depleted blood back to the heart. If left untreated, this can lead to decreased sperm quality and production. When I was nineteen, I had another surgery to remove this vein to increase fertility. This was an extremely personal and stressful time in which I had doubts and fears about how this could affect my future. The entire medical staff and surgeon who performed my surgery brought so much comfort throughout my time before, during, and after my procedure. 

My father, who is a Urologist, specializes in kidney, prostate, and bladder cancer. When I was fourteen, my grandfather on my dad’s side was diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma. The cancer had already begun to spread to his lungs. After a long fight with this horrible disease, he passed away going into my sophomore year of high school.
 

After finishing my sophomore year of college, I was fortunate enough to be accepted into a medical-based travel abroad program and have the opportunity to travel to Italy with a group of students from ***** through the College of Science and Math. During my valuable time in Italy, I shadowed a wide variety of physicians while living with a host family. This experience gave me an insight into a side of medical care I had not been exposed to before. I found the two-day EMT training course that was in blistering heat the most mentally and physically exhausting time there in Italy; however, it brought me and my fellow students closer by working to overcome immense frustration and obstacles together. Some of my time there was spent observing in a geriatric psychiatry ward. I was moved by the nurses’ unwavering commitment to this vulnerable patient population tending to their medical and emotional needs. This only furthered my interest and excitement to pursue a career in medicine. Another impactful moment I experienced was with a trauma patient who had been in a motorcycle accident. The patient was in a great deal of pain, but I was able to help distract and comfort him while the doctors tended to his injuries. We found humor in communicating through my broken Italian as I explained why I was in a hospital over four thousand miles away from home. I learned a lot about myself on this trip. I overcame difficulties of language and cultural barriers, and I strengthened my ability to work productively with others. These skills have translated into my everyday life and will prepare me for a career in medicine.

I have shadowed physicians of several different specialties in my hometown, each of which has provided me with a unique point of view. One meaningful experience I had was with Dr. S*****, an internal medicine physician. I was rounding with him on a hospice patient with end-stage laryngeal cancer. The patient had a tracheostomy tube through which he normally breathes very slowly through. The patient’s family was in the room with us as Dr. S****** performed his physical exam. During this time, the patient became apneic for an extended period during which Dr. S****** was concerned that he may have passed. Although it was an extremely scary and emotional situation for the patient and his family, Dr. S***** handled it with professionalism and kindness. It was both impressive and inspiring to see the comfort he provided for this family. One day I hope that I can accrue the knowledge and gain the wisdom that will be required to give that level of care to my patients.