Thoughts on Secondary for UTSW, Infectious Disease Goals?

[clairephillips]

Hello! I'm having some trouble with this question from the UTSW secondary: In the text box provided below, describe the setting in which you envision conducting your medical career. Also include how and why you think this setting would help fulfill your interests related to the practice of medicine.

I'm very interested in working with infectious diseases and could definitely see myself in several different settings having to do with ID. I am fascinated by viral hemorrhagic fever viruses (long before the latest Ebola outbreak) and would love to get an MPH in epidemiology along with my MD and then work with Doctors Without Borders or the CDC as a virology specialist helping to contain disease outbreaks. I could also see myself doing research on the microbes, either in lab or in a clinical setting testing treatment options.

I'm also highly concerned with development of antibiotic resistance in bacteria, particularly with regard to tuberculosis and the relatively unstopped spread in some settings. I think all of this could become increasingly serious over time and am unsure what options are available to do something about it. Moreover, I have two friends who are battling AIDS currently and I know that HIV is still a very widely researched virus with many trials and much we still don't know. The immune response to infectious agents is also highly interesting to me. The book Mountains Beyond Mountains was profoundly moving and I discussed my reactions to it in my personal statement, stating that I wanted to be part of the "Nation of those that cared for the sick." Global medicine, maybe with a research basis in a teaching hospital back in the states, could be a fit for me, but I'm afraid too many other people feel exactly the same way and this is unrealistic for me.

Honestly, I still have no idea what specific areas I want to focus on within this broad overview and thus no idea how to describe my perfect setting in which to practice medicine. Everything seems so general and I truly believe that experience in medical school will be what shapes me with regard to ID. How, then, am I possibly to answer this essay question without it sounding like I have NO IDEA what I want?

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[PantherPride]

What I did was start my essay saying I did have a variety of interests in medicine, gave a couple of examples, but then I talked about the primary specialty I saw myself going into for the remainder of my essay. If I were you I would choose one setting and focus on it, perhaps the one you find yourself most passionate about or the one you can flesh out the most and back up with your own experiences. They don't expect your interests to be set in stone so you don't have to worry about having multiple interests yet focusing only on one. You can elaborate on them more on interview day if asked about it.

 

[Holmwood]

Describe specific experiences that exemplify your various interests.
Evidence speaks louder than intentions.

 

[accueil]

I agree with both @Holmwood and @PantherPride that you should focus more on concrete experiences that inform a specific career vision (while acknowledging that you are still unsure and open to change). You should generally avoid using the word "fascinate" and other generalized declarative statements that are throughout your post IMO. The question specifically asks you to relate your career vision to the interests that you identified in the first question (where you had to list specific examples). This is the way I approached answering the question at least.