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- Feb 4, 2005
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Hey all,
My sister asked me to post her personal statement on the forum. For those of you who are interested in editing to take a look at it and put your two cents in. Please feel free to make revisions in a different color in your replies or just reply with feedback of what is missing or what needs to be removed. Thanks.
Personal Statement
I, like most people, have always desired to affect the world in a positive way, leaving a (footprint???) of my doings for future generations. When taking stock of my intellectual proclivities and personality strengths, I came to the conclusions that a career as a scientific researcher would be a good vehicle by which to make my positive effect. I fantasized that one day I would be an expert in my field and be invited to give lectures worldwide. When I began my Masters program in the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, I thought that I was well on my way towards my dream career.
However, upon the commencing my studies in the medical school, I discovered several previously unrealized aspects of myself. One was that I enjoyed hard work and loved being challenged. I also enjoyed the camaraderie with my peers as we all put our best efforts into our classes. Also, in addition to the other medical school courses I took, I had a penchant for Medical Gross Anatomy, helping to teach it the summer after I completed it, and again to dental students in the second year of my program. After completing the course requirements for my program, I began to work towards completion of my Masters thesis by working in a laboratory. This experience also yielded several realizations. The first was that I did not enjoy laboratory experimentation as much as I had enjoyed my medical school courses. The second one was that I needed a career in which I would interact with people on a daily basis, and laboratory work, in most cases, yields limited personal contact. My career also had to be one that would always challenge me.
These two separate experiences prompted me to re-evaluate my plans to become a scientific researcher. I began to venture outside the laboratory to discover if patient care was really the career avenue I should be taking. I began my introspective search by volunteering in an emergency department. On my first night, I observed a patient who had gotten a deep cut in one of his fingers. I looked at the finger, and the Back and Limbs section of Medical Gross Anatomy came flooding into my mind. I understood the ER doctors discussion of the case and was delighted to see that I was able to apply the knowledge I obtained from my medical school courses.
This ER experience sparked intellectual excitement; however, I felt that in order to be able to commit my life to a career as a physician, I needed an emotional connection as well. Therefore, I decided to volunteer as a research assistant for the OGL study, the Obesity, Genetics, and Lifestyle Study. This would afford me more direct patient contact, as I would be responsible for each patients completion of the study tasks. The most significant experience I had while working in this study was with a man that weighed over 400 pounds. In order to perform a specific physical test, it was necessary for him to remove his shoes and sit on the bed. He did this and found that he needed to lie down to make himself more comfortable. After I performed the test, he attempted to get up and put on his shoe. I saw that he was having difficulty, so told him he could just lay back and relax while I put his shoe on. He seemed embarrassed by this. I put his shoe on quickly but gently, and made a joke to break the tension. I saw that he then trusted me and appreciated my help. By sensitively helping him with this small task that he could not do himself and showing him my care for his feelings, I felt I had won his trust. This was a wonderful feeling.
This was the experience that sparked me emotionally. I realized that I could leave my coveted indelible mark on the world; not through speaking appointments at institutions worldwide, but by impacting people daily by helping them in their time of need. I found that the way I most wanted to apply my knowledge was not by running experiments in a laboratory, but by suturing a cut finger or bringing someone out of a trauma.
As I volunteered and shadowed more emergency room physicians and different surgeons, I realized that teamwork was an essential part of their daily activities. Many of them also said that an aspect of their work they loved was that they were constantly challenged, and that their work never became monotonous. Discovering that I shared the personality trait (of needing challenge???) with many physicians pleased me. The more I spoke with them and observed their daily activities, the more I realized that this was the type of life I wanted to lead.
My sister asked me to post her personal statement on the forum. For those of you who are interested in editing to take a look at it and put your two cents in. Please feel free to make revisions in a different color in your replies or just reply with feedback of what is missing or what needs to be removed. Thanks.
Personal Statement
I, like most people, have always desired to affect the world in a positive way, leaving a (footprint???) of my doings for future generations. When taking stock of my intellectual proclivities and personality strengths, I came to the conclusions that a career as a scientific researcher would be a good vehicle by which to make my positive effect. I fantasized that one day I would be an expert in my field and be invited to give lectures worldwide. When I began my Masters program in the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, I thought that I was well on my way towards my dream career.
However, upon the commencing my studies in the medical school, I discovered several previously unrealized aspects of myself. One was that I enjoyed hard work and loved being challenged. I also enjoyed the camaraderie with my peers as we all put our best efforts into our classes. Also, in addition to the other medical school courses I took, I had a penchant for Medical Gross Anatomy, helping to teach it the summer after I completed it, and again to dental students in the second year of my program. After completing the course requirements for my program, I began to work towards completion of my Masters thesis by working in a laboratory. This experience also yielded several realizations. The first was that I did not enjoy laboratory experimentation as much as I had enjoyed my medical school courses. The second one was that I needed a career in which I would interact with people on a daily basis, and laboratory work, in most cases, yields limited personal contact. My career also had to be one that would always challenge me.
These two separate experiences prompted me to re-evaluate my plans to become a scientific researcher. I began to venture outside the laboratory to discover if patient care was really the career avenue I should be taking. I began my introspective search by volunteering in an emergency department. On my first night, I observed a patient who had gotten a deep cut in one of his fingers. I looked at the finger, and the Back and Limbs section of Medical Gross Anatomy came flooding into my mind. I understood the ER doctors discussion of the case and was delighted to see that I was able to apply the knowledge I obtained from my medical school courses.
This ER experience sparked intellectual excitement; however, I felt that in order to be able to commit my life to a career as a physician, I needed an emotional connection as well. Therefore, I decided to volunteer as a research assistant for the OGL study, the Obesity, Genetics, and Lifestyle Study. This would afford me more direct patient contact, as I would be responsible for each patients completion of the study tasks. The most significant experience I had while working in this study was with a man that weighed over 400 pounds. In order to perform a specific physical test, it was necessary for him to remove his shoes and sit on the bed. He did this and found that he needed to lie down to make himself more comfortable. After I performed the test, he attempted to get up and put on his shoe. I saw that he was having difficulty, so told him he could just lay back and relax while I put his shoe on. He seemed embarrassed by this. I put his shoe on quickly but gently, and made a joke to break the tension. I saw that he then trusted me and appreciated my help. By sensitively helping him with this small task that he could not do himself and showing him my care for his feelings, I felt I had won his trust. This was a wonderful feeling.
This was the experience that sparked me emotionally. I realized that I could leave my coveted indelible mark on the world; not through speaking appointments at institutions worldwide, but by impacting people daily by helping them in their time of need. I found that the way I most wanted to apply my knowledge was not by running experiments in a laboratory, but by suturing a cut finger or bringing someone out of a trauma.
As I volunteered and shadowed more emergency room physicians and different surgeons, I realized that teamwork was an essential part of their daily activities. Many of them also said that an aspect of their work they loved was that they were constantly challenged, and that their work never became monotonous. Discovering that I shared the personality trait (of needing challenge???) with many physicians pleased me. The more I spoke with them and observed their daily activities, the more I realized that this was the type of life I wanted to lead.
Best of luck! 
