Makeover #4 ANESTHESIOLOGY PERSONAL STATEMENT - Part III (Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3)

AFTER (The Revelation)- The patient has recovered !

OOn my way home from a tough clinical rotation I always ask myself, “Am I enjoying my life?” I would start wondering where I have been since I started my medical training. Even though I majored in engineering in college, I always had an inclination for the medical field. At the time when I graduated from Boston, I was very happy to find a job at theBig CityTelephone Company (now known as CellularCo). I had a good size debt as well an obligation to help my parents financially. I considered myself lucky to find such a job. that was ten minutes from home and I earned an above average starting engineering salary. Over the years, I was able to pay the rest of the mortgage of my parents’ home and save enough to allow me to ponder a career change which led me to anesthesiology. [Here we hear about the specialty choice much higher]

The critical question that I asked myself when I decided to pursue a different career was, “Where do you see yourself in ten years?” I found I did not have much freedom with my career in the company. I was a nuts and bolts kind of guy who likes to build or get involved in the mechanism how things worked, but the company was more oriented in service. During my search I came to a realization about an opportunity that I once thought impossible. I found courage in the saying, “You only live once.” I decided to commit myself to the pursuit of a medical degree. I decided to get that degree by any means, even if it meant studying at an international medical school.

During my various clinical rotations I found subjects that I initially thought I would not enjoy to be exciting and special in their own ways. For example, in Pediatrics, I was amazed with the way children became well, and how beautiful the smiles in children can be. However, rotation after rotation I found myself willing to go the extra distance to do a procedure. I found various procedures challenging to get them right the first time and with minimal discomfort to the patient. During my anesthesiology rotation I could not get enough of putting intravenous lines or performing intubations. Although a procedure can become routine each patient can present a serious challenge. A routine procedure can lead to a complex case. [Again, here in this version, we hear much earlier about the applicant's choice to go into anesthesia and some of the reasons that led him there.]

I believe there is more to anesthesiology than just procedures. I can remember doing my first clinical rotation and entering an operating room. I thought the action was in the surgery, but after being on the other side of the blue drape, I recognized the importance of anesthesiologist in the operating room. Everyone looks toward the anesthesiologist whenever something goes wrong. Even the surgeons stare at the anesthesiologist for answers when a patient crashes. [Good, we hear more about the human and patient side of the case compared to just the procedural aspect.]

There is nothing more uplifting when one learns to cope with a difficult situation. There is a sense of accomplishment and an incredible life changing experience. No doubt stress during a critical moment can be unbearable. I can remember a stressful situation when I was rotating through the Pediatric Emergency Department. An 8-year-old boy just came into the ER from a motor vehicle accident. Initially he was talking and moving about, but within few minutes he passed out and the whole cast of ER and surgical teams was alarmed. I could feel the agonizing perplexity in the faces of the ER and surgical physicians especially seeing and hearing the boy’s mom crying. I felt lost not knowing what was happening to the boy. At that moment I realized I had to separate my emotions from my reasoning and start thinking about medicine.I knew that moment I was hooked on the drama.

Fortunately most cases of anesthesia that I have seen do not lead to such harrowing experience. One thing that I took away from the above incident is that experience is much more powerful than knowledge, especially when you don’t have much time to think. This combination of challenging moments with hands on procedures enticed me to anesthesiology. Being a nuts and bolt kind of guy, I want a career where I will be challenged grappling with not just book knowledge but the interweaving of hands on experience with book facts, and having the freedom to develop the “art of anesthesiology.” [ Mentioning a bit about any career goals would also be appropriate.]

[This version of the essay if vastly improved compared to the original personal statement. This version condenses the journey to a career in medicine. After all this is a RESIDENCY personal statement, not a medical school essay. We hear much more about anesthesiology and how the writer reached their goal of finding a career in the field. The overall personal statement is much more succinct, clear, and focussed.]

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