Makeover #3 RADIOLOGY PERSONAL STATEMENT - Part I (Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3)

BEFORE (Unedited)- Pulseless [Next Page]

I found medicine in Europe. My future as a doctor was etched in the sky over the Coliseum, and in the walls of the Roman Imperial Forum. I felt certain of it.

Before visiting Europe, I could never have imagined choosing between the multitude of career paths that lay before me. My childhood had been filled with incredibly diverse experience, including rigorous academics, piano and guitar lessons, opera, the theater, and an abundance of travel. I had entered college undecided, contemplating law, archeology, and music, as well as medicine. During my senior year at Some Big University in Metropolis, I traveled to Rome to study art history, the Italian language, and other liberal arts subjects. Living outside my usual context caused me to look inward, to discover who I was and who I wanted to become. Medicine to me represented the crossroads of life in which the paths of art, science, the humanities, as well as the never ending quest for knowledge met. I could only see my future self as a doctor.

I decided to study medicine in European City, Europe, because my father had been born there, and because my own international experiences had been positive. Medical University, a six-year program, incorporated a rigorous curriculum with oral examinations. Coming from a different system of learning, I had to work extremely hard just to keep pace with my peers. Struggling to learn a new language and culture was humbling. Additionally, living in post-communist Eastern Europe presented daily challenges. Fumbling through endless lines and needless burocracies seemed overwhelming at times, but I still managed to excel in my studies. At Medical University, I was especially grateful for the multinational student body, which allowed me to learn about the different cultures of my colleagues. This allowed me to enhance my cultural sensitivity, which will help me converse easily with patients and couleges of all cultures.

While my pre-clinical training in Europe was strong, I knew I would optimize my cslinical exposure by entering a program that would allow me to perform my clerkships in the U.S. After all, the U.S. is the world leader in medical practice and technology. I transferred to a Caribbean school, which has allowed me to do my clinical training close to my friends and family in my home city of Metropolis.

While I found medicine in Europe, I found radiology in Metrolopolis. During my third year clerkships, I began to take great interest in the field. Throughout my rotations in internal medicine, pediatrics, and surgery, I found myself gravitating toward the radiology department to look at my patients’ films. I would watch as watch as the radiologist would discuss the location of a meniscal tear with the orthopod, review the MR angiography of the brain with the neurologist, and discuss an OB ultrasound with the family practitioner, all within a matter of minutes. I was impressed by the sheer scope of the radiologist’s knowledge. In my eyes, radiology became the most complete field of medicine. I began to feel that the radiologist’s knowledge of anatomy, pathology, and physiology was deeper than that of other specialists. Additionally, I enjoyed the technological aspect of the field. Having grown up with a strong background in computers, radiology seemed the ideal intersection of the body with technology. In particular, I found myself interested in virtual colonoscopy, MRCP, MR angiography, and CT guided tissue sampling. In a field where the primary role of the physician is that of a consultant, interpersonal skills are imperative. I believe that my personal experiences have helped prepare me to excel in this aspect.

Though I had to cross an ocean to learn my future was in medicine, I needed only to return home to fall in love with a specialty. I know now that radiology is my future, and I look forward to that future with intense anticipation.

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