MEDICINE RESIDENCY PERSONAL STATEMENT

Doctors are highly respected for their noble spirit in saving lives, as well as giving hope and bringing joy to the patients and their families. To be an effective doctor, one has to be cognizant of and familiar with the process of learning to keep up with the innovations in the medical field through continuing education, research, practical experience and better patient care. My wish to incorporate these realms in my personal and professional life has shaped the wanting to pursue a career in internal medicine.

The foundation of my learning started in my family that has been pivotal in my development as a person. [not important to an application for residency. High school was a long time ago] I have chosen a field in medicine based on my long-standing fascination with involving learning of complex and varied nature of disease processes. I experienced the most excitement from my time in Internal medicine. Medicine offered me the opportunity to integrate my basic science knowledge with clinical care. In no other rotation, did I have the hands-on application of basic sciences; every case was a mini-experiment in physiology, pharmacology and pathology. My clinical experiences in medical school were the most rewarding and provided me the ability to connect and spend time learning more about the patient's medical condition and understand their inner feelings. Working with patients of all ages and backgrounds helped me discover that one can almost always do something specific and helpful for each patient, usually leading to an improvement of the patient’s problem, allowing them resume an active lifestyle.

The knowledge base and practical experience acquired during medical school helped me gain experiences in a wide range of specialties and show compassion, concern, care to the patients. I found every patient interaction to be something new and enjoyable. I particularly remember a 40 yr old male diabetic patient who suddenly became unconscious in the ward. My initial diagnosis of hypoglycemia was correct and the IV dextrose given to the patient helped the patient recover immediately. The satisfaction one experiences when a patient recovers from a near death to normal state is truly indescribable. The variety of clinical encounters, procedures, and degrees of illness make internal medicine extremely appealing to me. The experience of assisting my attendings in various procedures like pleural fluid aspiration, liver biopsy, lumbar puncture and cardio pulmonary resuscitation continued to challenge me to learn the art and science of medicine.

Throughout my medical training, I have enjoyed learning from great teachers who taught me to think, and who made the process of learning challenging as well as fun. On a personal level, I find my time away from medicine rejuvenating as well in spending time traveling, creative preparation and presentation of ethnic foods and being with my husband enables me to return to work refreshed. . I feel blessed to have a husband and family who encourage me and provide support in all walks of my life.

I am enthusiastic to train at a program that involves clinical practice, education, and research. It is my sincere hope that I will continue to grow as a physician, not only in my knowledge base and procedural skills, but also in my humanistic attributes: to demonstrate compassion, integrity, and respect to my patients. I perceive the medical education and practice as a place not just to survive, but also to thrive.