Real Essays From Stanford Medical Students

Comments Regarding Plagiarism

The essays contained within this document were written by current Stanford medical
students and have been carefully read and reviewed by file reviewers, interviewers, and
admissions staff and officers at Stanford Medical School as well as dozens of other
medical schools across the country. We must emphasize that you need to be honest in
writing your personal statements. If you borrow material or use quotes from other
sources, mae sure to credit them appropriately. !ot giving credit where it is due is not
only disastrous to your essay, but it is also illegal. "dmissions officers read hundreds,
and even thousands of personal statements each year, and have developed a fine tune
sense for detecting plagiarism as well as remembering the essays they#ve read. $ou
owe it to yourself to be hones, open, and sincere in writing your personal essay as it is a
reflection of yourself and what is important in your life and your decision to pursue a
career in medicine.
Stanford Essays
The following essays were written by real Stanford medical students in preparing their
applications. We suggest that you read through all of the essays to get a diverse view of
the types of themes and styles which have been successfully used for personal
statements. %ach personal statement is e&actly that, personal. !o one format or style
will wor for everyone. 'owever, there are structures and themes which are common
throughout. These essays are meant to give you an in depth loo inside previous
applicants# writing and what has gone into their decisions to enter the field of medicine.
"ll essays are presented in their original format, unaltered. In certain cases, personal
identifiers have been removed to protect the privacy of the essay writer. These essays
are meant to be a learning tool for you as well as a source of inspiration, not a source for
copying or imitation. (lagiarism from these or any essays is illegal. We hope you en)oy
the following essays, and we wish you the best of luc throughout your writing and
application process.
Personal Statement #1:
The classroom and the *++,meter oval trac, although very different venues, have
taught me complementary and interwoven lessons. -oncepts in physiology,
biochemistry, and nutrition can be applied to elements of running, such as developing
more effective training methods and learning how to optimize substrate utilization in
order to achieve pea physical performance. The methodology developed through
research has enhanced my development as an athlete. .or instance, I can investigate a
training method and evaluate its effectiveness in increasing my physical performance to
better individualize my preparation. /n the other hand, running has taught me lessons
in teamwor and cooperation that improve my ability to interact in academic and
professional settings. 0unning also teaches lessons in self,discipline, perseverance, and
endurance which contribute to my success as a scientist. I have applied these character
traits fostered from running to becoming a better scientist. In turn, to me running has
evolved into a science. The application of science to health is medicine and is a natural
evolution of my interests that I would love to pursue.
"s in science, I had to learn the basics of running. My initial awward form disappeared
through a few years of training and dedication, and I evolved into an athlete. I was
fortunate to compete against the best athletes both at national competitions and at the
World -hampionships in 1elfast, Ireland. These competitions inspired and challenged
me to see my full potential. /f equal importance, through running, I was introduced to
topics in biology, chemistry, physics and physiology. It was at a running camp where I
first learned about "T( and made one of my first tangible connections between science
and sport. "s my talents grew in running, it was equally rewarding to find my nowledge
in the sciences e&panding. These concepts were reinforced as I started to research the
purpose of each worout. 1y the end of high school, my interests in science were high
and I became interested in pursuing a career in medicine.
These interests in medicine and running guided my e&periences at Stanford. The
opportunities to e&plore and e&pand my previous nowledge were limitless2 I was lie a
id in a candy shop. I indulged in topics of e&ercise physiology, human biology, human
nutrition and sports psychology. These topics were not only fascinating but also
en)oyable to put into practice. "s I continued to apply these concepts to my training, I
found some e&planations unsatisfying. .or e&ample, I could not e&plain my propensity
towards e&periencing heat e&haustion. " presentation on thermal regulation research
inspired me to perform two years of research. The culmination of my efforts led to an
honors thesis on the application of a thermoregulatory device to improve human physical
performance. In my efforts to apply this science to the pursuit of better running, I
persuaded my coaches to allow me to bring the thermoregulatory device to the !-""
Trac -hampionships in 1aton 0ouge, 3ouisiana. "pplication of the thermoregulation
technology was successful in helping my teammates and me achieve our personal
bests. This e&perience served as a catalyst for my investigation of additional research
topics. /bservations about how my mental outloo impacted my performance outcome
resulted in the completion of a senior tutorial in sports psychology. .ollowing graduation,
I learned more about the mind,body connection through neuroimaging research focused
on how to characterize and understand mild traumatic brain in)uries as well as mental
disorders, including Williams syndrome and narcolepsy with cataple&y. These
e&periences were rewarding e&amples of how better health care can be obtained
through medical research.
The topics of science, research, and athletics e&plored through being a student,athlete
have prepared me for the medical field. 3ie a clinician, I quizzically e&plore topics in
science and research with the same fervor that I approach my training plans and racing
schedule. I have learned to tolerate great pain and sacrifice to reach my goals. I#m not
an ascetic4 rather, I have high personal e&pectations and possess the confidence in my
abilities to reach new levels in my running as well as in science. These traits are
especially tested during in)ury, where I have learned to eep a positive attitude in the
face of adversity. These character traits have prepared me for the upcoming challenges
of medical school. I have received additional direction towards the medical field during
times of in)ury and illness, where I have found comfort through my e&periences in
woring with various doctors. Their role has e&tended beyond providing a superficial
diagnosis and treatment of my in)uries to addressing my overall health, both physical
and mental. These doctors have served as my paradigm for being a physician. 3ie
these doctors, I want to inspire and guide my patients to see better health. Through my
e&posure to various clinical populations, I am confident in my ability to be an advocate
for all of my patients, and my desire to serve others in this capacity has guided me
towards the medical profession. 3ie an athlete, I have prepared for this opportunity.
-hallenge me. I will perform.
Personal Statement #2:
5I hope my brain doesn6t start melting.5
I don6t recall much of what happened ne&t, but I do remember thining that as I watched
my temperature creep past 7+*.. When I regained my composure, I was out of the
heated chamber and in a cold shower, my sweat,drenched clothes still on and the
temperature probes still dangling from my body. Slumped over, my mind slowly started to
function again as a sense of satisfaction settled in. "nother e&periment done, another
data set complete...all in all, another good day at wor.
I hope that by testing on myself I6ll be able to tae the necessary riss to mae
discoveries that can improve lives and push the envelope of current nowledge.
Moreover, I hope that one day all of my self,testing and probing might help treat heat
stroe victims, develop new cooling techniques, and save lives. "fter a quic cleanup
and snac, I gather myself together, leave the e&ercise lab, and start running. Most of
the time during the 8 hours of swimming, biing, and running I thin about the Ironman.
9ust thining about the race fills me with a sense of e&citement, fear, and pride all mi&ed
into one. I chose this race because I admire how its finishers are made, not born. I6m not
a natural swim champ, a 3ance "rmstrong, or a :enyan runner. I6m a guy who believes
in the value of challenges and discipline, and that the easy road may not tae you where
you really want to go.
When I finish my worout and my body6s pain finally turns into rela&ation, I head bac to
the lab to wor. I enter the hospital and wal by the myriad of patients lining the hallways
leading to my office. Whenever I tae this route I feel an unfulfilled sadness. I see
crippling pain in each person6s face, posture, and gaze as they watch people pass by.
They sit in their wheelchairs trapped, unable to move and live freely. It feels unfair that I
can worout when so many around me can barely move. %very day I want to help these
individuals and alleviate their physical suffering. "s a result, every day my desire to
become a doctor grows stronger.
Sitting at my des and analyzing stacs of data, afternoon transforms into night. I start
thining about the events of my day and I as myself2 why do I do all this; I pause for a
few moments to reflect. I do all this because I want to better prepare myself to help
people lie those who shared their lives with me during my high school and
undergraduate clinical e&periences , people with heart disease, diabetes, cancer,
leuemia, and "I<S. I do all this because I want to personally and directly improve the
quality of people6s lives, and because I believe there is no greater good than helping the
sic become healthy.
Waling through the darness to my car, I can6t help but thin about )ourneys and
destinations. The average hyperthermia e&periment is 7= miles of cycling and lasts >+
minutes. The Ironman spans 7*+ miles and taes roughly 7? hours. The road to
becoming a good physician has no set distance and can last a lifetime. 'owever, it is the
one that I am more eager to travel than any other, and it is one I am the most prepared
to wor for, commit myself to, and pursue no matter what it may require.
Personal Statement #3:
I never planned on going to college. 1y the time I was si&teen I had stopped going to
school to train full,time as a competitive ice dancer. The intensity of the wor, the sense
that every moment of my day was devoted to accomplishing a single goal, was
immensely gratifying, as were the artistry and the challenge of competition. 'owever, my
life was insular and solipsistic. My sating partner was verbally and sometimes
physically abusive, coaches determined how I spent nearly every moment of every day,
and I new few people outside sating besides my academic tutors. I sensed that if I
continued to devote myself to sating, I would never grow up. Two wees before college
applications were due, I decided to apply.
"t college I initially studied painting because I loved woring with my hands and
observing fine details and saw parallels between sating and art. @I still couldn#t quite
imagine myself a non,sater.A I new I wanted to do something that involved more
human contact and intellectual challenge, but wasn#t sure what that thing should be. I
turned to philosophy because I new it would provide e&posure to a myriad of different
disciplines and modes of thought.
"fter graduation, I became a research assistant at the BBBB 1ioethics Institute, focusing
on ethical issues in embryonic stem cell research and on clinical ethics. I sent out weely
emails with citations of publications on controversial areas of medicine and science. In
the midst of scanning (!"S or 9"M" for the relevant articlesCsay, on the rights of
vegetative patientsCI inevitably found myself absorbed in a description of the pathology
of the vegetative state, or the D-linician#s -ornerE, or D-ase 0ecords of the
Massachusetts Feneral 'ospitalE. The doctors I met at meetings weren#t )ust reading
and writing about things that happened. They were maing things happen, and I envied
their engagement and responsibility. The Institute was located in a hospital, and the
patients I passed everyday intrigued me. What was going on in their bodies and how and
why had it happened; I could tell from watching patients and their families waiting in
hallways how vulnerable illness had rendered them, and I longed to help them directly. I
imagined the difference stem cell differentiation, something that enthralled me, might
mae in their lives and wanted to see it firsthand. In pursuit of clinical e&posure, I began
volunteering at a medical clinic and ultimately solidified my commitment to medicine by
)oining BBBB#s (ost,1accalaureate (remedical (rogram.
Woring at the clinic has allowed me to grow in ways that were impossible as a sater
and artist. The patients are all homeless, and many suffer from drug addiction and other
psychiatric disorders. They have challenged me to become more understanding and
empathetic and to question my values. Most of our patients suffer from slight or chronic
infirmities, and others often need medication that we cannot provide. The clinic#s wor
may seem small in scale4 however, our occasional victories are far more meaningful to
me than any of my achievements as a sater, artist or bioethicist. /ne patient#s piny
had been crushed years ago so it appeared half the normal size. "s he e&tended it to
me, he looed ashamed and reluctant, wanting to hide its ugliness. I held out my own
piny, which was partially amputated in a sating accident, and showed how when I bent
it the scar made a shape lie a smiling face. 'e laughed and told me we were Dpiny
buddiesE and that he#d always remember me. 'e gave me a hug, and I left clinic elated. I
could not fi& his hand, yet I had helped relieve his embarrassment. 'e and his fellow
patients face so many difficulties that they cannot control. I feel truly fortunate to be able
to give them anything that might better their physical or emotional health.
!ine months ago, pursuant to the interest I developed in stem cells at the 1ioethics
Institute, I began volunteering at a neurology lab at BBBB that uses mouse stem cells
e&tensively in its research. I#m now woring full,time and am currently focusing on a
pro)ect e&amining the role of myelin in protecting a&ons from cell death. "lthough I
began my wor at the lab with virtually no e&perience or specialized nowledge, I am
now able to thin critically about our e&periments and engage in discussions of research
design and direction. I#m e&cited and proud because I now our wor may some day
mae a difference for patients lie those I have seen lingering in hospital corridors.
Seeing once,paralyzed rats begin to wal because of stem cell in)ections and
understanding the mechanism by which their transformation occurred is a thrill. Some
day, I hope to see patients, not rats, taing their first steps, and that what now seems a
Dmiracle cureE will have become standard treatment.
1ecause we live in a world where technology is a dominant force, it is more important
than ever that scientific innovation be paired with sensitivity and wisdom. This marriage
is most clearly manifest in medicine. "s a clinician, I loo forward to engaging in the
practice of medicine as a science and an art in the service of humanity.
Personal Statement #4:
The newborn lying before me was abnormally swollen from edema maing him resemble
the characters of a 1otero painting. 5'e was born with a diaphragmatic hernia,5 <r.
Schreiber e&plained. 5The intestines migrated into the area of the left lung, preventing
normal development. We have reoriented the intestines and hope for a positive
outcome.5 /bserving the 1otero baby6s tiny, IG tube covered body, I felt amazed by the
technology that ept him not only alive, but on a path towards recovery. 3eaving the neo
natal intensive care unit, I felt lie healthcare was simply physicians employing scientific
discoveries to achieve the best possible outcome. 1ut then I saw it2 the 1oteroH baby had
a family. The man and woman stood at each side of his crib, with silent tears falling down
their faces. "s I watched <r. Schrieber gently touch the woman6s shoulder while offering
her a chair, I new my perception of medicine had changed. I realized medicine involves
more than technology and science4 medicine is an art that blends physical treatment with
compassion. " caring physician embraces this art and treats patients with nowledge
and empathy.
My commitment to become a compassionate physician developed over the path of many
years, with my desire to be a positive force in society leading me. I6ve always nown my
calling was biology. .rom a child studying bird bones to an undergraduate publishing a
paper in the 9ournal of 1iological -hemistry to a researcher developing a human blood
sorter at a biotechnology company, "rry&, my love of biology has shaped my ambitions
and dreams. In fact, my love of biology initially led me to a pre,medical path. 'owever,
woring in the -ancer -enter at the Iniversity of "rizona I met patients desperate for
any new treatment because conventional treatments had failed them. I began to believe
that the most effective way to improve healthcare would be through research, and
therefore continued to wor in cancer research labs for the ne&t two years. !ow, as I
wor at "rry& and can manipulate hundreds of individual cells at once to test cell,to,cell
interactions and drug delivery with cellular response, I find even more hope that
research will bring about technologies that will improve healthcare outcomes. 'owever, I
have seen numerous times that advancing technology will never be adequate enough to
replace the compassionate aspect of medicine or be adequate enough to fully comfort
those suffering from terminal diseases right now.
Golunteering in the palliative care unit of !orthwestern Memorial 'ospital, I have
interacted with patients distressed by une&pected paralysis to patients suffering from
terminal diseases lie "I<S. /ne afternoon while I was volunteering, I was warned that
room ?7 would be very demanding. "fter responding to three calls in ten minutes, I
ased if she would lie some company. 'er name was 0uth and she was paralyzed from
the waist down from a fall. I held her hand and listened to her as she sobbingly told me
her fears of losing independence and burdening her busy surgeon son. I reassured her
that she could remain independent even if she couldn6t wal and her son would not
consider caring for her a burden. "s I was preparing to leave the room so she could rest,
she said 5Than you. $ou treated me lie a person, not a patient.5 "lthough I had not
cured her paralysis or lessened her pain, I did mae 0uth feel loved and cared for that
afternoon. The satisfaction I felt nowing I had made her difficult time a little better is
something I will never tire of or tae for granted.
I have found that having this empathy and understanding of others has translated well
outside of the clinical setting. "s a founding member and officer of Students "dvocating
the Treatment of %ating <isorders @S"T%<A, I saw the effect sincerity and sensitivity
could have with e&tremely personal and private diseases. I led an effort to establish a
confidential and anonymous email help service for our campus in con)unction with the
Iniversity of -hicago 'ospitals. We received several help requests a year and
subsequent than you emails. %ven though I was not with the person on the receiving
end of these emails, nowing that the person in need was a step closer to getting help
gave me a sense of satisfaction I can6t achieve through research alone.
The science behind medicine has always fascinated me and given me hope that positive
changes in healthcare are )ust around the corner. 'owever, the humanistic art of
medicine is where I believe I can mae the biggest impact in society. " 1otero painting is
not successful because 1otero dutifully fills in the lines with paint, analogous to a
physician simply reading the scientific information in front of him and ordering an &,ray. "
1otero painting is successful because he establishes a relationship with the viewer and
taes the wor beyond color within lines. The humanistic art of medicine taes the
practice of medicine beyond science6s lines and adds the relationships between the
physician and patient. Through my e&periences, I have realized that I have the desire
and sills to be this artist of medicine, bringing trust and empathy to medical care as a
physician.
Personal Statement #5:
I am not sure which was more shocing for me to hear2 the fact that Tina had run away
from home or the calmness of her foster mother6s voice as she delivered the news. Tina
was now at the 'arlem 'ospital -enter, recovering from days of not taing any insulin.
Watching her lie in the hospital bed, IG in arm, I wondered if our modest, student,run
program was really fulfilling its mission of educating teens about healthy habits and
proper diabetes care. (art of me wanted to remind her again that she should carry
insulin with her at all times, but I new that what she needed now more than ever was a
reminder that we cared about her and that we wanted her to get well. Sure enough, we
coa&ed a smile out of her, which was all I needed to remind me why I had decided to
volunteer with TI<%S in the first place.
In the fall of ?++7, seven other students and I ran the <iabetes (ilot (rogram under the
organization (ro)ect '%"3T'. "lthough we are now called TI<%S @Type I <iabetes
%ducation and SupportA, our goal of providing a safe environment where teens can learn
about diabetes with their peers has persisted. <esigning creative 5lessons5 each wee,
including trips to the supermaret and rounds of <iabetes 9eopardy, also taught me
about carb counting and coping with hypoglycemia. "lthough we stuc to the basics of
daily care, I felt that my ability to advise was limited by being neither a medical e&pert
nor a diabetic. Instead, I focused on something I new I could offer2 my mentorship. In
fact, some of my most vivid memories from TI<%S are not from the program at all2 taing
9immy to -entral (ar6s Winter .estival, watching a taewondo tournament with
Shatema, and visiting Tina at the hospital. The ids new that I gave them advice they
needed to hear, but what made them actually listen were our friendships. My willingness
to connect with them and earn their trust is a quality that I believe is necessary in the
field of medicine.
My compassion for the teenagers naturally developed into a concern for the program
itself. "fter only four semesters, the volunteers with whom I had launched the program
with were graduating, so as a sophomore, I felt responsible for ensuring the program6s
continuity. "side from overseeing the logistics as a (rogram -oordinator, I archived our
materials on (ro)ect '%"3T'6s Intranets website for future programs. Setting up regular
meetings with our mentors at the !aomi 1errie <iabetes -enter and contacting other
hospitals and schools resulted in new participants. (erhaps most satisfying for me was
holding our first family dinner, which allowed the parents to meet the volunteers. I am
hopeful that as TI<%S continues to grow, it will find a place within the ids6 diabetes care
by providing e&tra support4 sometimes prescribing the correct dosage is simply not
enough.
0ealizing what living with Type I diabetes entailed inspired me to e&pand my
commitment into the larger diabetic community. "s a volunteer intern in the /nline
Services department of the 9uvenile <iabetes 0esearch .oundation @9<0.A, I focused
on collecting pertinent articles from the old children6s website and presenting them in a
id,friendly manner on the redesigned 9<0. :ids /nline. "s I helped rebuild a resource
I had often used before, I was drawn to the hundreds of 9<0.,supported abstracts
posted online from around the world. What captivated me about <r. :evan 'erold was
not only that he was at the forefront of diabetes research right here at -olumbia, but also
that he had given his time to be interviewed for the 50ole Models5 section of :ids /nline.
To mae up for my ine&perience in the lab, <r. 'erold had me wor with both clinical
fellows and post, doc researchers culturing cells with antibodies, identifying mouse
islets, and running ."-Scans. Ising Mi&ed Meal Tolerance Tests from a national clinical
study, <iabetes (revention Trial,7, I calculated -, peptide secretion and evaluated
various physiological factors. My preliminary analysis was used in a review paper for
5<iabetes5, and now as a full,time research assistant, I will e&pand on that analysis for
my own submission of a paper in "ugust ?++=. In research, the challenge lies in pairing
the information with the proper procedures. 9ust as I tailored the structure and
curriculum of TI<%S to the ids6 needs through gradual changes, my research pro)ects
require me to be fle&ible and open to different perspectives.
In my senior year, I was able to give bac to the organization that so inspired me by
serving as a Student <irector on the three,year,old national 1oard of <irectors. Meetings
and conference calls spent evaluating (ro)ect '%"3T' programs and discussing future
e&pansion ensured that other students could serve the communities as I had, but they
felt very detached compared to the direct impact I had on the ids at program. "s a
student, TI<%S allowed me to affect the teens6 habits and attitudes, but I could not eep
them out of the hospital. "s a doctor, pairing my compassion with a more precise
nowledge of the treatments my patients will need will allow me to offer more substantial
and individualized support. Spending hours with the ids ,, my ids ,, each weeend
showed me that until a cure is found, providing the best care possible is of utmost
importance.
Personal Statement #:
When my youthful curiosity led me to swallow a penny at the tender age of five, I did not
foresee two important consequences of my actions2 7A the chance of impending physical
doom, ?A the ensuing challenge to my naive view of medicine. My idealistic view of the
physician as a miracle,worer was indeed threatened when the physician taing care of
me was unable to remove the penny. " few years later, my view was challenged again
as a doctor e&plained how he could not heal my congenital heart condition. Since my
early interest in becoming a physician was based upon the miraculous power to heal, my
e&periences shoo my naive conceptions of medicine and challenged me to reconsider
my career goals.
" friend later addressed my ideological quandary by suggesting that love is presence.
This statement reveals a way to love despite insuperable barriers and has colored my
encounters with the terminally ill. Two years ago, I spent a summer at <ana .arber
-ancer Institute in 1oston, developing a program that provides music lessons to women
with cancer. I e&pressly recall teaching cello to one woman in a late stage of breast
cancer. I new my actions would not cure her, yet I loved with presence. This capacity to
love with presence was appealing, and for a while I considered becoming a music
therapist. !evertheless, the immovable barriers of affliction I encountered were far too
menacing to be left unaddressed4 since my time at <ana .arber, half of the patients I
befriended have passed away. "fter realizing the cost of inaction, I decided to search for
a career involving not only presence but also action against affliction.
Since research provides a vehicle for such action, I delved into several research efforts
at $ale. <uring my senior year, I performed a pilot study that identified a protein that may
be involved in the etiology of autism. I also wored on a pro)ect run at the $ale -hild
Study -enter that revealed how autistic children focus too closely on the mouths of
speaing individuals. In addition, I was the principal investigator of a study e&amining the
emotional response of autistic individuals to music. These e&periences have drawn me
to research as I have seen its potential to engage disease. 1ut could I pursue research
for the rest of my life; This question resonated in my head countless times and is still
faintly heard. I am attracted to research by its potential for action but am detracted by its
distance from the afflicted and its consequent neglect of presence. Insatisfied, I looed
for a vocation involving both presence and action.
To my parent6s dismay, I ne&t considered becoming a pastor. What drew me to pastoral
ministry was the capacity to love with both presence and action. This became evident
over the years as I have spent countless hours counseling and mentoring those afflicted
with spiritual concerns. In truth, this interest originated from a broad conception of
affliction I hold that encompasses even the spiritual. 1eyond the physical and spiritual, I
have also e&tended my personal philosophy to social, economic, and emotional affliction
by founding The Musical -ure at $ale, an organization engaged in a struggle against
poverty, mortality, and social in)ustice. "s my conception of affliction continued to
broaden, I began to see many e&citing career paths in various fields. Thought, prayer,
and counsel have revealed, however, that my efforts would be best spent focusing on
one form of affliction.
This circuitous path has thus brought me bac to medicine. In considering music
therapy, research, and ministry as potential vocations, I have confirmed my desire to
become a physician and to focus on physical affliction. !onetheless, my e&periences in
these fields have helped me to forge a new conception of medicine which I can uphold
as a future physician. .rom my interactions with cancer patients, I have learned of the
capacity to love when facing terminal illness. My research pursuits have revealed the
importance of action in combination with presence. .inally, my e&periences with religion
and social service have stretched my conception of affliction.
In the year to come, I hope to integrate one final element into my developing creed,
constancy. %arlier in this account, I divulged only half of my friend6s helpful statement.
The full statement is as follows2 love is presence, and presence is constancy. "s I
continue to espouse my philosophy of loving through presence and action, I also hope to
develop constancy. !e&t year, I will continue developing the previous elements of my
credo through research and religious study. In the lab of <r. Michael Freenberg in
1oston, I will continue my research pursuits in a study e&amining the signals involved in
a&onal guidance. My interest in spiritual affliction will continue as I pursue a Masters in
Theological Studies at 'arvard. .urther, I will foster constancy by returning to <ana
.arber to continue teaching one of the surviving students I taught a couple years ago.
Ironically, the new conception of medicine that I am developing will empower me to care
for the afflicted in miraculous ways, allowing me to reconcile my youthful idealism with
the actual potential of medicine.
Personal Statement #!:
" tampon and a condom. "ccording to bacpacing follore those two little items
comprise the most basic first aid it capable of managing in)uries encountered in the
wilderness4 a tampon to stint blood flow and a condom to act as an elastic bandage and
protect wounds from bacteria. .or most of my twenty,one years I assumed the closest I
would ever come to practicing medicine would be maeshift bandages and the
occasional -(0 class. !ow I thin bac on a day si& years ago when I fought a losing
battle with the anesthesiologist. In the time it too me to drool all over myself a surgeon
sillfully removed the tattered remains of my "-3 and screwed a piece of tendon into its
place. 'ours later I stared with fascination at the video of the reconstructive surgery
filmed from within my nee. Inbenownst to me at the time, what had initially seemed a
cruel blow of fate had in fact guided me onto the path that was to become my life6s
passion2 medicine.
I am often amazed at the remarable ability with which living systems adapt to e&treme
environmental variation. "fter listening to a friend recount his nude run around the South
(ole and bac into his research station6s sauna, an incredible 8=+ degree temperature
swing, it would seem the human body is robust enough to withstand any force of nature.
$et, as I now all too well from my research on "lzheimer6s disease, even something as
miniscule as a single point mutation can have profound and deadly consequences.
-ontinuously designing and analyzing my own e&periments has not only taught me the
value of diligence, patience and replication in the laboratory setting, but it has also
instilled in me a profound respect for the biological intricacies that mae life possible. In
my mind the rewards of medicinal research stem from its practical application. "
physician acts as a conduit between the test tube and the bedside, thus they are able to
e&perience both the )oy of investigating the unnown as well as developing the gratifying
doctor,patient relationships unique to medicine. "s a physician the critical,thining and
problem,solving sills I have honed through research will enable me to tacle difficult,
and sometimes unnown, problems with sound reasoning and confidence.
When the doctor gravely told me I had torn my "-3 he was met with a blan loo.
0ealizing my confusion he pulled out a model of the human nee and proceeded to
e&plain my condition in a way I could see and understand. My e&perience highlights one
of the most critical sills a physician must master, the ability to communicate. "s a math
and science tutor at my university I have discovered I have the ability to e&plain difficult
concepts to people whom are seeing help and clarification. I must not only find the
answers to student questions, but also determine the best way to convey the information
in terms they can comprehend. In the future my communication sills will enable me to
effectively e&plain a patient6s condition so that they understand what is happening to
their body and are not left feeling bewildered or out of control. This bedside manner will
help me gain the patient trust and intimacy that is so crucial to medicine and the
recovery process.
The interpersonal relationships in medicine appeal to my deep appreciation for human
life and my desire to serve society in a beneficial way. "s a physician I will be able to
mae a direct and immediate impact on my patient6s wellbeing4 whether in the form of a
complicated medical procedure or simply a hand to hold during the final hour. "lready,
through my volunteer wor at St. 9oseph6s 'ospital, I have come to appreciate the
unequivocal importance of human compassion. My most rewarding responsibility is
delivering flowers to patients in the I-I. When presented with a cheery bouquet of fresh
flowers their eyes light up and the severity of their situation is forgotten, if even for only a
moment. Sometimes empathy is the best medicine and I will never underestimate the
healing qualities of a smile and a flower.
.ortunately not all aliments warrant a trip to the I-I and many once,incurable conditions
can now be overcome with the aid of a practiced physician. .or nine long months after
my surgery I battled my way through rehabilitation, sometimes wondering if I would ever
play competitive sports again. 1ut my doctors and therapists patiently facilitated my
recovery4 such was their sill that when I competed at the !ational Trac and .ield
-hampionships last spring the only observable evidence of my in)ury was a few small
dots of scar tissue. The road to recovery is not easy, but having been through the
process myself I will be better prepared to connect with my patients and guide them
through their e&perience.
I smile at the irony of my situation, it too a personal in)ury for me to realize I wanted to
spend my life woring to alleviate the pain of others. The sheer pleasure I derive from
helping people and sharing what I now, coupled with the mental stimulation intrinsic to
the profession, mae medicine the clear career pathway for me. 'opefully, if someday
my first aid it falls into the river and I am forced to resort to condoms and tampons, I will
wield those tools with the e&pertise and confidence of a practiced medical doctor.
Personal Statement #":
I dropped out of high school and left my !ew $or -ity home at si&teen. "lthough my
apparently recless desire to encounter more of life may seem lie an unliely decision
for a future physician, what I have accomplished since conveys the opposite.
"fter moving to northern -alifornia I earned my F%< so that I could become a massage
therapist and later a doula assisting women in childbirth. (racticing massage and
providing prenatal support were ways I could directly aid people6s health and wellbeing.
The satisfaction of relieving the pain of childbirth or watching an individual regain a lost
physicial sill was immeasurable. 'owever, I confronted the limits of my training when I
could not satisfactorily answer clients6 questions about how massage might affect their
pre,e&isting health conditions. "lthough I engaged my clients6 doctors for answers I
often did not now how to phrase my questions4 besides, the relevant information about
the capacity of massage to aid or in)ure was sparse. "fter a spate of such e&periences,
it became clear to me that to aid my clients I needed a greater fluency in the language of
the body. I decided I could best obtain this nowledge by going to college to study the
foundational sciences as they applied to human health. I began my studies at -abrillo
-ollege in 7JJJ and eventually transferred to 'ampshire -ollege in ?++7.
In college I e&celled in my coursewor, but I missed the interpersonal immediacy of my
practice. 'owever, I soon found that I could be of service in academia as well,,as a
chemistry tutor and massage worshop facilitator. When tutoring I learned how to mae
sometimes dry scientific concepts tangible at the same time as I helped my classmates
build confidence in their abilities. In my worshops I taught my peers how to use touch
in safe, health,promoting ways, while confronting their fears about physicality and body
image. .ar from disparate activities, these two teaching 5)obs5 informed one another and
thrilled me when they overlapped. .rom my growing fascination with science and my
conviction to help others heal, I became convinces that I could be a doctor who nurtures
whole,person health while being able to communicate scientific nowledge in an
accessible way.
I ept this dual line of inquiry vibrant through my combined study of the natural and
social sciences and my participation in social )ustice activism. Through these interests I
sought out, and won, a summer ?++? reproductive rights grant to assist a Me&ican
physician, <r. Fuadalupe Mainero, at a feminist health care center in -uernavaca,
Me&ico. "long with her clinical responsibilities, <r. Mainero trained local midwives to do
cervical cancer screenings and conducted epidemiological research about cervical
disease. <uring that summer, I organized an intensive training series for the midwives
and together we held cervical cancer screenings for women throughout central Me&ico.
These screening data formed the basis for a prevalence map for the region. My
integrative approach continued as I trained midwives in pre,natal massage techniques
and learned from the graceful sills with which <r. Mainero communicated difficult results
and scientific subtleties to her patients. In <r. Mainero6s diverse abilities as a healer,
scientists and physician, I found a powerful role model.
'ampshire -ollege6s comprehensive senior thesis requirement offered me the fantastic
opportunity to e&pand the many sills I have acquired in the 7+ years since high school.
Woring on this thesis @?++8,?++*A prepared me for the diverse challenges I will face as
a medical student and physician. I chose my sub)ect, 5The %pidemiology and (olitical
%conomy of -ervical -ancer,5 after participating in a clinically based medical delegation
to %l Salvador in 9anuary ?++8. <uring that year I investigated both the social
underpinnings of disease and Salvadoran interpretations of cervical pathology while
conducting original research on vitamin intae and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and
assessing the ethical implications of my research. "ided by the generous support of a
'oward 'ughes Medical Institute Frant for independent Student 0esearch, I carried out
the clinical component of my research in coordination with a gynecological research
team from the Iniversity of Southern -alifornia. To e&plore the nutritional co,factors of
cervical pre,cancer, I designed a locally relevant food frequency questionnaire which I,
and my team of > Salvadoran medical students, administered to over =++ participants.
This wor culminated in a ?=+,page thesis that included a scientific manuscript designed
for publication. The epidemiological research, which called for a focused loo at vitamin
fortification of foods in %l Salvador, has been accepted for presentation to the "merican
(ublic 'ealth "ssociation#s 78?nd conference in !ovember ?++*.
My flight from home and high school was motivated by my desire to feel engaged in the
world while helping people. I have accomplished that, and I want to go deeper. "fter
years of wor as a massage therapist, activist, and scientists, I am convinced that
becoming a doctor will be the best way for me to serve people.
Personal Statement ##:
D0aise your hand if your first memory was at age five,E prompted the professor on the
first day of Introduction to (sychology. 1y the time he reached age two, most hands had
lowered but mine remained high. When I was two, a family friend had hoisted me above
his head and e&claimed to me, DSomeone has a hole in her heart and is having it fi&ed
soonKE I must have looed bewildered because he started to laugh. 'ow could I have
nown then what a Dhole in the heartE was;
(erhaps my most significant memory, though, is on an operating table, screaming and
crying, with bright lights above and nurses poing at me. "lthough it was not until I was
much older that I learned the full meaning of a Dhole in the heart,E I have long considered
it a defining characteristic. While some view defects as a stigma, mine has been a
source of pride for many reasons2 the rareness of the disorder4 the steadfast will of my
parents throughout the hardship4 the medical miracle of open heart surgery4 and the
dedication and compassion of the medical staff. .rom this positive e&perience as a
patient, my passion for medicine emerged.
In high school my computer science teacher once pulled me aside. 1y the intense loo
in her eyes and tone of her voice, I e&pected a reprimand. Instead, it would be my first
encounter with a concerned parent. I mistoo the intensity for a loo of warning, when in
reality it was a mother worried about her child. 'oping for reassurance, she ased me2
D$ou had heart surgery as a baby, but are you fine now;E 'er daughter was born with
atrial septal defect, a variation of my disorder, ventricular septal defect @GS<A. With my
limited nowledge I endeavored to e&plain my condition, surgery, residual murmur, scar,
and full capacity to engage in all activities. Though I sensed a bit of relief, I new I was
not able to completely reassure her. In one way it felt as if I had failed. In another, our
discussion evoed those feelings of fulfillment that come with sharing nowledge with a
patient.
"ttempting to describe my congenital defect had made me realize how ignorant I was
about my medical history. (artly to rectify this lac of nowledge, I applied for a research
program at a medical school. :nowing my desire to connect with my history, the program
coordinator suggested I team up with a pediatric cardiologist also involved in research.
/ver the ne&t two years I had the privilege of developing a close relationship with him
and gained profound insight into the life of a physician, from its hardships to its rewards.
"s the father of two toddlers and husband of an /1LF$!, he impressed upon me the
domestic difficulties of practicing medicine and the sacrifices necessary to overcome
them.
Through <r. 1#s interactions with patients, medical students, residents and fellows, I
came to recognize various professional responsibilities of a doctor M compassion,
integrity, a love of learning, and the importance of teaching. Shadowing <r. 1 allowed me
to witness the doctor,patient relationship first,hand. Theresa, a 7> year,old ward of the
state, was reserved and cautious during initial conversation but warmed up immediately
to the doctor#s sincere personality. 3istening to her heart, I noted the difference between
my systolic murmur and her continuous murmur, which I learned was the cause of a
patent ductus arteriosus. In the conference room <r. 1 challenged the students to
determine each patient#s diagnosis. 'e drilled them on anatomy and physiology,
pathology and %:F analysis. /bserving the e&changes between doctor, patient and
student was invigorating, and intensified both my admiration for the profession and
desire to contribute to it.
/utside the clinic, I collaborated on two laboratory pro)ects with <r. 1. Investigating the
role cardiac conduction abnormalities play in Sudden Infant <eath Syndrome stimulated
my interest in research. 3earning laboratory techniques, e&amining results, and realizing
that my data might impact medicine taught me to appreciate the science I had studied in
the classroom. (ersonally satisfying was my research on the genetic riss related to
congenital heart defects, including GS<. In the course of this pro)ect, I began discovering
what a Dhole in the heartE meant to me, both literally and figuratively.
Some people e&perience an epiphany. My revelation to pursue a future in medicine, on
the other hand, has been progressive. 1eginning with my early memories, my passion
for medicine and conviction to serve have grown with each person and e&perience I
have encountered2 from "ndrNs, the <ominican orphan in need of acceptance and love,
to 9essica, the insecure Oth grade girl )ust beginning to learn the wonders of being a
woman, to 3upita, who is now prepared to save her infant#s life if his heart stops beating.
The impact of my doctors, a fascination for science and the opportunity to heal others
continue to drive my commitment to medicine.
Personal Statement #1$:
51e careful of the 6flying toilets,65 my professor warned as he too me on a tour of the
largest slum on the "frican continent, located in southwest !airobi. While I envisioned a
large ceramic tan directed at my head, he e&plained that almost P=+,+++ people have
to share >++ toilets in :ibera4 due to the limited facilities, plastic bags are often used as
toilets and then hurled as far as possible. /pen sewers and poor sanitation promote the
spread of diseases lie malaria and typhoid. More than half of the health problems in
:ibera are hygiene,related. I felt myself internally troubled as I too in the miles of tin
shacs along the 6main highway,6 which consisted of a dirt trac filled with deep holes
and littered with piles of garbage.

'owever, after we arrived at our destination, a three room structure called the ST"0"
school, in which 7=7 "I<S orphans were instructed and fed, my resolve to remain
unemotional quicly crumbled. My mental preparation for the ab)ect poverty and the
horrifying conditions could not prepare me for the depth of spirit I was confronted with in
these young and impecunious children. They welcomed us so warmly with songs and
smiles and treated us as if we held the ability to mae their lives better. It was
remarable that people with so little could sustain so much )oy. "t that moment all I
wanted to do was use my energies to help these children in whatever way I could.
The ma)ority of :ibera6s youth are orphaned by "I<S and over ?+ percent of the
population there are 'IG positive. I realized that despite my desire to care for these
orphans, my efforts would be better invested in a more indirect approach. I visited the
investigators of the :enya "I<S Gaccine Initiative @:"GIA, a clinical trial that was inspired
by a group of se& worers from :ibera who had been e&posed to 'IG on innumerable
occasions, but had astonishingly remained uninfected. 'aving wored with 'IG for the
past seven years, I felt strangely at ease in the laboratory there. When I waled into the
sterile, climate,controlled environment with recondite machines, I could )ust as easily
have been waling into my own lab at the Iniversity of (ennsylvania. My research is
based on an innovative and relatively e&pensive immunotherapeutic approach to 'IG
treatment. $et, I discovered that :"GI employed many of the same techniques and tools
of analysis. 'aving children follow me pointing and shouting Qmzungu# and struggling to
find common ground with my peers had become e&hausting4 science was universal. Still,
the facilities at the Gaccine Initiative seemed to conflict with my other e&periences in
:enya.
I traveled to :enya to challenge myself and e&perience the unfamiliar, so I began
volunteering at a center for 'IG counseling, testing and care. I had the opportunity to
interact directly with a diverse group of clients and patients. It was immediately evident
that "I<S prevention, testing and treatment programs are very different in :enya from
those in "merica. Societal factors and culture play a larger role in health conditions and
health care than I could possibly have imagined. /ne woman e&plained that the 7++ sh,
or appro&imately R7.8+, that the clinic charges for two rapid 'IG tests and *= minutes of
counseling was unaffordable. .or those seeing treatment, the few drugs that are
available in :enya are even less affordable than the diagnostic tests. I was surprised to
discover how much financial status affects health even in a non,profit setting.
In "merica, I never observed the same limitations. When I wored at the 1ethesda !aval
Medical 'ospital, I found the lac of effective, long,term 'IG treatment frustrating.
Watching patients# health progressively deteriorate after having e&hausted a series of
anti,retroviral therapies cultivated my desire to pursue further treatment options through
research. 'owever, witnessing the rapid degeneration of a person#s health due to a lac
of accessible drugs )ust seemed senseless. My quest to further understand the social
conditions surrounding both the development and treatment of "I<S in "frica convinced
me that this epidemic needs to be fought on a larger scale by doctors who understand
disease as well as how it impacts people#s lives.
Foing to :enya made me realize that science alone cannot address disease4 solutions
to the world#s health conditions need to be developed from a deep understanding of the
circumstances surrounding their occurrence. !ow I recognize that in order to effectively
address ma)or health problems, I need to integrate my interest in biomedical science
with the issues of communities and people. These two fields are intrinsically lined and
should be more closely )oined through translational research that brings basic
biomedical research to the clinics. .urthermore, clinical innovations need to be
distributed to the greater population. " medical degree will amalgamate my e&isting
nowledge and e&periences with a command of the causes and effects of illness,
yielding an acute insight into the heart of health. " multidisciplinary approach that
involves collaboration across the fields of basic science, medicine and public health can
tacle the roots of :enya#s health problems, starting with the Qflying toilets.#
Personal Statement #11:
I grew up in a house that doubled as a rubber stamp DfactoryE. When I was si& years old,
my father bought a rubber vulcanizer and set up shop in our garage. My weeends were
filled with glitter and multicolored in, not only because I was surrounded by arts and
craft supplies, but because I came to hold ma)or responsibilities lie sales, graphic
design, and advertising. "s years passed, the daily requirements of my )ob ranged from
webpage design to the intimidating tas of predicting trends in customer taste. I believe
this wide range of challenges encouraged me to develop a fle&ible approach to problem
solving and a creative nature that will help me be a successful researcher and clinician.
These early e&periences taught me the value of efficiency. In my current laboratory, I
grew frustrated with the 5semi,automated5 methods of cell,counting that I inherited from
a previous lab member. "lthough this technique was much better than manual hand
counting, one still had to 5teach5 the computer to distinguish between cells and
bacground for each image processed. "fter studying several computer programs, I
developed a method that not only automatically recognizes cells, but also distinguishes
between single cells and clumps of cells. <ata sets that once too a month to process
now only tae a wee4 additionally, my method applies to data from the other members
in my lab.
My efforts to improve our cell,counting process demonstrate my ability to draw from
previous challenges and adapt to new situations. In high school, I taught myself how to
use graphic tools such as "dobe (hotoshop in order to create new product designs for
my parents6 company. My capability to overhaul our lab#s counting procedures is due to
my willingness to research unfamiliar computer programs and program functions to
achieve my goals. I hope to apply my problem solving sills in a parallel fashion within
the clinical setting.
"s natural as my decisions seem now, I have not always nown that I wish to pursue
both medical practice and scientific research. My long time passion for biology stems
from the beauty of the sub)ect. !o matter how minute a biological system, one is able to
appreciate its real,world importance. .or instance, I have been fascinated by the
function of telomeres since high school. My interest began with an article in Time
Magazine about the implications of telomeres and telomerase in cancer and aging.
.rom that time, I have gravitated towards the sub)ect when choosing topics for class
pro)ects or papers4 nevertheless, I never imagined that I would one day be able to
e&periment with the enzyme. My studies have come full circle now that one of my
current pro)ects involves manipulation of the active enzymatic portion of human
telomerase in the conte&t of tissue engineering.
%ven with my passion for biology, I have been hesitant to dedicate myself solely to
research because I am such a 5people person.5 "n e&ample of my appreciation for
personal interaction is my long term interest in the Spanish language. I value the ability
to communicate with individuals from different cultures, since language is crucial in
forming emotional bonds. I am also a compassionate person, and my language sills
have aided me in multiple service efforts. In college, I held leadership positions and was
a mentor in BBBB, a program that pairs college volunteers with students from
disadvantaged bacgrounds. I was attracted to this program because of its
personalized, hands,on approach to motivating ids about science. I often was paired
with mentees with higher needs because of my e&perience and my language abilities. It
is satisfying to realize that the attention and companionship that I gave to these children
helped them develop self,confidence and interest in basic scientific principles.
My e&periences this past year at BBBB have helped solidify my interest in medicine and
research. <uring my time at the BBBB, I have investigated both professions by woring
on medically relevant research pro)ects, shadowing residents and attendings, and
volunteering in the orthopaedic cast clinic. Such hands,on opportunities combined with
my long,time pursuits made me realize that I would lie to embar on a path that
combines clinical practice and scientific research. I believe this type of training would
allow me to use science to tacle medical problems in a productive and efficient manner.
I was raised in an environment where wor figured into all aspects of family life.
-onsequently, I have always nown that I must find a career that I truly en)oy because it
will be difficult for me to fully separate myself from my occupation. "fter deep reflection,
I am confident in my choice to enter medical school, for I have both the passion and the
talent required to succeed as a doctor. My motivation stems from the chance to
significantly improve patient care both directly and indirectly through clinical interaction
and through medical research. I believe that I can mae a significant difference in the
health of our society, and I cannot wait for the opportunity to actively do so.
Personal Statement #12:
My interest in medicine began my sophomore year when my father was admitted to the
intensive care unit of 'arborview 'ospital after surviving a ma)or trauma. Waling into
his room I was shoced to see his body swollen and unrecognizable, a tube ran from his
mouth to the machine that maintained his breathing. I had never considered being a
doctor4 yet, sitting beside my father, watching his vital signs, nothing seemed more
natural.
-oming from a woring class bacground and married right out of high school, my
parents wored hard to give me a good education. 1y age fourteen, attending 1everly
'ills 'igh School, I could see how fortunate I was. My e&posure to different economic
and social perspectives has driven my desire to help change the circumstances and
problems of others. My passion for learning about social and scientific issues is the
common thread of my academic and professional pursuits that has ultimately led me to
medicine. "ll of my seemingly disparate interests coalesce in this field strengthening my
desire to be a doctor.

"s a member of the first generation in my family to go to college, I saw attending the
Iniversity of -alifornia, Santa -ruz as an opportunity to choose what I wanted to do with
my life. I e&plored many different avenues for e&pressing my interest in society and its
problems2 capturing it with documentary photography and studying it in fields lie
Sociology and %nvironmental Studies. Inspired by the ability of science to create
solutions, I decided to ma)or in Molecular 1iology. I was also drawn by more quantitative
methods of problem solving and continued taing classes in math and physics after I
received my degree. This diverse educational bacground strengthened my ability to
question my assumptions about people and problems and helped me put them in a
political, social or scientific conte&t, increasing the depth of my understanding.
<uring my last year in college I began research in the area of 0!" splicing in the
'oward 'ughes Indergraduate 0esearch 3ab. I continued to pursue research, after
graduating, at the Iniversity of Washington, where I currently study a novel collagen and
its role in mineral deposition. Through research I have become drawn to the intersection
between quantitative forms of science and biology. This area has the power to create
innovative new techniques, such as quantitatively analyzing cell signaling networs or
modeling artificial neural networs. Watching and helping doctors in their research, I see
how medicine lies at this interface between fields, giving doctors the unique ability to
both help individual patients as well as to create far,reaching medical solutions.
<uring the summers, while in college, I taught middle school students from economically
disadvantaged bacgrounds for programs such as -itybridge in 1oston and
1reathrough -ollaborative in -incinnati. Teaching for -itybridge, a boarding program,
each day we had to wae the students up, teach classes, write lesson plans, grade
papers, attend e&tracurricular activities and put the students to bed. %ven though the
schedule was demanding I was energized and inspired because I made a difference in
the lives of my students and the service we provided was essential.
Golunteering at the emergency room at <ominican 'ospital in Santa -ruz I could sense
the same essentialness of purpose. It was powerful to observe the range of patients
being treated4 there were e&pectant mothers, sic children, the drun, the homeless and
the scared, all served with the promise that no one would be turned away. My role at
<ominican 'ospital was to determine if the patient had any needs. /ften I found they
)ust wanted me to listen. This was one of the most en)oyable aspects of this e&perience.
3istening to others and determining their needs is a sill I cultivated while running my
own graphic design business, starting at the age of si&teen and continuing through
college. The most important aspect of my interaction with clients was to accurately
establish what they required. This sill is what impressed me most about the doctors I
shadowed at the Seattle 'and -linic. Watching them during their rounds or in surgical
procedures it was amazing to see how they changed their demeanor and tone with each
patient in order to mae them feel comfortable and tease out any necessary information.
I was also impressed by the time they too between each surgery and appointment to
e&plain to me the problem they would be facing ne&t.
In each of my e&periences with medicine, the doctors personify all the roles I wish to
fulfill2 mentor, caretaer and scientist. This confluence of interests in one field is part of
what resounded so strongly with me when I saw my father enter the hospital. Watching
and helping him in his recovery not only drastically changed the focus of my interest to
medicine but also made my desire to find a meaningful career even stronger. %ach of my
interests has led me bac to medicine and deepens my resolve that I want to be a
doctor. It is in being a doctor that I will have the ability to use the sills I have gained to
help others at the interface where social problems and scientific discovery meet.
Personal Statement #13:
D<on6t move5, the technician advised me, as two white spheres orbited around my head.
%ven without the dental film that held my mouth in place, I would have remained still. I
new the drill, as they had taen the same panoramic &,ray countless times before.
When a siing accident at age thirteen broe my lower )aw cleanly in half, the surgeries
necessary to treat initial and secondary in)uries required that I spend a significant
amount of time, over several years, with my specialized team of doctors and dentists.
0ather than )ust wishing that each procedure was over, I was amazed by the
reconstruction process, as these e&periences transformed the two,dimensional images I
studied in school into a fascinating montage of real,life e&amples. "t each visit, I would
as an endless stream of questions, sitting with a mirror held in front of my face to better
visualize the e&planations I received. %ach question led to further queries, as I wanted to
understand in depth the language my doctors spoe. .ortunately, they were indulgent in
this regard, and too the time to answer my questions with patience and in detail.
/ver the years, an early curiosity with my own medical ailments grew into a fascination
with the whole of human physiology. .ollowing my accident, I entered a high school for
science and technology where I too classes in advanced genetics, conducted research
in neuropharmacology, and volunteered at a local hospital as a pediatric aide. These
activities provided me with the opportunity to study the language I so avidly wished to
understand, the language of medicine, and the comple& systems it describes. What
equally held my attention were the patients I met, their diverse ways of coping with
illness and the details of their e&periences to which I was privy while for a short time, I
was a part of their lives.
It was this interest in people, both collectively and individually, that led me to ma)or in
history. .rom these studies, I developed a worldview of how past events affect the
present and how religious ideology, economics, science and superstition shape the
course of human e&istence. Throughout college, I was also able to synthesize my
fascination with medicine and people by seeing out e&periences in biomedical research
and patient care. "t the !ational Institutes of 'ealth, I searched to find a molecular
e&planation for a rare childhood disease, not only learning new techniques but also
e&ploring the unnown. I sat in our clinic, comforting and distracting a baby boy as I held
his soft, pudgy body taut so that the doctor for whom I wored could e&tract spinal fluid
from his middle vertebrae. I would watch, fascinated by the procedure itself, but always
aware of the pained loo on his parents6 faces, ever hopeful that our research would find
some way to alleviate or cure his illness.
Golunteering in the pediatric emergency department at -olumbia,(resbyterian 'ospital
made me more aware of the detective aspects of medicine, clinical diagnosis and the
comple& puzzle that precedes it. I was also in a privileged role where I could observe
doctor,patient interactions, noting the effects that a doctor6s words and questions could
have on his patient. This e&perience stressed to me the importance of medicine not only
as a physical science, but also a behavioral one. I interacted more directly with patients
than I previously had , comforting a screaming child, translating from %nglish for patients
who spoe only Spanish, calmly e&plaining a procedure to a frightened parent. I left the
hospital at midnight each .riday, tired but e&hilirated by the nowledge I had learned and
my ability to mae a difference.
There were sobering aspects of this wor as well. I met children with chronic illnesses
whose diseases could only be managed, not cured. I observed patients in critical
condition because they failed to practice the lifestyle changes necessary to prevent
relapse. "nd I saw numerous people who, lacing primary care, only sought medical
attention when their illnesses had reached an acute phase. I thus became interested in
the preventive side of medicine as well as clinical treatment, and accepted an
"meri-orps position in public health, woring in rural Illinois.
The past year has been both rewarding and at times frustrating. I have learned to
appreciate the capacity of public health to prevent illness. "t the same time, I want the
ability to understand and treat disease when it does occur. I loo forward to combining
these two facets of medicine as a physician.
3ooing bac at the past decade, I can see that the seeds of my interest in medicine as
a career were sown in the years following my si accident. Since that time, my
participation in a broad range of health,related activities has reinforced my commitment
to become a doctor, a choice first considered when I was 78. Such a pronouncement,
made by an adolescent, may have been premature at the time. "fter all, many children
try on prospective careers lie hats, quicly put on and )ust as quicly discarded. My
accident spared my interest in medicine, but it was everything that followed which
confirmed this decision for me. I have been amazed to find how well the hat fits.
Personal Statement #14:
I grew up in 0ose 'ill, a small town in rural :ansas. My parents moved there in 7JP=,
after living in %ast "frica. Frowing up, I was not e&posed to much diversity in any form,
be it people, thought, or culture. My family was the only South "sian family in a
predominantly white neighborhood and high school. We identified with a religion,
9ainism, that most people in my hometown had never heard of. We ate dhal4 my friends
usually ate stea. %verywhere I was surrounded by Dall,"mericanE success stories. It
seemed as if everyone e&celled in school, played varsity sports, sang in musicals, went
to college, and found )obs that afforded a comfortable lifestyle. 0arely did we question
this formula4 rarely did we discuss politics, race, religion, or philosophy4 rarely did we
have the opportunity to e&plore the world outside of 0ose 'ill.
It was not until I arrived at <ue Iniversity that I was first challenged to define and refine
my world view, to rethin my assumptions, and to begin developing my passions through
a course of study that would one day allow me to help the community and world in which
I live. I tried to e&pose myself to a diverse group of peers and professors who shared a
passion for learning. I decided to ma)or in 1iomedical %ngineering, a discipline which
views the human body as a problem using analytical sills to find a solution. I attended
lectures on maing healthcare affordable in the third world. I met with students and
professors who taught me the importance of "I<S activism. "s my interest in medicine,
the human body, and social activism increased I began thining about ways that I could
transform these interests into actions that would allow me to grow while realizing my
passions.
In 9une of ?++?, I left the I.S. for Tanzania to wor with "I<S patients at S'M 'ospital
in <ar %s Salaam, on a program that I had designed with support from <ue. The
situations I encountered over the subsequent two months in Tanzania were unlie any I
had ever had to confront in a classroom, te&tboo, or laboratory. .or all that I did to
prepare for the trip , reading about Tanzanian history, culture, and healthcare4 outlining
the goals of the epidemiological study and "I<S education program I planned to pursueM
in retrospect the most formative and lasting aspects of my time in Tanzania came about
through the une&pected4 through all those things that I couldn#t plan for in advance4
through woring alongside several doctors who managed a ind of patient care that I
didn#t thin was possible given their limited resources and the tragic levels of poverty
and sicness.
/f all the people I wored with during that summer, none embodied this spirit more than
<r. 0amayana :aushi, a =*,year,old, soft,spoen "I<S and diabetes specialist. <r.
:aushi new he was fighting an uphill battle. !ot only were over =+ percent of his
patients infected with 'IG, but there were few doctors at the hospital who would see
DincurableE patients at all. Still, <r. :aushi attended to everyone that came to his door,
even 7P,year,old Mary. Mary had been diagnosed with "I<S as well as T1, Meningitis,
and malnutrition. She had a violent cough and barely enough strength to respond to <r.
:aushi#s questions or smile as he tried to comfort her. In the few minutes that <r.
:aushi had to spend with her, however, he did everything he could to put her at ease
and show her that she wasn#t being overlooed or written off as a hopeless case.
.rom <r. :aushi, I learned what separates good doctors from great doctors. Food
doctors can correctly diagnose a patient and administer the proper medication. Freat
doctors, however, can earn each patient#s trust. They serve both as a patient#s caretaer
and companion, even if a cure for their condition isn#t immediately available. My )ourney
to Tanzania e&posed me to the DhumanizationE of a healthcare system that did not have
the advantages of advanced medical technologies.
That summer in <ar encouraged me to continue my e&perience upon returning to <ue
in the .all. With the support of the <ue administration, I was fortunate to create an
annual medical research based internship, (artners in %ducation and 0esearch in Sub,
Saharan "frica @(%0S"A. The program allows students from <ue, I!-, and Tanzania
the opportunity to wor in pairs in clinics and dispensaries to research ways of benefiting
the Tanzanian healthcare system.
My e&perience abroad has strengthened my desire to practice medicine, as I witnessed
the impact of compassion, problem solving, and perseverance. /ne day, I hope to bring
the emphasis on the doctor,patient relationship to my own career in medicine. Woring
with patients is an opportunity not only to mae a difference in someone#s life but also to
learn about myself through others. I have come to value the educational )ourney in itself,
as opposed to viewing it as a means to some greater goal. I hope to continue this growth
in the coming year as a .ulbright Scholar teaching %nglish in South :orea, where I will
again have the opportunity to grow and commit myself to service in a place outside of
my comfort zone. "lthough I cannot foretell all that the ne&t year will bring, I do now that
the e&perience will lead me to become a stronger person and, as a result, a better
physician.
Personal Statement #15:
I swung a hammer instead of a baseball bat, ran plumbing instead of races and framed
walls instead of pictures. These were not obscure hobbies4 this was my childhood.
1efore I was born, my father dreamed of designing and building our home. This dream
became reality shortly after my *th birthday when demolition began on the small
bungalow my parents had purchased as teenagers. /ur family of five moved into the
converted garage for what was supposed to be a few short years. $et for almost a
decade, virtually every weeend and after school hour was devoted to building our new
home. I always admired my father#s relentless commitment to this pro)ect, but my
unquestioned and e&pected devotion became a source of conflicting emotions as I grew
up.
"t the time, it was easy to get upset that building our house dictated how I spent my free
time and ept me from the DnormalE activities of childhood and early adolescence. $et as
I matured, it became obvious that my unique early life e&periences had taught me sills
and lessons that were instrumental in developing my character and were the foundation
for many of my future achievements. I approached my schoolwor with the care,
dedication and wor ethic that I had learned at home. "s I established a record of
academic success, I began to have dreams of my own. I was determined to be the first
in my family to go to college.
My second dream occurred when my mother was pregnant with my youngest sister. I
went to all of her prenatal visits and was in the delivery room when :elhia was born. I
was fascinated by the process of development that I had witnessed and was in awe of
the nowledgeable and ind physicians who cared for my mother. .or the first time in my
life I could envision myself in a profession. I wanted to be a doctor. "lthough caring for
my sister and obligations at home prevented me from further e&ploring this interest for
years, my curiosity remained strong throughout high school.
With my acceptance to Stanford, I acquired an unprecedented amount of freedom and
embraced the opportunity to follow my passions. My first course was a seminar in
developmental biology. "s I learned about the miracles of ".0.T. and as scientific
e&planations enhanced my superficial understanding of human development, my love of
biology and interest in medicine reignited. $et I hesitated to prematurely limit my
education to the sciences and began taing Italian instead of -hemistry. /nly after
studying in .lorence did I realize the value of this decision and the salience that it would
have in my later community health wor. Immersion in another culture made me more
aware of my socially conditioned behaviors and biases. I learned to not fear the
unnown and to gain understanding by careful observation, polite inquisition and
patience. 1ut I also felt the frustration and embarrassment of not being able to
effectively communicate in a foreign language and the lasting pain that can result from a
single instance of being misunderstood or mistreated.
This new perspective changed how I approached my human biology coursewor. I still
loved learning about the biological determinants of health, but was more sensitive to the
environmental factors that influence an individual#s behavior and well,being. I was
appalled to learn about the numerous health disparities in the I.S. that e&ist between
ethnicities, socioeconomic groups and even gender. I developed a commitment to
woring with underserved populations and eliminating health disparities which became
the motivation for many of my e&tracurricular activities. .rom organizing health
screenings for 3atinos to establishing a partnership with a women#s shelter, I valued
creating community,based approaches to identify and address the health concerns of
local populations. $et ultimately, my volunteer clinical e&periences confirmed my desire
to care for the underserved as a physician.
I en)oy and respect the privilege of the patient,provider relationship and the unique
opportunity that it provides to care for an individual at the most personal level. "s a
(atient "dvocate, I e&perienced the importance of empathizing with a patient and
establishing trust by maing patients feel safe, being honest, non,)udgmental and
conscious of their bacground and resources. The first person I ever interviewed was a
prenatal patient. 'er tight fists and lowered eyes immediately told me that she was
worried. When I discovered her concern about having left her two children at home, I
reassured her that it was oay to bring them to the clinic and even offered to watch
them. "fter convincing her of my sincerity, her hands rela&ed and she smiled. "lthough I
thought coincidence brought us together in the following months, I later learned that
those appointments were intentional and I was profoundly touched.
I now that not every patient relationship is so natural or as satisfying, but I am
committed to always giving my best, to learning from each interaction and to woring
with a health care team to never let limited resources, linguistic or cultural differences
function as barriers to providing optimal patient care. I loo forward to a medical
education that prepares me to care for the underserved and to be a leader in the
elimination of health disparities.