Admissions Essay: Medical Field

I read somewhere that out of tragedy comes hope.  My hope came from my experiences in war-torn Syria and Sierra Leone. Witnessing needless and indescribable suffering due, in part, to a lack of available medical professionals, I volunteered as a teenager to help the doctors and nurses who passionately cared for wounded victims of that devastating civil war.  It was those very tragic circumstances and the care and dedication that I witnessed from the complete strangers who came to help us that sparked my own need to help care for and alleviate suffering. 

My interest in pursuing a medical career continued to grow after I immigrated to the United States.  My induction into the medical field was earned when I obtained my Certified Nursing Assistant license and began working as a patient monitor in various local hospitals and elderly care homes in North Carolina. I gained invaluable experience during those eight years, and the patients I was able to work with taught me caring, pride, and the realization that I could do more.  Not only did the doctors teach me the methods to properly care for the elderly, but the elderly also taught me empathy and how, so often, a simple smile or engaging conversation can help in the healing process.   During this period, I also gained valuable experience shadowing an internist and gained increased determination to become a doctor.

My experiences in Syria and Sierra Leone and here in the United States have shown me that the need for physicians, particularly family physicians, is tremendous.  My goal is to become a family physician because I believe that is an area which has great demand and it is an area in which I will excel.  My dream is to develop several clinics in Syria and Sierra Leone as well as underdeveloped areas within the United States as a resource for low-income families to meet medical needs.

Through my experiences, I have learned that there is more to medical practice than merely practicing medicine.  I have learned that to truly care and treat an individual, a physician should have good communication skills with an ability to know when and how to speak and listen – both to the patient and to other professionals.  A physician should develop cultural sensitivity and awareness of cultural differences in order to create a climate which will make a patient feel comfortable.   A physician should also possess technological skills.  Working in the clinical setting has helped me to develop some of the skills to take advantage of these tools, along with my communication skills, cultural sensitivity, and deep commitment to helping.  

Because of the civil war, moving to the United States required that I leave behind many family members.  The transition affected me greatly and impacted my academics during my first and second years in college.  Now that my family is here and I am confident they are out of danger, I have been able to direct my thoughts to my studies and, with their support and a clear mind, am doing my very best to fulfill my dream.  I am well aware of the demands of a medical career. I enjoy a challenge, particularly towards a rewarding objective and although medicine is an intensely demanding career, it can also be enormously gratifying as confirmed for me by the doctors I have spoken to during my experience and on a personal level.  

I am a driven, motivated individual with excellent interpersonal and communication skills.   I am responsible and mature with a strong work ethic, and I strive to make a positive impact in peoples’ lives every day.  My commitment and desire to become a doctor has only strengthened through my diverse experiences working in the healthcare setting for so long.  

After much research, I personally feel that the American University of the Caribbean trains its students to become caring, effective physicians.  My choice to attend the American University of the Caribbean is due, in part, because of the smaller class sizes, higher USMEL passing rate, and clinical rotations at top teaching hospitals in the United States. Enrolling in AUC School of medicine is the ideal ‘next step’ for me as I pursue a career in medicine. I look forward to the academic challenge.  I am confident in my ability to do well in my studies, and I am confident that my career will be a source of pride for myself and my school as a future physician.