SAMPLE PERSONAL STATEMENTS Pediatrics A part of me has always been drawn to children. Perhaps it is due to my elder sister mentality that I feel compelled to nurture those around me. Despite my wonderful experiences working with children in the past, for some reason, pediatrics was not a specialty that I had been considering upon entering medical school. I did not expect that pediatrics would combine my passion for medicine and my love for children in a satisfying way. During my first year of medical school, I was fortunate to involve myself in the lives of some very special people. They made me realize that a career in pediatrics was in my future all along. I was lucky enough to be a part of the Miracle Continuity Elective, which paired up students with women during a high-risk pregnancy. The elective was designed so that we could follow the mother through term and through her child's first year of life. In return for welcoming us into their lives, our role as students was to inform these women about proper prenatal and infant care. S.P. was a single mother working as a home health aid. She lived in a small apartment with her 2 sons, whose father was incarcerated. I was concerned given her busy lifestyle and many hardships, that she would have difficulty providing an adequate home for her two sons, and expected baby. As I developed my relationship with this family, I began to see that although this family was seemingly dysfunctional to many, S.P.'s sons were well cared for and loved by their mother, grandmother, and friends. She was also very excited about the baby on the way, and welcomed me into their lives to enjoy this happy time. Baby A.R. was born in the spring of my first year, and that day will stay with me forever. I continued to visit the family and observed the love that filled the household. To these three boys, their hearts belonged to their home, as mine did to my home. The lives of these children were filled with a nurturing mother and loving family and friends. My experiences in my pediatric rotation allowed me to see how necessary it is for a child to be surrounded by love; whether it is from one parent or two, and whether it is in a big city or a small suburb. Neglected children are in desperate need of proper care. One of my goals as a future pediatrician is to make sure that whatever place a child calls their home, that it holds a special place in that child's heart. I am determined to enter pediatrics and to help children and families grow together and help steer parents in the right direction. As a pediatric resident, my goals will be to learn and master the diseases and treatments of pediatric medicine, and furthermore to observe and understand the various child-parent interactions and family values. It is important we do not place judgment on parents; however, it is even more important to help those that need some guidance find their way. I am a firm believer in patient education and advocacy, and when it comes to children, the caretaker becomes my patient as well. During my residency I look forward to doing electives in child advocacy and child abuse in order to strengthen my knowledge and gain experience in dealing with these tragic cases. I believe it is important to incorporate these into the residency since books cannot come close to teaching what these types of experiences offer. I now realize that pediatrics has always been in my heart; it merely took me some time to realize the truth and to follow my instincts. I look forward to entering a profession that can truly make a difference in the hearts of all children. 40 Med/Peds “The desire to care for others from the dawn to the twilight of life…” How could my great career dilemma be resolved by such a simple phrase that sounds more like the words of a poet than that of a soon-to-be doctor? Yet this phrase perfectly reflects my motivation for choosing a combined residency in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics. The quandary began in the middle of my third year of medical school. I had always envisioned myself as a Pediatrician, and right from the start of my medical education I worked on the children’s ward, eventually becoming the director of the Pediatric volunteer program. My vocation in Pediatrics was confirmed. My career interest in Internal Medicine, on the other hand, came as a complete surprise. The timing could not have been worse. Just a few days before I began the lengthy Medicine clerkship, my father became critically ill after a severe anaphylactic reaction. With family concerns at the forefront of my mind, I wondered if I would be able to immerse myself in the Medicine clerkship. As the weeks went by however, apprehension turned to deep interest. I was intrigued by the stimulating knowledge base, the complexity of the patients’ medical issues, and the problem-solving nature of the field. Unexpectedly, I found myself “at home” in the realm of Internal Medicine, despite the fact that it was a long way from the niche I found in Pediatrics. For those who know me well, my career dilemma is consistent with my personality. I have always been multifaceted with diverse interests. Growing up I excelled in both science and dance. People wondered which field I would pursue, affectionately referring to me as “the dancing doctor.” Although it might seem incongruous to combine an interest in medicine with the art of dancing, many of the qualities necessary to succeed in dance parallel those needed in medicine. Both as a dancer and a future physician, I must be disciplined and dedicated to long hours of work, serve as a flexible team member, and communicate effectively with many different audiences. As a choreographer I need to envision the overall presentation, integrating individual steps to create a complete dance. Similarly, as a physician, I must keep in mind the whole person, while choreographing a comprehensive care plan from individual pieces of information. In my search for unique learning opportunities I pursued a nine-month elective in the Rural Medicine Program (RMED), where a student integrates into a family practice office and associated inpatient setting. My goals in choosing RMED, in place of multiple short-term electives, were to simultaneously learn more about adult and pediatric medicine, further develop independent learning skills, gain confidence in my decision-making abilities, and mature in self-assessment. Through this program I gained an understanding of the importance of continuity of care, the administrative workings of a hospital, and the role of community resources for patient services. My progression in this elective finds me working as an acting intern on a daily basis, expanding my ability to function efficiently and effectively as a future Med-Peds physician. Ultimately, I would like to incorporate my love of learning and a desire to help others into a future career in academic medicine. Observers often comment on my strong enthusiasm for life and learning. This innate aspect of my personality has proven helpful during the most challenging of days. I believe that this characteristic, along with my self-motivation, tenacity, and intuitive skills will serve me well during the demands of residency training. After much introspection, I find I continue to be drawn equally to Pediatrics and Internal Medicine. In essence, to choose one field over the other would be to abandon the dual passions of my life – to work with both young and old alike ... “from the dawn to the twilight of life.” 41 Internal Medicine When I began my third year of medical school, I was unsure what field of medicine I would eventually pursue. I found each of my clinical clerkships intriguing and unique, but none of them truly sparked my interest. But then, when I began my internal medicine clerkship, my desire to become a physician was rejuvenated. I remember coming home with excitement the first day of the clerkship. I had been exposed to patients diagnosed with diabetic ketoacidosis, shigellosis, angina, and systemic lupus erythematosus. I had seen so many fascinating patients that I could not decide which disease to read about first. There was not enough time in the day to quench my thirst for knowledge. After seeing the diversity of problems that an internist deals with, I knew that internal medicine was going to be my chosen profession. Internal medicine entitles one the opportunity to develop enduring doctor-patient relationships. As a result, a physician’s advice can make an enormous impact on a patient’s life. During my clerkship, I was assigned to follow an obese, diabetic patient who presented with hyperglycemia. I helped her realize the importance of keeping her diabetes under control as well as quitting smoking in order to improve her health and be able to watch her granddaughter grow up. Thus, I have witnessed the trustful partnership that can develop between a patient and physician. I know that I can make a difference in people’s lives in internal medicine. Internal medicine requires its practitioners to be proficient in the diagnosis, treatment, and management of patients and their illnesses. It compels a physician to master problem solving since one must apply a vast amount of knowledge to make an accurate diagnosis. While this can be challenging, it is also fulfilling and rewarding. Because of research, the ever-changing field of medicine always provides something innovative and appealing to learn. A career in academic medicine can allow one to work alongside researchers to help uncover the biochemical basis for disease. In addition, the global scope of internal medicine allows for many opportunities for specialized training in the future, if I choose to do so. Teaching is an integral part of the medical field. I have had several experiences teaching others. In high school, I tutored elementary school children and in my senior year of college, I had the opportunity to be a teaching assistant for an introductory biology class. During my first two years of medical school, I taught elementary school children about the hazards of cigarette smoking. As a fourth year medical student, I have taught third year medical students. Whether it is teaching them how to write a note or how to do a physical exam, I have found these experiences very rewarding. As a resident, I will be able to continue to teach medical students. The importance of patient education must not be ignored. Educating patients about healthy lifestyles and about their medical conditions can make a significant difference in their lives. Thus, in the future, I plan on pursuing a career in academic medicine in order to be able to educate students, residents, and patients. Physicians must treat their patients compassionately, listen to their concerns, and act with a good bedside manner. To be a proficient doctor, one must also be a good communicator and treat his or her patients in an empathetic manner. An internist must be able to assume the role of a leader when coordinating and implementing the care of a patient. In addition, through volunteer service, a physician can help improve the health of the community as a whole. Throughout my life, I have been involved in a variety of extracurricular activities, which exemplify my desire to assist people. I have helped to lead student panels for both medical school applicants as well as current medical students. I have served as a representative on many committees in order to improve our medical school curriculum. Additionally, my role as the elected student representative to the President’s Council has allowed me to better understand and contribute to the administrative, political, and economic aspects of academic medicine. These experiences illustrate my potential to be a compassionate physician, an advocate for my patients, and an effective leader. Therefore, by pursuing a career in internal medicine, I believe that I can help improve the lives of the sick as well as make a difference for mankind. 42 Neurosurgery Growing up in Uzbekistan, a relatively poor republic of the former Soviet Union, I had never imagined becoming a physician. Such opportunities did not exist for people of our social and economic background. But like many before him, my father desired a better life for his children. In the United States, the land of opportunities, for my sister and me that dream became a reality and a foundation for a successful future was laid. We have brought to this country ambition, love of freedom, and a hope for a better life. We have also brought our family value system of hard work, dedication, and perseverance. Equipped with a strong moral framework and having endured life’s challenges, I was able to successfully complete undergraduate training. As my medical school journey comes to a conclusion, I am ready to enter a residency program that would lead to a career in neurological surgery. During the first two years of medical school, I developed special interests in Anatomy and Neuroscience. But it was not until the middle of the third year that I discovered neurological surgery. This relatively new specialty offers something unique in medicine - a surgical approach to neurological problems, the two subjects that grabbed my interest earlier in medical school. The intellectual and technical challenges of dealing with the central nervous system, the complexity of the disease processes, and my fascination with being in the operating room have all contributed to my interest in the field. Whether in a clinic, emergency department, or operating room, treating a wide range of patients with a broad spectrum of diseases makes neurological surgery an exciting career choice. Most of all, although at times physically and emotionally demanding, I found neurological surgery experience at SUNY Upstate Medical University to be the most invigorating and rewarding of all my medical school experiences. I consider a career in neurological surgery to be a lifelong commitment to service, education, and research. Providing state of the art neurosurgical service to patients and participating in the training of a younger generation of neurosurgeons are my professional goals. I value the encouragement and support that various neurosurgical societies provide to young neurosurgeons in their research endeavors and I hope to someday contribute to the field. Over the past three years I have experienced tremendous personal growth. Medicine was most certainly an excellent career choice and I feel the same way about neurological surgery. In addition to my solid medical preparation, as a resident I will also contribute to the program my enthusiasm, dedication, diligence, and reliability. I anticipate a vigorous training and a challenging environment in a program where I can acquire knowledge and technical skills to become a neurosurgeon. 43 Radiology Toward the end of my first two years of medical school, I began to think about which aspects of a medical specialty would be important to me. I was fascinated by the complexity of human anatomy, and I enjoyed learning about the pathophysiology of diseases. It was my hope to find a specialty in which I could apply the intricacies of human anatomy in diagnosing and treating pathology in patients. I started my clinical years with an open mind, striving to learn as much as possible from each experience. There were aspects of each clerkship that I found to be attractive, but I was frustrated with the narrow focus that each presented, concentrating on medical problems, surgical problems, or specific age groups. My interest was broader in scope; I wanted to find a specialty that spanned all areas of medicine and surgery. In the spring of my third year, I spent four weeks completing an elective in Diagnostic Radiology. After a couple of weeks, I realized that I had found my niche. Radiology is a broad specialty that deals with both medical and surgical issues in patients of all age groups. I find this comprehensive nature of the field to be both challenging and intellectually stimulating. As the month progressed, my feeling that radiology was the right specialty for me grew stronger. I developed an appreciation for the radiologist's ability to view the body's intricate internal structures using methods that have little or no invasiveness. These minimally invasive methods continue to evolve as radiology leads the medical field in the development of new technology to diagnose and treat patients. With a passion for science and having grown up during the computer age, I am eager to be part of a field that is a pioneer in innovation. One particular experience during my radiology rotation played a pivotal role in my decision to pursue a career in radiology. The patient was a 29 year-old female who was having flank pain for which an abdominal CT scan was obtained to evaluate for renal stones. While a moderately sized renal stone was indeed discovered, there was also an incidental finding of a pancreatic pseudocyst that had begun to erode into her spleen. The patient apparently had sub-clinical or mild pancreatitis in the past, after which the pseudocyst developed. This case was an excellent learning experience for me because it demonstrated how the radiologist's ability to examine the patient's internal anatomy can help make diagnoses that influence patient care and improve outcomes. The case also reaffirmed my admiration of the breadth of radiology. The patient was being evaluated for a urological problem, but issues pertaining to general surgery and internal medicine were discovered and needed urgent attention. Physicians have many practice opportunities from which to choose. While there are advantages to practicing in a private setting, I feel that I would get more fulfillment from practicing in an academic setting. Academic medicine allows physicians to care for patients in an environment that is stimulating and rewarding. I find it intriguing to be in an academic setting where others are learning and new ideas are being developed through research. As an undergraduate teaching assistant in Nutritional Biochemistry, I enjoyed teaching students while having the opportunity to solidify my knowledge of the subject. It would be rewarding for me to have the opportunity to teach and learn from colleagues, residents, and students. I have a strong passion for becoming a radiologist, and I am excited to take the next step in my medical career. SUNY Upstate Medical University is a superior academic institution where I would obtain excellent training as a radiology resident. I look forward to meeting with you and discussing the contribution that I would like to make as a member of the SUNY Upstate Medical University radiology team. 44 Ophthalmology I was about thirteen when I first realized I had a secret. I was, and am, ignorant of the secret's origin and final outcome. Nevertheless, even as a proud thirteen-year-old owner I could tell even then that it was something spectacular. My secret is not tangible. You can neither hold it in your hands nor examine it with your eyes. However, you can, or at least I can, feel it with the heart. To grab hold and take advantage of my secret's wonders all that is needed is the key to unlock its splendor. Therein laid the problem. As a thirteen-year-old child, I neither possessed the key nor knew where to find it. With a curiosity to the secret's contents, I tucked the secret away in a corner of my heart for safekeeping and began the search. The first big hint as to the key's location came about two years later. It had been a particularly rough summer for my grandmother and her heart pains. I had taken her to the hospital's emergency room too much, and in this instance, too long. She was having difficulties breathing, nothing new, but this visit was different. The doctors were trying a new medication on my grandmother and the side effects had increased in number and intensity. I remember her lying perfectly still staring at my mother's face asking God to please take away some of the hurt. At this moment, my grandmother's pain rubbed off on me. I was a child who could not imagine it ever hurting that much; a child wondering how to fight something he could not see nor understand. I was also a child who saw his mother cry in front of him for the first time. As I watched tears flow from her eyes I was overcome with feelings that by all logic should have been new and unexplored; yet, they were both warm and familiar. Confused, I looked deep into my mother's eyes searching for an explanation. What I saw was a glimpse of my secret. In that brief moment I learned a great deal about life, and something that connected to my secret. I learned to understand pain and the complex mixture of sorrow and release it brings. I realized how the people around me were trying each in their own way to help me. Even more importantly, I learned what their efforts, successful or not, meant. The efforts made by the doctors, nurses, and my family formed a connection between the world around me and myself. This connection seemed to tug on my heart as if to imply that this is where it belonged. I squeezed my mother's hand and looked into her eyes to let her know I understood. In so doing, I experienced the satisfying warm feeling that I am sure those helping me enjoyed. The feeling was incredible, addictive and again familiar. There was no doubt this was part of my secret. With each passing year I glimpsed at my secret more frequently. Each time learning, or more appropriately, becoming conscious of something that it seemed some part of me already knew. For instance, my interest in the eye began in my second year of medical school during the ophthalmology section of the pathology course. I found the intricacy and vastly varied pathology of the visual system to be fascinating. This interest led me to pursue ophthalmology through various electives in the field. Upon completion of these electives, my initial interest in the eye blossomed into an exciting conviction of the type of physician I wanted to become. Ophthalmology contains all of what I love about the medical profession: medicine, surgery, treatment of the old and the young, primary care, and specialized procedures. The chance to combine extensive patient contact in a clinical setting with the need for surgical precision, attention to minute detail, and aptitude in the most advanced technology medicine has to offer is a compelling attraction of the specialty. Ophthalmology is also a dynamic field, with frequent new advances in preserving or improving people's vision. I will enjoy the challenge of keeping up with new developments and will take satisfaction in contributing to that growth. It shocked me the first time I came to this realization at how comfortable it felt. There was no hesitation, simply affirmation that yes, this is who you are. I found my secret's key, or rather, the key found me. As it turns out, the key was in my heart all along. My mistake was looking with my eyes when I should have been looking with my heart. My secret is a secret no longer. I have found ophthalmology and ophthalmology has found me. 45 Orthopedic Surgery My first exposure to orthopedic surgery occurred during college when my mother underwent a total hip arthroplasty. She had nearly complete pain resolution and went from limited to full activity in a short time. Later, in my clinical years of medical school, I realized these clinical outcomes are usually the exception, not the rule in most fields of medicine. For these reasons, orthopedics has always appealed to me as specialty where one can actually "fix" people, the primary reason I want to become a physician. I also had the fortunate opportunity during college to observe several total hip arthroplasty's while shadowing an orthopedic surgeon. I was impressed with the tools and the work this surgeon performed. I have always enjoyed working with my hands, whether fixing up my old fishing boat, working in the yard, or playing sports. As I watched these surgeries, I thought I would like to do this type of work someday. Since my childhood, I have had a fascination with how things work. This first revealed itself with my constant disassembly of every toy I owned, and later with my interests in physics and biology. I majored in biochemistry at Cornell, and through an introductory course in protein structural biology taught in an entirely three dimensional environment, I became fascinated with structure-function relationships. Many aspects of orthopedics such as biomechanics and fracture patterns are intimately tied to structure-function relationships, and I continually find them intellectually stimulating. This interest led me to do research in structural biology at Cornell and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center during college. After graduation, I accepted a research assistant position with the department of orthopedic surgery at SUNY Upstate Medical University where I was involved in developing a model to study steroid induced osteonecrosis. Part of this study included collecting bone marrow samples from patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty. I enjoyed both the research and the operating room environment, and this experience furthered my interest in orthopedics. During my pre-clinical years of medical school, I enjoyed anatomical dissection and pathology, both of which require understanding through anatomical relationships - a way of thinking which comes naturally to me. I continued to pursue my interest in orthopedics during my second year by working on a clinical research project studying palliative therapy of renal cell metastases to bone, a project I am still working on. As I began my clinical years, I tried to keep an open mind to each field I was exposed, but none have yielded the same intellectual, physical, and emotional satisfaction as orthopedics. This was confirmed during my acting internship where each day I looked forward to spending time in resident teaching conferences, orthopedic clinics, and the operating room. I enjoy the academic environment and plan to pursue a career in academic medicine as an orthopedic surgeon where I can continue to practice medicine through surgery, research, and teaching. For these reasons, I am seeking a residency program which provides both excellent instruction and surgical variety so I can become the best orthopedic surgeon that my abilities allow. Finally, I am seeking a residency program that emphasizes resident teamwork and teaching, and also has opportunities available to become involved in research, both clinical and orthopedic-based basic science. 46 Radiation Oncology My goal is to pursue a career in radiation oncology at an academic institution where I can treat a diverse patient base. I was introduced to the field during a research project after my first year of medical school. In addition to learning about radiation oncology, I learned valuable skills on how to conduct research; skills I want to share with other medical students. However, my decision to pursue radiation oncology is not solely academic. I have found caring for cancer patients, those seeking either curative or palliative therapy, the most rewarding experiences of my clinical rotations. As an undergraduate, I enjoyed the challenge of optimizing DNA delivery into cells using varying forms of polymers and silica nanoparticles. I found basic science experiments rewarding, and after my first year of medical school I pursued clinical research in orthopedic oncology. It was during this experience that I had my first exposure to radiation oncology. While investigating the effects of various cancer therapies on bone mineral density, I learned how whole body and cranial irradiation had the potential to cause osteoporosis. At the same time, I was impressed by the variety of solid pediatric tumors treated for a cure with radiation, a therapy previously unfamiliar to me. The balance between therapeutic benefit and toxicity was intriguing, and I began to realize the depth of this field. In addition to learning about radiation oncology, I honed my research skills by retrospectively evaluating a synthetic bone graft used in the treatment of benign bone lesions. By critically reviewing the literature, I was able to formulate a hypothesis and develop specific radiographic criteria to evaluate the time course of bone graft healing. Through the process of getting this study accepted for publication, I have learned how to conduct research meaningful to patient care. Realizing what I have gained from my own experiences, I believe that other medical students can benefit from becoming more involved in the research process. I proposed and developed a research symposium for medical students through AOA. Currently, I am applying my experience in podium and poster presentations to teach medical students methods to present their own work. Working with these students has solidified what I felt in college when I was a biomedical engineering teaching assistant. I enjoy the teaching process and helping others learn. I have attained other teaching opportunities as well, as I have been selected to help teach courses in anatomy, physical examination skills, and neuroscience during my fourth year. Although I enjoy research and teaching, the reason I choose to pursue medicine was a drive to personally administer therapies to patients, not just be a biomedical engineer who develops them. I explored my clinical interests immediately upon arriving at medical school by volunteering at a clinic downtown for the local uninsured population. These clinical interests became focused on cancer after my second year of medical school, when my aunt was diagnosed with breast cancer. Through our frequent conversations I learned more about the patient care aspects of radiation oncology, thus expanding my previous interest that began during my research. I was impressed with how close she became with her radiation oncologist, and was thus exposed to the larger picture of the personal interactions between radiation oncologists and their patients. I have since sought the opportunity to treat cancer patients on various clinical services to learn how they benefit from radiation therapy. While on the medical service, I assumed responsibility for the care of Mr. D, a patient recently afflicted with severe hip pain. During his diagnostic work-up, we determined his discomfort was due to a bony metastasis from a primary lung tumor. I was the one responsible for giving him the news of his diagnosis and prognosis. Although challenging, I strove to break bad news with the goal of preserving hope, be it for cure or symptomatic relief. I followed his evaluation by radiation oncology, and soon after his treatments started he gratefully told me he could walk without pain once again. Rather than dwelling on his overall prognosis, he instead focused on the benefits of his functional recovery. During my radiation oncology electives, I have been impressed with the quality of life improvements radiation can offer, whether they are through palliative or curative therapy. Regarding the treatments themselves, the technological aspects of radiation oncology have stood out above all medical fields in appealing to my interests in physical sciences. I have found that radiation oncology offers all I am looking for in a career: patient care, exciting new technology, and extensive research opportunities. This fall I will conduct research to retrospectively study patients treated for Pancoast tumors, which will compare the survival, local control, and side effects between those treated with surgery alone versus those given chemotherapy and radiotherapy followed by surgery. I intend to pursue a radiation oncology residency at an academic institution where I will have the opportunity to treat a broad patient population. There I plan to continue my involvement in teaching, as well as participate in basic science and clinical research that contributes to the knowledge base of the field. I find cancer patients' often positive outlook and drive to fight their disease inspiring, and I am looking forward to a career dedicated to their care. 47
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