Neonatology Personal Statement

I can distinctly remember the moment I was first exposed to the field of neonatology. My older sister was a neonatal intensive care nurse at Children’s Hospital of Michigan, and due to this, I was able to organize time to shadow a clinician in the NICU. At that time, I was only a sophomore in college with no definitive plan for what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I had no idea what went on in the NICU or the steps necessary to become a neonatologist. I remember walking into the NICU and everything looking foreign. The numerous monitors, nurses, and doctors were truly intimidating, but I believe that this early introduction to the field is where my passion for pediatrics began.
During my 12-hour observation shift, one neonate stands out. This infant was on ECMO (Extra Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation) due to meconium aspiration syndrome. To me, it

During my first year of medical school, I brought a new student organization to my campus called Love Your Melon. Love Your Melon is a company that was started by two college students in Minnesota with the initial mission to give every child battling cancer a beanie. Bringing this organization to my school allowed me to raise awareness for childhood cancer, as well as carry out events for local children battling cancer. One child in particular was a 16-year-old girl diagnosed with brain cancer. As an organization, we were able to provide her a day doing all of the activities that she loved instead of focusing on her disease. She was a true inspiration. She was entering her tenth year of fighting, but instead of allowing sadness and anger to take over her life, she didn’t take anything for granted and lived life to the fullest. This experience with her and the other local children battling cancer, solidified my desire to work with