My Pathophysiology

The two greatest influences in my life have been a hieroglyphic stamp set, given to me as a child, and my mother 's debilitating illness. One sparked my interest in Egypt, while the other fueled my curiosity for medicine and empathy for those stricken with illness. Egyptology and medicine may seem like arbitrary subjects to study, yet to me they are not. The oldest treatise mentioning neurosurgery comes from Egypt. Ancient Egyptians were pioneers in medicine; their physicians and embalmers made discoveries and observations which led to our modern knowledge of anatomy, pathology, and surgery. After my mom gave me the stamp set, I was intrigued. The more I learned, the more I wanted to know, and eventually I decided I wanted to become an Egyptologist.

In 2009 I graduated summa cum laude from UCLA with a major in Egyptology and a minor in Classics. Soon after, my mother 's illness took a greater toll; so, I made the decision to take some time off to work full-time and care for her. It was during this time that I discovered my desire to have a greater impact on the well-being of others.

I avoided major injury but my mom was less fortunate. She developed two neurological disorders: Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy and Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. An athletic 36-year-old, she became a permanently disabled single mom who survived with government aid. Our life became a slew of office visits, procedures, and surgeries; there was even a malpractice suit. I witnessed medical miracles and horrors. Half her body would sweat, while the other half would be cold and look cyanotic. Her diseases sparked my interest in neurology and introduced me to a neurosurgeon, Dr. Filler, whom I will be shadowing this summer. He has been in our lives for twenty years and in that time he has become my model of a great doctor. Dr. Filler not only treats my mom 's physical symptoms, but her emotional needs as well; he treats his patient as a