I have always looked forward to the day I would begin a residency program in Internal Medicine. Prior to my admission to Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Nigeria, I was motivated to pursue this path. My early childhood experiences and academic background including a Public Health degree in progress have all contributed to shape and maintain my quest for a career in Internal Medicine. I am confident that I am ready to embark on this journey. I grew up in the south-eastern part of Nigeria where both the nuclear and extended family are close-knit. The gentle but professional way my uncle, Emman, a family physician took care of ill family members and other patients resonated early in my life and I wanted to be a doctor like him. I often visited his …show more content…
However, the rotation that gave me the most gratification was Internal Medicine. During my Internal Medicine rotation, I was intrigued by how the fund of knowledge from my pre-clinical years fit in like a puzzle as we applied those principles. Notable was the empathic way my Attending, Dr. Ahaneku attended to a breathless patient with worsening congestive heart failure as his anxious family waited, hoping that their loved one would make it through this episode. Amidst this seemingly chaotic situation, Dr. Ahaneku was calm, detailed, precise and confident in the quality of care she was able to provide for this patient. With her skills, she was able to stabilize this patient. I was not only intrigued, but I was also inspired and my quest for Internal Medicine gained more strength. The most fascinating piece for me is the fact that despite the paucity of infrastructure, my preceptors including Dr. Ahaneku, never gave up in their effort to provide the best quality of care they could for the patient population we …show more content…
While doing my rotations in New York, it was exhilarating to see first-hand the interdependence of research, modern/advanced medicine and infrastructure. I saw for myself, the difference these advances made in the care of patients and medical outcome thereof. On the other hand I was also heartbroken as I realized from case to case what difference such facilities as I was exposed to in New York could have made in the life of my people in Nigeria considering the high mortality rate I have witnessed in Nigeria. I resolved in my heart to seek the opportunity to train in the United States with the hope that one day I would be able to replicate to the extent I can, the quality of care I have seen in the United States for patients in my
The summer after my freshman year in college, I went back to Honduras to volunteer with the children who had leukemia at the National Public Hospital. I have never been as intimidated as my first day, when I followed the attending oncologist, while he was showing me the pediatric unit. He also explained my duties, which were attending and playing with the children. When I was left to start my job, I felt almost as nuisance in the midst of that hectic hospital room. Unsure on how to approach the patients, I looked around and found a tender smiling face. Although I was nervous, the warmth of his expression gave me the confidence to walk towards his bed. After a long and pleasant talk, I learned that Diego was from a remote rural town, and that his father visited him three days a week because he had to work to support his family. Diego suffered from a severe form of leukemia and had been hospitalized for nine months. Due to his poor health, he was unable to walk or even sit up in his bed. Hence, he developed atrophy in his legs causing them to lose strength and mobility. Yet with a huge sparkle in his eyes, Diego shared with me his dreams of becoming a great soccer player. As I turned away to retrieve the board games that he requested, I was moved by his courage to dream despite the hardships he was enduring at such a young age. This encounter was the beginning of an important turning point in my life. What initially began as a job became a real duty for me. I felt compelled and obligated to the children whom I interacted with, gaining satisfaction in doing so. At first, it seemed I was doing them a favor but rather it was the children that made an impact in my life. After I left Diego’s bedside that day, I was heartbroken to see h...
My time is split between the Emergency room and the Intensive care unit. Under the direction of the Registered Nurse and the attending on the floors, I make frequent rounds of patients to assess their needs, assist with the loved ones and my personal favorite, accompanying doctors and nurses on morning rounds. I have the opportunity to compare notes from previous rounds and ask questions to better understand their condition. This opportunity has brought to my attention the more rewarding side of medicine and has proved, by far, the most useful work experience I have had in preparing for my journey. I knew for sure that this was what I wanted to do when I realized that even the dullest days wouldn't make me love it any less. Everything was as it should be. I was where I belonged and I've never looked back since. I realize that the journey of becoming a doctor will not be easy. I expect long hours, endless studying, emotional and physical exhaustion. However the passion and motivation with which I approach things will be all I need which are qualities a great doctor should attain, and I am confident in my abilities to complete my journey. With much research, discussions with my admission representatives and attendance at numerous webinars, I determined that AUA is the right institution for me. In the process of choosing the right school, the most important factor for me is an institution where I
Throughout my clinical and research experience, I have developed numerous skills that make me an adequate candidate to apply for IM. Upon flourishing completion of my residency, I plan to become a PCP. I look forward for working hard, seeing an opportunity in every obscurity and expanding my medical knowledge in all aspects of primary care. I will bring my optimism, enthusiasm and intellectual curiosity to my residency
Growing up as a military kid, I cultivated discipline, adaptability, compassion and an industrious nature in myself. My insatiable curiosity of how the human body functions and my natural ability to make an empathetic connection with people gave me the confidence and conviction to pursue medicine. I fondly remember my pediatric rotations motivating me to put in long hours to earn the trust of a toddler and an adolescent, each requiring different approaches. The
A career in healthcare has always been something I’ve been fascinated with and aspired to. Nevertheless there has always been a cloud of uncertainty as to whether I would truly feel passionate about this career path and if I’m going into it for all the right reasons. Evidently this decision to pursue a challenging, diverse and ever-changing path has not been an over night epiphany, rather a decision that has taken me months to conclude. My love and interest in the world of science and the intricacy of how your organs, tissues and organs all work together to enable the body to survive and move has no doubt been an important factor for wanting a healthcare profession. The medical field is so vast and there are always new discoveries to be had, which is an extremely exciting prospect as it offers a constant opportunity to grow and learn.
With its wide scope and a myriad of possible presentations, it carries the highest intellectual challenge for me. In addition, I believe internal medicine is the backbone of both; outpatient and hospital based medical care, catering to the maximum number of patients. My initial impressions were reinforced during my time working as a physician in the government sector. After graduating from medical school I decided to contribute a few years of my life serving in rural area as a service to the society. I believe this time spent in government service has really helped me gain a unique insight into the true workings of the medical field.
During these rotations, I got exposure to patients with a variety of diseases, their pathophysiological mechanism and key concepts. I felt tremendous gratification in being with patients at the bedside and facing the challenge of managing multiple medical problems. Identifying the common etiology by sorting out the symptoms is like a challenge that one enjoys as an internist. I experienced the intricate thought processes involved in treating patients with the problems, as well as the energy and compassion needed to take care of the patient as a whole. During my medical school, I came across some doctors who were US trained. I got particularly impressed by their patient interaction, thought process, decision making and clinical acumen. It was my discussion with these doctors that ignited my interest in getting trained in US. I believe I have the passion and determination that this field demands. My work as medical officer has taught me work ethics, team work, dedication, persistence and a passion to perform best under all circumstances. The art of diagnosing and healing someone out of a pool of symptoms and signs seems like the best challenge one can be faced with and one that I intend to be the best
I grew up in Pune, India – a complex urban city with over 8 million people from different walks of life. A growing metro attracts a very diverse population, and what this did for me is foster a love for diversity and a craving for human interaction which ties directly into my passion for medicine. Pune presented a very unique environment, a result of its wide socioeconomic compass- one can find world-class medical facilities and problems in access to care within a 2-mile radius. Having both parents as dentists with private practices that were a popular summer hangout of mine helped get a firsthand view of a career catering to a broad and extremely diverse patient-base. Striking up conversations with patients in the waiting room, a result of childhood curiosity, proved very influential in hindsight. It taught me that everyone is unique- they come from different cultures, speak different languages, make a different income, and have different values and beliefs. No two stories are the same, and these unique characteristics need to be considered for quality patient care.
Out of all the specialties, Internal Medicine is the only one that requires me to be there for patients at the right-time. Not only being there at the right-time, but also using knowledge and applying it for patient’s health, which will give me a chance to interact with a diverse array of patients. This will enable me to use my medical knowledge and challenges me to evolve and grow as a physician. Again, complementary to my nature, I’ve to keep myself updated on a regular basis and learn new things for a better future of health care. Besides this, with an above childhood incident where the entire group was contributing, and I chose not to, I learnt the importance of teamwork and Internal Medicine will give me a chance to work with the team who gives constant and tireless efforts in a patient’s healthcare. In fact, positive comments from patients and attendings about being present at the right-time when they need me somehow helped me to keep myself motivated that I have changed now.have brought change in
Not only did they reinforce my enthusiasm for Internal Medicine but also widened my ability to effectively apply my learning from over the years to two highly differing environments. My experience of completing rotations at multiple hospitals in the US broadened my horizon and gave me the opportunity to develop further at professional as well as personal levels. A well-developed healthcare system, research opportunities, incorporation of evidence-based medicine in the management of patients, high standards of care and outstanding mentorship make US an attractive place for a person like me who strives to achieve excellence. These experiences have shaped me into a more rounded clinician for my level thus far, primed for continuing my medical training in one of the best health care systems in the world, bringing along a fund of knowledge from the perspective of a developing
A residency in Internal Medicine would provide me with innumerable opportunities to learn. I truly believe that learning is a continuous process in the lifetime of an individual. I aspire to a career as an internist following my residency. I seek a residency program that is committed to fostering an environment of continuous learning and dedicated to serving a diverse patient population. After going through the curriculum of the program, I believe it is the program I want to be at. I intend to take full advantage of a residency program in internal medicine at your esteemed institution. I hope you strongly consider me as a candidate because I am deeply committed to excellence. I look ahead to the next phase of my training as a valuable asset to your internal medicine team with great excitement and strong commitment.
During my internship at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital, I managed a diverse group of patients and realized that to delve into the depths of the medicine, there is
I started to explore the different fields of medicine by working as a Medical Scribe in the Emergency Department, ER tech in Trauma Centers, getting involved in research, volunteering at hospitals and taking high level science classes. This will enhance my knowledge and experience i...
In 2004, my maternal grandfather suddenly passed away under mysterious circumstances—less than a decade later, my widowed paternal grandmother followed suite. As a kid, they were both instrumental to nurturing my interest in the sciences despite only seeing them twice a year at most. They often taught me the importance and medicinal function of many locally-grown plants and herbs in the southern region of Nigeria. As I increased in my scientific knowledge—especially in college, it dawned on me that my grandfather might have had passed away from a longstanding undiagnosed ailment. The same applies to my grandmother who became fully blind after receiving several doses of harmful traditional medicine. Thus, I decided to pursue a career as medical doctor in order to serve poor West African communities like my grandmothers’ that sorely lack qualified doctors and affordable health care.
So far my journey has been satisfying. However, I believe in continuous learning. Following a Chinese proverb “Teachers open the door, but you must enter yourself” I consider every patient a teacher who provides me chance of expanding my knowledge and honing my skill. As it is the beginning of my medical career, my expectations for a residency program is that will provide me the prospect to work in challenging situations to allow me to excel in academic, clinical and research fields. Providing me the opportunity to pursue this dream in your program with my understanding of internal medicine along with the many other strengths I obtain, will definitely make me a valuable asset to your team.