College Admissions Essay: Growing Up In High School

I have always been interested in people?s stories. The narratives of our peers give us insight into our own lives as much as they entertain us, giving our own stories meaning and substance. Of course I enjoy medicine for the science, the pride, and the stability, but nothing draws me to the profession like life stories do. And the physician has the opportunity to not only experience these narratives first hand, but to be a part of them as well. I hope that I may, one day, know and become involved in the lives of my community, just as you, the reader, might become a part of mine.

I played football all 4 years of high school, and so far, participating in this sport is the greatest decision I've ever made. It taught me the importance of attendance and punctuality; if I did not show up to or was late to practice, training, conditioning, or meetings, I would pay the price. Playing the center position taught me attention to detail and how to focus on the task at hand. If I gave in to distractions, I would false start, and if I blew an assignment, one of my teammates would pay the price. The long hours of training taught me about effort and enthusiasm, for there is no other way to approach hours and hours of running, lifting, and hard work than with the proper mindset. And the entire experience taught me about discipline and

I?ve held conversations with city commissioners about education and public transit, and I?ve held conversations with the homeless about sleeping on the subway and hustling cigarettes in NYC. I associate with all types of people, and I am fairly adept at communicating with someone regardless of their culture, ethnicity, race, or economic situation. This is an important skill for a physician to have due to the sheer number and variety of people he or she will contact daily, whether patient or