Arrhythmia Personal Statement

As a recipient of this scholarship, I would like to contribute to the mission of the NHSC by providing an environment where patients feel that they are welcomed, a priority, and receiving high quality healthcare. This is important because the large patient demands found in clinics in underserved areas create an environment where patients receive less face-to-face time with their doctors, provided they get seen at all. Because I have the work ethic and compassion to make a difference in underserved areas, I believe that I would be a helpful addition to any clinic. Bringing caring healthcare professionals into communities will allow more patients to receive quality care as well as impact these areas by allowing everyone to live healthier, more

When asked what trait a physician bears in the 21st century, most would agree with compassion. Pierre Elias author of the narrative essay, “Insensible Losses: When The Medical Community Forgets The Family”, argues that physicians may be compassionate when it comes to their patients, but “lack a systematic approach to communicating with families when a patient’s health deteriorates unexpectedly, requiring a change in care providers” (Elias 707). Pierre Elias is a medical student from Duke University. He is nearing the end of his clinical rotations when he is forced by his inner moral conscience to deliver difficult news to a patient’s family whom no other physician makes time for.

Through the many trips that my family has taken to the hospital due to various reasons, I have become fond of the hospital and its many wonders. After all the things that the medical field has done for me and my family, I decided to contribute to my local hospital to volunteer and help out those who pay visits to the hospital. Through my exposure to various clinical populations, I want to improve my ability to serve others in this capacity that can guide me towards the medical profession in the future.

Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care, the words of Theodore Roosevelt written in the radiology department at Good Samaritan Hospital, where I work as a Radiologic technologist. These words are a constant reminder of why I choose to pursue a career in medicine. Growing up in Haiti, I was an underweight, mal nourished child with a weak immune system. Sick days seemed to occur every other day. In a country with limited resources, I remember traveling with my parents to different towns in search for medicine and the right physician. We would walked miles, but no miles was ever long enough to stop my parents from getting their son the proper treatment. At a young age my parents showed me the true meaning of altruism and empathy, necessary skills needed to make a great physician. Living in poverty can have major consequences on one’s health. I witness this in my own health and those surrounding me. To survive these harsh conditions, as a community we had to stick together, we had to care for one another. We shared everything with our neighbors, from clean drinking water, food supplies, to natural herb treatment and medicine. From observing the change in lives in the community when treatment was provided, I quickly learned to values the benefits of good Health and medicine.

One time, I was taken aback and saddened by a patient yelling a plea to God as she was suffering through tremendous pain. As I walked into the room, the first thing this patient did was stop yelling and attempt to put on a calm face. It was a sobering moment, but I proceeded to ask her if I could do anything to help. What struck me most about this moment, was how much fight this lady could conjure up to hide her pain and yet still remain compassionate towards me. I hadn't expected anything, but this experience was a brilliant reminder of why I wanted so badly to improve the conditions of patients across the medical spectrum. I couldn't fathom the extent of this patient's pain, but I could fathom the idea of pain itself. In the patient, I saw a little bit of myself. I wanted to help this patient greatly and desired the means to do so. In this patient, I saw the nature of humanity. Human beings, for the most part, are inherently good and strive to be selfless even at their weakest moments. In fact, most people I know tend to be more worried about others than themselves, whether it be from a positive or negative perspective. As I got to know this patient, I realized how much she wanted to be with her family and see her grandchildren grow up. Though she was aware of the pain and suffering, she was also aware of what could be once she got through this struggle. Once I become a medical doctor, I can give back

The medical field is a career path that brings about many options and opportunities of great value. The noble idea of being a doctor tends to cloud the diligent studying and precise training that is actually required for this career. I have wanted to become a doctor since a very young age, and now that the opportunity is here for the taking, I have fully researched what it takes to succeed in this profession and various specialties of the practice. The road to a medical degree is one filled with thousands of notes, years of schooling, and many stressful nights, but the reward is one incomparable to any other. Saving people’s lives on a day-to-day basis has been one of my dreams for as long as I can remember, so the rigorous curriculum

Pulling off the ramp, we turned onto Church Hill Road responding on a priority one for the cardiac arrest. I tried to review my field guide en-route to the call, but all I could see were flashing lights reflecting off the guide’s pages and crowds of cars moving over for our wailing sirens. Within three minutes we had arrived on-scene and it was clear that our patient was not in cardiac arrest; however, his 12-Lead EKG and oxygen saturation were marginally reassuring and pointed to an active heart attack. At this point in my EMS training I was a BLS provider, but had adequate knowledge to assist Kathy. Instinctively, I went right to work and loved every second of it. The concept of formulating a differential diagnosis in the field and testing that theory is one of the principle factors that kept drawing my back to EMS. In addition, I developed an unparalleled appetite for knowledge, stemming from my desire to get every differential diagnoses right. Coming to this realization early in my EMS career, we [healthcare providers] frequently forget that patients often lack the medical knowledge provided to us through years of training. Behind CT Scans and MRIs are patients with questions. Having the ability to provide compassion, sympathy and reassurance to a patient is a central part to their recovery and survival; therefore, we [healthcare providers] need to be able to care for our patients on a holistic level, focusing less on the disease and more on the

It was during the second year of medical school on my clinical rotations when I was first introduced to internal medicine. On the second day of the rotation, I was posted in the outpatient clinic. The attending doctor entered the room with a patient and asked, “What is the diagnosis of this patient based on the physical finding?” When I looked at the patient, my eye knew what exactly to look for as I had read about it before. I answered ”acromegaly.” I had re-experienced the excitement and the sense of accomplishment that I experienced when I fixed my sister’s computer. At that moment, I knew that this is what I will love to do my entire life. In the coming years, I had the opportunity to meet varieties of patients with a wide spectrum of problems, from all sections of the society, speaking a multitude of languages. I gained experience and knowledge from each patient encounter, and my desire to pursue Internal Medicine grew even

That patient-centred focus was evident again when I shadowed a consultant urologist. Inspired by this, I work at integrating patience and compassion in my roles particularly in leading an SEN Scout group and also as a ward volunteer in King's. As a St John Ambulance cadet, I have developed experience in reacting calmly and showing appropriate concern in order to reduce panic in those needing medical

The heart is one of the most important organs in an organism’s body, no matter if they are aquatic, amphibian, or a mammal. This super organ works automatically, able to pump massive amounts of oxygen rich blood through the body by means of electrical impulses and the opening and closing of valves within its many layers. It is what keeps us and every other creature on this earth alive; so it is only natural for one to fear when there might be a problem with one’s heart. A cardiac arrhythmia can happen to anyone, no matter the age, race, or gender, and as such, doctors and scientist have spent years trying to better understand the heart and the way it functions so that they can try to prevent these problems and save millions of lives.

Ventricular Tachycardia. It is strange to think that somebody 21 years old could get such a complicated sounding disease. Initially I felt confused and a bit doubtful. I asked the doctor over and over again to make sure it was the correct diagnosis. Eventually I came to accept the fact that I have Ventricular Tachycardia. Eventually, I was able to see that having this disease didn’t have to be such a negative thing; that it could help me on my path. I went back to volunteering and shadowing with a new understanding. I was finally able to feel what the patients were going through, because I had gone through something similar. The confusion, fear, doubt, anger. I finally felt like I had the capacity to show empathy and understanding to patients and that medical school would help me to advance this ability

As an undergraduate, I gained invaluable hands-on clinical experience working for the University Health Services Clinic. I was able to directly interact with the patients, listen to their concerns, take their vitals, and network with nurses, practitioners and physicians about their condition and treatment plan. I worked on a team of medical professionals to provide expedited, yet compassionate care. Temple 's emphasis on clinical medicine, starting the very first year, will allow me to continue my experience and clinical training, further developing my ability to provide compassionate care through effective interpersonal communication, clinical reasoning, and teamwork.

For as long as I could remember, I have seen my father rushing to the hospital in a white coat, answering pagers in the middle of important family conversations and attending night calls even in the most terrible weather. I had always wondered; what could be so important that it belittles every other responsibility in his life. It was only after many years of anguish and protests that it finally made sense to me. This defining moment of realization occurred when I first met a patient in his office. I saw how the gratitude in the patient’s eyes can provide a sense of fulfillment that triumphs all other feelings in the universe. It was human life that was most important. Being a doctor does not make you a mere healer but also gives you the responsibility of a caregiver. I had never felt more proud of my father and that was the day I felt the urge to relive this feeling many times over. It was there in that moment that I decided to pursue a career in medicine.

Over the last month for three times a week, I shadowed a cardiologist, Dr. Jain. I will say that I don’t know whether or not cardiology is the direction for me, especially since another 20 specialties plus subspecialties are out there to explore, but it is a practice worth shadowing for several reasons. Perhaps the most important reason is the simple fact that it concerns one of the most important organs of the body: the heart. Cardiologists are medical doctors who have specialized knowledge in the diagnosis and treatment of health disorders relating to the cardiovascular system. A cardiologist does not only diagnose and treat disease, but will work in the area of prevention help reduce the risks of conditions such as heart disease.

I was introduced to the World of Cardiology early during my medical school years, and had many experiences that initiated and reinforced my desire to become a cardiologist. During the basic sciences year I became fascinated with cardiovascular physiology and its application, and realized that the complex structure of the human heart is a unique beauty. My love for Cardiology was reaffirmed during my clinical training at medical school. Within few days of starting my first elective cardiology rotation,