EM Personal Statement

The strongest example of my leadership and community involvement has been my service to my high school through Student Senate as the Student Body President. In this position I have been responsible for planning and coordinating events, running weekly morning meetings, giving speeches, communicating between my advisors and councilmen, and being an active leader in and out of the classroom. I’ve learned a lot about people while in this position, I have found a way to work with other people and their needs, as well as becoming a very effective communicator, and a great team player.

I lived in Turku, Finland for research through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program this past year. Immersed in the Finnish culture of bathing in the sauna, hiking in the forests, and commuting by bicycle, I easily embraced an environment that respected quietude. I found the Finnish quietness offered the chance to listen, to each other and to our own selves. With words substituted by moments of silence, this gave me the space and time to “olla omissa oloissaan”, to hear myself think: What do I want from life? I love biology and enjoy research but I miss being an EMT. What will be my contribution? Reflecting on my past, present, and future, I realized I want to pursue a career in medicine.

I entered into the world of EMS in December of 2008, when I obtained by EMT-Basic certification in the State of Maryland. I started volunteering for a fire-based EMS system, Baltimore County, where I functioned as an EMT/ Firefighter. I also started working as an EMT at a private ambulance company. After functioning as an EMT for 5 years, I graduated from University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) with a Bachelor of Science degree in Emergency Health Services, Paramedic track. For the next couple of months, I worked on a critical care ALS unit that offered interfacility transportation, ranging from neonates to geriatrics. Although I was not certified as critical care paramedic, I functioned with a critical care nurse, as well as worked

At the beginning of my senior year, I committed myself to additional volunteer works. These volunteer activities require leadership skills that I have learned previously. Some of these activities include:

There are errors and hazards in care that occurred in the Mr. B scenario. One error was the emergency room physician’s failure to recognize the signs and symptoms of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) that Mr. B was presenting. If not treated early, a DVT can become a pulmonary embolism, a fatal condition that Mr. B unfortunately developed. Another error in care that happened in the Mr. B scenario is the nurses’ failure to monitor Mr. B’s ECG and respirations. Early detection of critical ECG and respiratory changes could have initiated medical interventions that would have saved Mr. B’s life. One hazard is the emergency room nurses’ heavy patient load at the time of Mr. B’s sentinel event. Another hazard is having a licensed

These patients’ outcomes were greatly impacted by the initial response of the ED providers. For example, if sepsis goes unrecognized in a patient within the hour they potentially may be so behind in their fluid status and antibiotic intervention that the delay would mean the difference between life or

Although this life-altering, experience serves as a catalyst for my desire to give back and make a difference, it was not until my leadership roles at Florida State that I understood true passion and humility. My junior year, I was honored to serve on the executive committee for Relay For Life at Florida State as the Panhellenic Recruitment Chair. Having little leadership experience and much trepidation, I knew this would be a challenge. Fortunately, the same semester I enrolled in a leadership course that provided me with the framework of effective leadership and gave me the motivation that I needed to excel. The various leadership tests, group activities and classroom conversations in this course and others, heightened my passion for not only leading and serving but accepting and appreciating the diversity that surrounds the world

Future Business Leaders of America is a fast organization that has taught me a lot about leadership. I have held the office as secretary for our FBLA chapter for two years, and held the position as annual reporter the previous year. Myself and two other individuals created a community service project to raise money and awareness for Cystic Fibrosis; we competed at the state conference in Topeka, Kansas and received first place which qualified us to compete at the national level last summer in Atlanta, Georgia. It was an experience that I will never forget. I have also been a dedicated member of FFA for four years, I have held the position as Class vice president for three years, and I have been a member of National Honor Society for two years. National Honor Society is a service club that gives to the community and school. Service has taught me compassion and understanding. I trust that service is contagious. When people help others it can cause a chain reaction; one good deed leads to another. I enjoy helping others and realizing that I have made a positive impact on an individual’s

Using my high energy and natural encourager abilities I have risen to top levels of leadership in several organizations. I have been privileged to represented them at the local and state, regional and national level. It is rewarding as well as educational. I soon learned people volunteer for many different reasons. To accomplish our goals, it was important to make sure each volunteer felt valuable. Understanding the different personalities and communication styles was a challenge I accepted with gusto. I have read many personal development books, attended seminars, and have even had the pleasure of sharing the same stage with some highly regarded professional speakers.

Throughout the duration of my life, roles of leadership have influenced my stance towards my major, most notably my role in the Girl Scouts of America. Committing to Girl Scouts for thirteen years has given me ample opportunities to positively impact others. It has also given me real world scenarios in which I had the chance to resolve disputes, interact with diverse people, and contribute to several projects that bettered my community. I take pride in my time with the Scouts, as it not only benefitted me by personally transforming me into a young professional with a strong work ethic and morals, but it allowed me to help others and work on understanding the world around me. My most significant and rewarding project involved conducting research

For the entirety of my high school career, I have been a student in the Leadership Center for the Sciences and Engineering (LCSE) held at Norview High School. Being enrolled in this specialty program has strengthened and pushed me academically, as a leader, with public speaking, and as a service worker. Specifically, LCSE has developed my leadership skills and allowed me to become a more service-oriented leader. In the first year of the program, students take Leadership Foundations where the basics of leadership and the history of great leaders are taught. Then, in Advanced Leadership students model leadership skills by hosting holiday gatherings, being counselors for the LCSE Summer Orientation Camp, and completing 200 volunteering hours.

Coming from Cuba has exposed me to the difficulties people undergo daily due to economic circumstances. Globally, countless individuals live in grievous conditions. This is why, since high school and throughout college, I have been involved in several clubs, specialized in my career choice as well as in helping the community. A few of them include Pre-nursing and Physician Assistant Club, Student Government Association, and Phi Theta Kappa. These clubs offered me the opportunity of assisting diverse people while acquiring leadership skills and teamwork strategies. For instance, one of the most astonishing experiences was volunteering at the Women’s Breast and Heart Initiative. This organization made me a mediator in the approach of saving lives

My leadership experience is a major component of my competence as an individual. As one who volunteers throughout the community, I am a role model for my younger peers. I volunteer at the local library, helping to care for the books and organizing the facility, and at University Christian Church, making prayer beads, which are distributed at the local hospital to those in need. I have also served as front ensemble section leader in the Colt marching band for two years.

This primary care clinic provides health-care to needy people from various ethnic groups, absolutely free of cost. I worked as an extern under supervision of attending physicians, performing various tasks including clinical evaluation, case presentation, maintaining paper records and EMR. I used to spend a lot of time on patient education and providing support to the poor, which enhanced my knowledge of the socioeconomic aspects of

What are your civic, leadership, and developmental activities that you believe have benefited or will benefit you professionally?