Edward Hébert School

I showed empathy when I met my favorite dog. A servant leader understands and empathizes with others. The dog was an American Bulldog named Alpha. I had been wanting to get him since day one but my group was afraid of him because he was huge. I understood that he was a big dog, but I thought from his perspective and decided I would be lonely and bark if I were locked in a cage. Eventually the day came when my group finally agreed to get him. We asked the worker some questions before getting him. One question that struck me was “Do a lot of people take out Alpha?” It saddened me to

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

As a child, I never realized the obstacles my family went through and why they wanted me to be the best student at the school. My parents tried their best in sheltering me from the truth but I always knew we were struggling financially. Growing up, I witnessed my parents struggle to find jobs and a stable house

Just as the institution is eager to continue embracing the ever-changing world of healthcare and medicine, I too embody this same distinguishing characteristic. Throughout my undergraduate experiences I have learned in order to be a steward and servant of the medical profession one must exercise teamwork, service, empathy, accountability, and optimism; all of which coincide with the tenets that are declared by the Meharry Medical College, School of Medicine culture. Attending this medical school would be one of the greatest rewards for my motivation and persistence. I know for certain there would be no greater experience than to be a part of the Meharry Medical College

The patience, compassion and encouragement of one person improved my family’s last years with its patriarch in countless ways. It was this improvement that inspired me to pursue a career as an

Ever since I was little and did not know how to do basic things like walk, talk or solve an algebraic equation. Naturally I would get discouraged and would not try to do it again. However, my parents effortlessly raised me, had encourage me to keep going. That I would get what I wanted if I put my heart into it. I’m not spoiled like Simon sinek would say we were raised with bad parenting skills.; my parents did not argue with my teachers over a stupid grade or to force me intro honors class room.

While growing up in Mobile, Alabama, I have always dreamed of becoming a medical doctor. My mother has been very supportive of my aspirations to attend college and become a pediatrician. She was the first in her family to graduate from high school and the first to attend college, which she never completed. Before graduating from high school, I knew that I wanted to obtain a degree elsewhere and not Mobile. Many of the steps I took to achieve this goal were unfamiliar to my family and me. These experiences have taught me that working consistently to achieve my

The most important experiences I’ve had in science began when I was a child and have continued through my time as a student researcher at Howard University. My exposure to science in medicine occurred at a young age and on an intimate level. When I was young, I had various health problems asthma, allergies, and eczema; it was as if my body was rejecting the world it was in. My parents immigrated to the United States so their children could have the opportunity to realize our dreams. Every day I think about the hardships they went through and it pushes me, and makes me a better scientist. The challenges I experienced at a young age sparked my initial interest in medicine, but later influenced my decision to pursue MD/PhD. As a child frequently

When I was 5 my life changed completely. My sister and I were abandoned by our mother and father. I was then raised by my aunt and uncle along with my grandparents. I was taken in and loved as if I was their own. I want to show them and myself that no matter what happens in life that I can succeed and accomplish anything I set my mind to. Therefore, I am pursuing an Associates degree and the first generation in my family to go to college first generation in my family to go to college.

My roommate asked me to drive him to the hospital to visit his mother. He did not have a vehicle and I was his only way to the hospital. I was wholly aware that by taking him to the hospital my academics would suffer, but this was never truly a choice. Taking care of people, demonstrating compassion, and caring for those who are closest to me has been a priority of mine since my upbringing. I drove my roommate to the hospital and was with him while his mother suddenly fell critically ill, and eventually passed away. She always invited me over for “family” dinners, especially during the holidays, since I couldn’t always make it home due to work. Although it was difficult to cope, I was presented with the opportunity to demonstrate the compassion she had shown me so many times, by helping my friend. We sat in her room reminiscing, crying, at times in silence, and eventually saying our goodbyes. Our friendship, and my perspective were altered permanently that day. This experience not only illuminated the profound effects of compassion, but also demonstrated what it means to be a community member. Being a community member encourages us to support others when they need it most, even if it entails personal sacrifices. We are all humans, we share over 99% of our genome, and everyone deserved to be treated with compassion and

I have grown up as a middle child in a small town called Valley City, where there is such a thing as “bring your tractor to school day.” I have always loved to learn and naturally strived to do my best in school. I am a first generation college student. My childhood dream was and still is to become a doctor. It all started when I would treat my younger brother, Anthony, as my patient. I mostly just covered him in Band-Aids. My family was pretty well off until my parents divorced. Since then, life has not been so easy financially. In high school, I continued to strive to be a good student just as I do now. Then, unfortunately, around tenth grade, my father had gone through a procedure gone wrong and ended up having paraplegia. Of course, it broke my heart to see him in the hospital and then in a wheelchair. It also scared me away from my childhood dream. What if I became a doctor and I accidently hurt someone? That is when I learned responsibility, not just the responsibility doctors have for their patients, but responsibility in general.

At the age of ten, you set a goal for yourself. You decide you want to be a pediatrician you tell yourself I will be all I set out to be no matter the obstacles I will face. Keep in mind you are only 10 years old so you don't fully understand all the struggles you may truly face. Imagine this you started a journey towards your life long dream career. You start your first year of college and realize it may just not be for you after all. The dream you once had may seem to be falling apart. Your grades are slipping and you are falling into a funk. You start to wonder is this even for me? Should I even be doing this? Is this worth my time or my money? Every bad question you could ask yourself starts running through your mind. Perhaps you can do

Meharry is my top choice for medical school because of its rich history and mission in creating holistic physicians to serve vulnerable populations. As I learned more about Meharry meeting current students and alumni at the National Medical Association (NMA) conference this year in Los Angeles, I realized my personal mission aligns precisely with the mission of Meharry. Being apart of the Meharry family will allow me to further this rich legacy while growing in my identity as an adept and resilient physician. My transition to medical school will be seamless due to the experiences reflected in my journey to the medical field thus far. From translating cutting edge research to underserved populations, to building my scientific acumen, and ultimately

The medical field is one of those paths that is sought after by many and sadly only accomplished by the few. Like my father, a person can go from striving to be a chiropractor or surgeon and then fall to become a pizza delivery driver. Then the fast, sports car life has been thrown away in place of a prius and the smell of dough and pizza sauce. “With great power, comes great responsibility,” describes those who have undertaken and accepted tremendous amounts of resilience to failure from

I acknowledge that it is unfair to make absolute demands without a full understanding of the forces in others’ lives. Thankfully, my group reacted to my empathy with reciprocity, and together we created a warm, accommodating environment that enabled our success.