FIU Personal Statement

One of the main missions of the university is to help underserved communities. I believe that both my personal and academic experience has engrained in me the qualities that are essential for completing medical school and becoming a doctor. I want to become an osteopathic doctor that is involved in the community and serves those who lack proper health care. My primary care doctor, who is an osteopathic doctor, influenced my decision to pursue osteopathic medicine. She taught me that osteopathic medicine consists of treatment with holistic approaches, and it involves an education in physical manipulation. This aspect is particularly of interest to me because this is an approach that is used in India. Overall, I believe that I am a thoroughly qualified candidate to pursue a DO degree from Touro college of Osteopathic Medicine. The sheer pleasure I derive from helping people and sharing what I know, coupled with the mental stimulation intrinsic to the profession, make medicine the clear career pathway for

The transition from being a child, dependent upon parents for everything, to an independent adult is one of the most stressful times a person will endure. Legally speaking, 18 is the age when you become an adult but the number doesn’t describe the responsibilities and independence you must take on. College is seen as the “big step” into the real world and many people struggle in choosing where to make their transition. I would like to take my “big step” by attending Florida Atlantic University.

Truthfully, as an undergraduate I knew very little about the osteopathic profession. In 2013, however, I began working as a medical scribe with Dr. Ghaffari-Greene, DO, in the Sibley ER and she opened my eyes to the beauty of osteopathic medicine. Thanks to Dr. Ghaffari-Greene, and a number of other osteopathic physicians in the ER, I have come to understand what osteopathic medicine is all about. Three years after my first exposure to the osteopathic profession, I continue to be motivated to become an osteopathic physician for many reasons. These include the following:

As a student at California Baptist University I will strive to be the best student I can be. I count on this university to prepare me for the real world and build towards my future and career. I hope CBU provides me with a lot of experience and hands on training, so that when I graduate I will be prepared. I’m determined to expand my knowledge and become a well rounded individual. I wish to broaden my learning skills overall and become a better student. Learning in a college environment will be different compared to high school, however I am looking forward to obtaining new information from the teachers at CBU.

I have grown up on my family farm outside of Albert Lea MN for my whole life. I have always taken a special interest in the beef cattle on our farm. I currently manage all of the herd records, and own part of the business. Throughout my SAE project through FFA, I started my own herd as well. I work extremely hard on our farm with the beef chores. I also help out with the crop farming on my farm by running tractors and watching bins. Because I have such an interest in cattle, I started working on a dairy farm two years ago. I currently milk 150 cows before, and after school everyday. I take a lot of time with my school studies as well. I maintain a 4.0 even while taking numerous college classes, and working. One of my greatest passions while in school has been FFA. I have served as the historian and the President of our

As a senior in high school, I have been questioned about where I am going to school and what degree I plan on getting. Up until about November of 2015, I was very indecisive. I was torn between a career in healthcare and what I knew I was passionate about. I wanted to be a teacher. I have taken health care classes since my freshman year of high school.

Personally, I have always been indecisive in all my decisions. Entering high school I had planned to take extracurricular classes pertaining to nursing. I was not exactly the most interested in that field of study, but I has been told that is the career I would make money in. The first day of high school I was not looking forward to entering the nursing class. I was sitting in my home room class waiting on my schedule anticipation rushing through my veins as I waited on my name to be called.

I am interested in becoming a member of FLOC because I know I have the potential to succeed as a leader at University of Texas at Arlington. My skills as a speaker and a guide make leadership something I can utilize to inspire those who follow me.

The National FFA Organization is an organization that I have been devoted to full heartedly, as a student, I grew hooked to every opportunity that FFA could offer and fell in love FFA goal, which has been consistent for every generation. Their goal is to develop leadership, personal growth, and future success, as an officer, I have promoted my responsibility to lead in my own unorthodox way of being gentle and graceless.

My desire to be an osteopathic physician came after attending an OMM session during my gap years as a research fellow at the NIH. This experience contributed to my interest in osteopathic medicine, as I was intrigued by the musculoskeletal manipulation techniques, and deeply appreciated the hands-on, holistic approach to patient care. I feel strongly that training as an osteopath, will prove invaluable in my career as I work deliver quality treatment to underserved communities.

A large influencing factor that inspired me to become an osteopathic physician began when I started working as an emergency room scribe. Prior to the job I had heard about osteopathic medicine and noticed the DO label on a few physicians coats, but didn't know what it meant. During my first scribe shift with a DO I observed how different his practice was from the MD doctors I had previously worked with. The osteopathic physician was more hands on with his patients and it seemed that many patients appreciated his hands on care. After learning more about the DO profession, I asked a few of the DO’s what the difference to an MD meant to them.

The Osteopathic title of a physician was unknown for awhile until I became interested in pursuing the path of a physician during my undergraduate Sophomore-Junior year. Medical physicians have mostly been described as similar with the exception of their specialty and very rarely have there been a distinction made between Allopathic and Osteopathic medicine. Through my investigation into both fields, I’ve found that there are distinctions made between the two with regards to teaching and practice. The osteopathic medicine’s creed is to treat the whole individual vs the presented symptom, a concept that I believe to be an efficient approach to patient care, especially as a prospective primary care physician.

My choice to attend FIU was one of the easier ones I’ve made so far in my academic career. I was drawn to the university as I felt a sense of community here that has only been further enhanced as a legacy, with both my mother and stepfather having completed their Bachelor degrees at this institution. The relationships and connections my parents were able to build here were a testament to FIU’s ability to bring together people from so many different backgrounds and create a family. I experienced an even greater connection as my stepfather found a lifelong friendship and mentor in an FIU staff member and honored him by making him the godfather of one of my younger brothers. Thus, FIU has been a special part of my life even before college was

Breaking a bone had to be one of the scariest moments for both my parents and I. Although the fracture did teach me to ride my bike carefully, it also planted the idea of osteopathic medicine into my mind. Sitting in the doctor’s office with a broken bone was terrifying as a seven-year-old but I remember seeing a plaque with the practicing physicians. Most doctors had MD, but a large number had DO after their names. Trying to keep my mind off the frightening treatments they might subject my arm to, I inquired this with my dad. The answer I received was DOs were also physicians but the only difference my father knew of was that they were two degrees from different types of medical schools. This answer was partially satisfying but I preoccupied

In one to two sentences, please identify your reasons for wanting to study health science (50 words)