Glauco Ortolano: Personal Statement

My interest in medicine first stemmed from my freshman Biology class and my Nutrition class. I was intrigued by our studies of cells, genetics, and disease. Both courses incited a sense of awe and curiosity within me. Dissecting a frog, was the stepping-stone for my interest in medicine. Seeing the frog's heart made me wonder how the human heart worked. My research into the human heart inspired me to learn more about the medical field. I sought out volunteer opportunities that would give me insight into a doctor’s typical day. During my volunteer experience, I learned that as a doctor you experience many obstacles, including patient compliance and insurance approval issues. In my journey to pursue medicine, I learned that becoming a doctor means more than helping people, it means being the team leader, being compassionate, and most importantly being committed to the patient’s well being.

Unlike other medical students, I never had one particular defining moment that changed my life but from a very young age I had set myself to becoming a doctor, but not just any doctor, a surgeon. Therefore, instead of just one determining event, many events helped propel my dream, with medical school being the beginning of much more I hope to achieve.

Through my exposure to the various branches of medicine during my rotations in medical school, I found that I was drawn toward Internal Medicine. The variety of clinical encounters, procedures, and degrees of illness make internal medicine extremely appealing to me. During this period, I was mastered in taking patient history and conducting thorough physical examination. I actively involved myself in interacting and educating patients and their families about their diseases by willingly staying extra

With the start of medical school, studying basic sciences opened a door to the world enriched with years and years of research. With each passing semester, I gained more knowledge about the biochemical, physiological and anatomical aspects of medicine. The more knowledge I acquired, the more eager I became to apply what I had learnt into clinical practice. Those two years formed the foundation

Ever since I was a child, when people asked me which profession interested me most, I used to say “I would like to be a detective”. I would say that because I knew my inherent ability to solve complex problems. Internal medicine is a complex broad field and the spectrum of diseases seen in this specialty fascinated me.

As I began my medical education my interests had piqued; however, my true passion was ignited when I discovered the stimulating environment of internal medicine. Foremost, with the aid of an exceptional physician preceptor, I discovered that managing a wide variety of pathologies within a varied population is the ideal way to develop a broad clinical knowledge. Additionally, I found that I enjoyed the ‘hands-on’ component that comes with the privilege of performing procedures and resuscitation. Finally, I discovered that managing patients holistically, through collaboration and coordination, is the best way to facilitate excellent patient outcomes. It was after these discoveries that I decided to further my pursuit of a career in internal medicine.

Dr. Nelson, the general practitioner for whom I volunteered for two and a half years, had always told me that the desire to become a doctor must come from deep within. In his office, I took patients’ vital signs and helped them feel more comfortable. I also spent a significant amount of time with Dr. Nelson learning about the physician’s role. He became my mentor. I learned of

My long journey to fulfill my lifelong dream of becoming a doctor has provided me with the opportunity to balance my passion for science with my eagerness to provide care to those in need. My desire to reach this dream has and will continually fuel my passion for a field that I love and this desire is reinforced with every rewarding opportunity I experience as a healer, a thinker, and a friend. My interest toward internal medicine started growing during my clinical years when I had the opportunity to rotate through many different specialties. I have observed each to have its own unique commendable approach to healing. Nevertheless, what echoed through my mind and heart was "internists are the ones whom people think of when the need calls."

My mother, who went to school to become a Medical Laboratory Technician, introduced me to the many fields of medicine. At night I would lay in bed and research on my now-obsolete cell phone, “What is a pathologist?” and “How to become an epidemiologist?”. I became fascinated by the notion that medicine was able to help those struggling with illness and that science sought to put the universe into to order

William Butler Yeats stated, “Education wasn’t the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire. The more I learned, the more I wanted to know.” As such, the fire still burns inside me. My diverse experience of work and research in the health field and passion to care for others has motivated me to become a physician.

After Initial years of medical school, based on inquisitiveness and the length of time I was eager to spend in Internal Medicine, I chose it as my future path. It is exciting to have the curiosity to pick the small clues and make the diagnosis. During my clinical years at medical school, I always

Why internal medicine? The answer is simple: Love. I love the world of mysteries where solving a complicated case could result in saving a life. During my internal medicine rotation, I realized that everything takes place with one major goal in mind: The patient’s wellbeing. Every day I woke up with enthusiasm to rush to the hospital where there was always a patient seeking my help, waiting to know more about his/her health and striving to become well. Furthermore, the clinical rotations I did in the U.S. over a period of eight months solidified my interest in internal medicine and introduced me to the American healthcare system. I enjoyed practicing evidence based medicine. I truly found pleasure in one-on-one patient interaction. The art

The Clinical Experience Elective will exponentially help me in my aforementioned trajectory. While it is too early for me to choose a specialty, I am certain that internal medicine is my calling. As a medical scribe, I have been on the clerical end of the medical team which provided key insights to coherent functioning of the doctor and his staff. Through this elective, I can solely focus on observing and ruminating the intricacies of the sacred doctor-patient

I have taken stock of myself, considering my skills, experiences, and goals. I have looked to family and friends, some of whom are doctors, for advice. Because of this self-examination, I have decided to pursue a career in health care. The process has been difficult at times but always illuminating. Throughout it all, I have never lost confidence - the confidence that I will actively absorb all available medical knowledge, forge friendships with fellow students, and emerge from my training as a skilful and caring physician.

My university’s hospital being the one with the largest department of internal medicine in the city, exposed me to a variety of clinical cases that solidified my initial interests. Since internal medicine provided me with a platform to intertwine the ability to solve “puzzles” along with maintaining the interpersonal skills in the form