I Volunteered At The Rotary International And Lions Clubs International

I came to America from Vietnam when I was just three years old. I spent a majority of my life with my grandma, who has always taught me the importance of helping others. She always told me to have; you must give, and if you have nothing to give, you can always give your time. This phase has been a huge guide in my life, and it has truly shaped me into who I am. At a young age, I always felt that my purpose in life was to help people. After attending many doctor visits with my grandma for her health check-ups, I was confident my future occupation would be in the medical field. During these frequent doctor visits, I had the chance to watch the interactions and cooperation among different healthcare professionals in different settings. Being in this inspiring environment, I hoped one day I could mirror them and make a difference in people’s lives and the community. Although I have always wanted to help those in need, I was uncertain of what specific career role would allow me to fulfill my passion for helping others.

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.

Throughout my life I have been a strong proponent of service to the poor, and my motivation to be in the medical field has come from the fulfillment of giving back. The impoverished have always been a segment of the community that have been neglected but in need of the greatest amount of care and compassion. During my undergraduate career I majored in Health Services and was involved in a service learning research project where I spent time in the McAuley Health Center Clinic in the metro Detroit area. I worked to promote and educate the community on free healthcare resources and preventative care services, food drives, and donations.

I first realized my passion for health promotion and disease prevention the summer following my first year of college. I had the privilege of attending the Summer Health Professions Education Program (SHPEP), which introduced me to numerous healthcare professionals. During the program, many of the professionals shared their stories about why they choose the profession, and with each story, I began to reflect deeply on my own background and what drew me to medicine. It was not until an emergency medicine physician spoke about his experiences, that allowed me to fully understand connecting my background to my future. The physician mentioned growing up in D.C., which brought to mind my family in D.C. It had been almost a year since my grandmother

I have been given many opportunities to help others and make an impact in Johnson City through organizations like the Family Medicine Interest Group at ETSU, serving as the coordinator for student involvement in free clinics. I have also been able to make an impact through medicine in Cleveland, TN by way of the Good Samaritan Clinic. This is a free clinic in downtown Cleveland that I have been volunteering at for the past seven years. I have also been directly involved in the start-up of the Just Care clinic in Mountain City, TN, a medical student ran free clinic in rural Appalachia. I was also been able to spend time in rural Guatemala with a medical team from my undergraduate university helping diagnose, treat, and care for patients whom receive little to no regular healthcare. From my own first hand experiences in both Guatemala and my time spent in the Just Care and Good Samaritan Clinics, I have seen the impact that an inadequate health care system can have on a population. I hope to use my medical and public health training in areas that do not have adequate access to health

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.

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.

For as long as I can remember, I have always been interested in pursuing a career in the medical field. These interests were most likely brought to life from my desire to want to help people and learn more about the human body. The experiences I’ve had throughout my life have brought me closer to the belief that I can one day make a difference in the world through medicine. All though I am not completely decided on what I would like my future career to be, I have been able to narrow my options down to a few of the many choices available.

through volunteer service, a physician can help improve the health of the community as a whole. Throughout my life, I

I quickly recognized I wanted to practice medicine as part of a team and under supervision. However, I still desired sufficient independence with extensive and in-depth training. With this in mind, I began forming opinions about the various careers in healthcare until I came across the PA profession. By shadowing Araya, a PA, at a clinic, I observed how she provided sensitive and comprehensive care to the patients. She took time to explain to the patients their diagnoses in a warm, personable,and comforting attitude, which were all personality traits that I possess. I was extremely pleased of the lengths the PA went to in order to make the patient feel included and taken care of. Prior to this experience, I knew I wanted to construct strong relationships with my future patients and understand and treat patients as a whole. Not only was this palpable within the care Araya provided to her patients, but I now have the opportunity to build relationships with patients as a healthcare volunteer at Jamati Clinic by listening attentively to their main concerns as well as their outlook on their

Initially I was preparing for pharmacy school, but I realized that it was not an active profession and the only way I could work with patients is to distribute prescribed drugs to them. I was young and immature and chose a profession based on financial benefit. After graduating with my bachelor’s degree in biology, I decided to explore the medical field by applying for a volunteer position supporting direct patient care at a hospital.

I come from a small village in Pakistan which is an underprivilded community with limited resources. Seeing the difficulties people had to go through to receieve medical care was originally my motivation to choose the pre-medical track. I have always wanted to provide help to the underprividleged because I have closely seen the lack of medical resources that many third world counries have, which results in pateints not given proper medical care. Their minor sympoms are not given attention to, resulting in high rates of critical illnesses. I hope to apply my skills and experiences by providing hands-on care. By volunteering as a medical assistant, I hope to make a small difference in both the patients' and the medical professionals' lives. I

Emory School of Medicine provides a unique environment to mold my medical education to work within clinical care in a dynamic global community. My diverse range of experiences from my upbringing, eclectic communities I have grown in, and unique perspectives of medicine and public health I have gained through my professional pursuits will be vital to me contributing to the unique atmosphere of ingenuity at Emory that supports the development of doctors who strive to serve individuals and communities of all types. Through my research experiences, I gained a multidisciplinary understanding healthcare through different contexts, which converges on finding effective ways to communicating with people and gaining a better understanding of what goes

My volunteer experiences taught me that I value the physician-patient relationship of primary care medicine. Although volunteering in the E.D. showed me the excitement of emergency medicine, I found myself wondering about the follow-up care for the patients. Through other volunteering opportunities, I discovered that people of all ages and mental capabilities, including those with dementia or special needs children can build relationships when treated as equals and enjoy being listened to. Finally, my five years at the C.A.R.E. Clinic taught me the importance of adequate medical care for all community members. Together, my volunteer experiences influenced my life goals of becoming a rural primary physician who has the ability to serve and build long-term relationships with all patients. (798)

Currently, I am trying to secure a Medical Officer position with the federal government and work with urban, rural, or native Indian communities. Although my professional emphasis was in General Surgery, recently I obtained the British Membership of the Royal College of Physicians to shift to Internal Medicine and be able treat ailments common among unprivileged communities. My passion for social justice, medical experience and holding an MPH with concentration on community oriented medicine will be the perfect combination needed for my plan. Service of those who have been left behind has been and will always be my life mission. Nothing gives me more joy and