My Mother Was A Doctor

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.

As I have moved toward the path of a career in Internal Medicine, there have been certain educational events which served as catalyst to my career. My first clerkship in Internal Medicine Outpatient in a rural and underserved area of Tennessee, I met Dr. Candi Overholt. She was an extraordinary mentor as I watched her daily manage each patient’s numerous comorbidities and yet she also showed sincere interest in each patient’s emotional and personal life.

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 remember my fingers leaving shallow depressions on her cold pale skin. As the Paramedics left the room, they sadly instructed us to say our goodbyes and that they would be back shortly. If I had known she was going die, I would have said more to my grandma when she kissed me on the cheek the previous day. Our large family sat in the living room crying as my grandma was placed in a large black bag before being taken away. That sorrowful morning I watched as the paramedics unsuccessfully attempted to resuscitate my grandma. This frightful and gloomy experience would inspire me to one day save lives. After witnessing a patient code, working as patient care technician (PCT), and experiencing the sincere generosity of two physicians, I became certain that I wanted to be a doctor.

I don’t come from a background that is heavily associated with medicine, nor have I ever really been immersed in a medical setting. As a result, I do not have a first-hand experience of what it is like to practice medicine. However, since my early years,

When I was nine years old, I was very sick, and I had to stay in the hospital. I have very few memories of the hospital, but I do faintly recall a few calming faces as I lay in a hospital cot. These calming appearances were the doctors and nurses of the hospital. During my stay, I interacted with the hospital staff which was made up of nurses and physicians. The main reason why I didn’t feel scared about my condition was due to the trust I had in the abilities of my doctors and nurses.

I first became exposed to a hospital setting during my early ages of childhood due to my constant issues with my immune system. To my parents, I was commonly referred to as the sick child in the family since I would constantly catch even the simplest of illnesses such as fevers, colds, flus, running nose, severe coughs and much more. The time period, in which I would visit the doctor’s office, lead me to become more accustomed overtime to the environment and eventually grow a passion for what is being done.

It was dark and there were so many noises around me as I slowly woke up and recalled I was in a hospital with abdominal pain. I then heard a familiar voice say “Sweetie, wake up! Wake up!” I opened my eyes to a blurry image of my mother. “Shhh… don't make any noises. We're leaving now. Just act like you are fine. We'll try to sneak out before anyone notices”, my mother said. She explained later that she could not afford to pay hospital bills, so we had to leave before any physician checked over. Living in Vietnam, I was filled with resentment towards their healthcare system, as people were rejected treatment and left to perish in the streets. As a child, I therefore never considered medicine as a career. My spark for medicine was unforeseen until I went on a high school field trip at INOVA Fairfax Hospital in Virginia. Hovering over the glass ceiling of the operating theater, I watched doctors performing coronary bypass surgery while witnessing the heart beat stronger and stronger. At this magical moment, I was overwhelmed by the power of medicine to save people’s lives.

In addition to my professional experiences, I’ve had personal experiences that further highlight how important it is to be sensitive to other cultures and the human condition. Last year I lost my father after a 4 year battle with cancer. The experience I had as his primary caregiver has made me more appreciative of the human condition.  Throughout the years of doctor’s appointments and procedures, I

I learned so much from this experience. The importance of insurance when admitting patients to the hospital, is key to all facets of health care delivery. In addition, the humanistic aspect of working in the medical field was a constant lesson. Speaking to a mother whose children were killed in a car accident was one of the hardest things I had to do. As I asked her for her children’s names and birthdays, all I could think about was that this mother would never get to hold them again. During my time working in the emergency room, I observed the composure of physicians in tough situations and have taken on that attitude when I face those same challenges. I have observed the formation of relationships, which are founded on confidence and trust. Creating and maintaining long-lasting relationships is something that I appreciate about my own doctor and mentor of ten years. I aspire to do the same when I become a

My introduction to medicine began when I was twelve, and my grandfather was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Dementia. At the time, my family had just moved to Florida, while he remained in Puerto Rico. Every visit back was a new rung on the ladder of his descent into dementia, with him remembering less and less of me, my siblings, and my parents. His death came abruptly, but brought catharsis, acceptance, and the celebration of all our memories with him. He is a constant source of motivation and inspiration to become a doctor.

    Ever since my childhood, I have always found medicine to be intriguing. My interest first sparked when I learned about my cousin’s, Austin, illness. Austin was born nearly four months early and was diagnosed with an underdeveloped trachea and COPD. Within Austin’s first moments of life, doctors had to perform a tracheotomy. As I observed my cousin’s suffering over the years, my desire to help others was ignited. Since then, my will to help people has only grown immensely. From playing doctor to caring for my family when they are sick, my caring nature and love to help people has always been evident. All I want is the ability to help others and to make a difference. Now, my cousin has miraculously lived

I became captivated by the opportunity to apply my knowledge of the biological and chemical sciences in a way that one day may save a life. Though my interest stems from my experiences, my passion to pursue this field lies elsewhere. Growing up in a family of low socioeconomic status in an area with few sources of acceptable health care, I saw my parents struggle as they aged to provide my siblings and I with a proper education. There were times they would ignore their own illness in order to save funds for an emergency for us. Observing this, I knew that no matter how difficult of a path I picked, regardless if it was pharmaceutical sciences or the medical field, my parents had concurred greater difficulties. Growing under such conditions, I began to realize the disparities in quality of treatments my parents received compared to those who of a higher socioeconomic status. This motivated me to pursue a career where I would be given the chance to offer care to individuals through unbiased views. Of course, there are a plethora of careers that can fulfill this but medicine has presented itself as very unique to me. It promises a lifestyle devoted to empathetic patient care, direct patient interaction, and a boundless opportunity to learn and experience something new. As the end of my undergraduate experience is forthcoming, I look forward to taking on the next phase of my life, endeavoring to join the ranks of tomorrow’s

At the age of two, my mother left my two-month-old sister and me in the care of my 72-year-old Grandmother before she came to the United State in pursuit of a better life for herself and her family. My grandmother saw this opportunity as a great reward; the only thing that hindered her was her severe arthritis. Throughout the eight years ,which I spent with my grandmother, I witnessed her rise up early at dawn screaming over pains in her legs, she has fallen numerous times and had to be taken to the emergency room, and have gone from doctor to doctor in search of a cure. For this reason, I have chosen is to become a Physician. The ordinary man has within them, the desire to do good,and I despise seeing decent people, who work as hard as everyone else but does not get to experience life because of a disease.

Every time I went to see Dr. Gomez, I was fascinated by his practice. There were so many things unknown to me. Yet, I was most in awe of the way Dr. Gomez treated my family. Every visit, Dr. Gomez would take his time talking to me, making sure that he understood all my problems and that my parents and I understood the results of any diagnosis. Knowing that my parents were immigrants with weaker English, he made sure to keep his explanations clear and concise. My parents and I would come in flustered about a certain symptom; however, at the end of every visit Dr. Gomez would not only treat me, but he would also make sure that my family was soothed. Throughout my time as his patient, he did not only serve as my healer, but also as my mentor, giving me advice on how to succeed in school and, noticing that I had an interest in medicine, explaining his own occupation.