Personal Narrative : An Amazing Toy Car

For as long as I can remember, my passion has been in figuring out how everything around me works. I suppose I came by it naturally. My father was constantly tinkering; in fact, our basement resembled a graveyard for lifeless computer parts. He would take all the computers that no one loved anymore, salvage them for parts, and bring them back to life. When he was done, I always had a “new” toy to play with. I suppose, in my own way, I carried on the family tradition. To the chagrin of my parents, every time a new toy arrived, I would have it in pieces all over my bedroom floor within the half hour. Everything wound up being unscrewed, unglued, and dismantled; this curiosity has continued throughout my life.

Although Internal Medicine has taught me the importance of clinical decision-making by physicians, my academic interests lie with how

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

My time at medical school has been very fulfilling, emotional, and intellectually rewarding. After having the opportunity to rotate through many specialties as a medical student, I became fascinated in internal medicine and decided to continue my residency in this specialty. I believe internal medicine embodies what I envision a physician to be: compassionate, caring, and knowledgeable. I am looking forward to a career in internal medicine for the intellectual stimulation, the opportunity to provide continuous care for my patients, and the opportunity to be an advocate for both patients and fellow physicians. In addition, as an internist I may have the opportunity to pursue one of the subspecialities of the internal medicine in future, i.e. Rheumatology.

Over the years of medical practice, I always enjoyed my role as an internist, in every level of my capacity. The broad scope of the field increased my interest and curiosity, and I feel myself more motivated and responsible for learning the art of diagnosis, evaluation and management of the patients in the most effective ways to make their lives better. This strong desire encourages me to choose the field of internal medicine as my career, with the vision to empower the ailing with knowledge and serve deprives in the community. The field of medicine demands devoted study life and endless practice to be a good clinician. The clinical evidences and guidelines are continuously changing for the betterment of patient care and to decrease the morbidity and mortality.

Since high school I was mesmerized by the mystery of the human body. I always wanted to study the structure of the smallest cells. Nevertheless, my admiration for the noble work of doctors in helping people and relieving the suffering of others was one of my primary reasons for wanting to pursue a career in medicine. Being born in a family that has always encouraged utilizing our inherent gifts to the fullest extent, I have excelled in every academic venture I have undertaken. My ambition to become a competent physician culminated when I was selected in the top 200 among a 100,000 applicants to attend the best medical school in my country, the University of Khartoum. Oliver Twist always asks for

This interest evolved into a career goal as I recognized the role of internist as a detective, academic, team player, and compassionate physician. During my rotation in internal medicine and clerkship in cardiology, nephrology, and intensive care unit. I was impressed by the knowledge, clinical reasoning, and evidence-based practice of physicians trained in internal medicine. I discovered tremendous satisfaction in being with patients at the bedside, the challenge of managing multiple problems and keeping up with watch individual’s health maintenance, and privilege of participating in long-term care. During these rotations I discovered a love for teaching whether clarifying a test result for a patient pointing out interesting physical exam finding or discussing the art of case presentations with junior medical students, I find great satisfaction in sharing knowledge with

Internal medicine offers the opportunity of clinical practice in a wide variety of clinical settings (communitarian medicine to inpatient in hospital facilities). There is also an innumerable opportunities for fellowships to subspecialize and research opportunities.

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.

I participated in numerous and varied electives to gain a wide appreciation for the scope and practice of medicine. I learned countless lessons from physicians, nurses, midlevel providers and ancillary staff, while caring for hundreds of patients gaining a level of autonomy. The importance of a focused history and physical – to not be afraid of the myriad of details and at the same time to not loose sight of the bigger picture – how to present cases, and how to formulate a high-quality differential diagnosis with appropriate testing measures were all emphasized. These experiences showed me that being an effective Internist involves not only the treatment of those severely ill, but also the need for comprehensive treatment of the patient and their families. I was genuinely inspired to be a part of the IM team and my goal of becoming an Internist was

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.

The intricacies of the human body, especially related to acute and chronic illnesses, is something that has intrigued me for as long as I can remember. My older brother is a physician, and I have spent countless hours over the years discussing the challenges and intricacies of his interdisciplinary career. It was during this time that my desire and drive to become a physician flourished, and as my academic, professional, and personal endeavors continued, my intrigue with internal medicine continued to expound.

“Were that the cars that rushed into the smoke? Did they got lost while driving? How they caught fire so fast? Did everyone survive?” I thought at that moment. Tried to find the answer but too afraid to ask them.

Taking steps towards achieving my goal of becoming an internist, I took and passed the West African residency exams for internal medicine residency in Nigeria. While awaiting commencement, I migrated to the US, where I now continue to pursue this goal. Internal medicine would enable me to better understand my patients, offer treatment for their health problems that might not be clear to other practitioners. And as a cardiologist, I will be able to help patients understand the fundamentals of ‘healthy heart habits’.

For most medical students, the transition from medical school to residency and actually deciding on a specialty is quite intimidating. There are many unknowns, a few botched plans, and for someone like me who grew up in a family of immigrants, a lot of high expectations. The journey that led to my decision to pursue a career in Internal medicine was by no means conventional, but rather the culmination of a lifetime of personal experiences and even some life-changing events. This decision has since been cemented by my experiences during my basic sciences and internal medicine rotation. Combined, these experiences have instilled an excitement in me to serve my community as an Internist.