Personal Narrative: My Passion For Medicine

My interest in public health emerged when I recognized how much the health and well-being of an individual affects a community. From a young age, both my parents have struggled with their health; my mother having diabetes and my father having hypertension. I have seen how their health has affected them on the day to day basis and how it has affected those around them at a community level. As I continue to learn more about public health I am beginning to understand that many of the health problems, like the ones my parents face, can be prevented through lifestyle adjustments. Also, I have learned the most effective way to prevent diseases in a community is through advocating healthy habits to avoid health problems from emerging in the first place.

As I exit the locker room, I strap on my black cleats and tighten my gloves. I grab my silver helmet with the lightning bolt logo, touch the sign that says “Play Like A Champion Today,” and walk into the tunnel. Finally, we hear our team’s name, and we run onto the field ready to defeat the fear of losing embedded in our minds. The opportunity arose, and whether we seized it or not, this would be my last game. We took away from that day more than just a win, or a loss. As somber as I was to let this moment go, I knew I had not let my team down. There was no anguish, no agony. These lessons from football have carried over in my journey to become a physician. I knew I wanted a career in healthcare, and football has better prepared me for that.

My whole life I have wanted to fulfill my goal of becoming a doctor. I have worked hard to immerse myself in anything vastly medical related such as volunteering at my local hospital, joining a teen health careers club, and shadowing doctors and nurses. All of these things, I believe, have allowed me to broaden my knowledge on passion for medicine. In addition, I

Though I have another year and a half before I complete my schooling, it is always important to find out as much information about my future field of work. Knowing what is to be expected when going in for a job interview will not only be a bonus for myself, but allow me to feel confident when giving answers.

I have had multiple clinical practices, however, out of all the experiences during my shifts, there is one particular event that holds great meaning for me. This event happened on my fifth clinical day of this semester, which was the day I first dealt with two clients.

Finishing high school and going to college can be quite overwhelming, yet incredible at the same time. However, taking classes at LaGuardia Community College meant that I was no longer in high school, and I need it to do things on my own to strive for success. In my first year seminar class, I had to adapt to a new environment where the majority of the work was submitted online at a specific time, and I also had to get used to using the websites needed for the class. Furthermore, I witness how students are when finals are just around the corner, many students in my class were rushing to get things done before the deadline. Overall, becoming a college student meant growing up and being independent where I no longer needed to ask for others to help me succeed.

I remember being awaken by the loud commotion going on from the living room, so I decided to go check. I went out calling for my parents, but to my surprise, I only saw my mom on the phone crying from the reflection of a mirror. I wondered where my dad was. I got closer towards the living room and stood by the wall. I witnessed my dad sitting down on the floor having trouble to breath complaining about chest pain while my mom stood next to him. I closed my eyes in fear. I then heard something calling me to open my eyes. It was a siren that got louder and louder each second. I stood up and saw red lights shining through the window. There was a knock at the door and my mom went to open the door. Two men and a woman came through the door in navy

I sat at the kitchen counter, staring at the green cabinets and bowls of fruit. I wanted to play in tonight’s soccer game, but my mind was still foggy from the drugs I received in the hospital the day before. I didn’t want my teammates to see me like this. My hair was matted from where my head rubbed against the blue hospital pillow, and a wrinkled piece of clear tape secured a nasal feeding tube onto my cheek. I hated what the tube meant: that I was inadequate and that I couldn’t drink by myself. I was someone who insisted on doing everything on my own, and the thin, flexible tube was a physical reminder that I could not. My mom and dad lauded my bravery, but I dismissed them. I didn’t believe bravery was dictated by necessity.

Upon the genesis of my medical passion; at the age of seven, I somehow thought it was possible to also be an astronaut, a firefighter, a lawyer, a teacher, a fashion designer, a singer, etc. I thought I wanted it all but my heart never changed. Throughout high school I kept an open mind as a way of making sure I could hold on to this lifelong commitment that is a career in medicine. While exploring my other interests and desires, I was reminded of the reason why I was pursuing medicine, the heart behind it all. It is my first love.

A few months ago at a free clinic for recovering drug addicts, a 19-year old female came seeking treatment for her active heroin addiction, and reported her addiction had progressed over the previous six months, paralleling her boyfriend’s, moving quickly from use of oral opioid painkillers to intravenously injecting heroin. The day she came to clinic, make-up barely concealed an injection site on her neck, which she reported, was where her boyfriend injected her with heroin, as she did not know how to inject herself and the veins in her arms had collapsed. The addiction specialist I shadow decided to treat her in the clinic and asked her to return in one week to monitor her transition from heroin to buprenorphine. This patient struck me, as she was so young and overwhelmingly consumed by her disease. However, I was not able to follow up with her case as I began my current position at UCLA. As a shadow, the inability to follow patient’s care as much as I desired, along with knowing I did not have enough experience or knowledge to care for the patients, was incredibly scary and frustrating, although it was simultaneously

Three years ago my grandpa got very sick, and was admitted into Hospice. Every day I watched as CNA’s and nurses took care of him, helping our family. The support of those caregivers made me want to be a CNA for the summer, and possibly pursue a career in the medical field. Helping people has always been a passion of mine. The happiness I feel by helping others, is what I strive for. Compassion and kindness are two of my most valued traits. I would not be the person I am today without them.

Henry Ford once said, “Before everything else, getting ready is the secret to success”. Throughout my pre-med journey, I have sought out opportunities that will continue to develop the skills I need to become the compassionate physician that I strive to be. I was immediately attracted to the Summer Medical and Dental Education Program (SMDEP) and the opportunity to spend six weeks immersed in the medical community. I was given invaluable experiences in medicine from a perspective that I only could have dreamed of. My heart raced as I took my first eager steps into an operating room and watched fervently as the surgeon broke and re-aligned a young boy’s deviated septum. I was in awe of the precision and composure of the physician. I saw the

If you are the main provider for 2 kids and a disabled brother, you have a lot on your shoulders. I decided that I had to do something about my minimal wage job and take my career to another level. I enjoyed my waitress job at a local restaurant, but I needed much more career training. I was very hype on starting a medical career. For example, Nurse Midwife colleges in Minnesota were some of the first places that I contacted for more information on starting a medical career. I wanted to receive training in the shortest possible time. Therefore, I considered a few other choices.

My first choice major was Medical Laboratory Science, the medical science track. Not only did I applied to the medical science track, but I also applied to the certification track. The medical science track is what I hoped to get admitted into. The medical science track is competitive but not as competitive as the certification track because the medical science track has no maximum enrollment unlike the certification track. Although the minimum GPA is a 2.50, the average GPA for the 2016 admitted class was 3.34. The prerequisites for this major include: Chemistry 1210, 1220, 2510, Biology 1113, Statistics 1450, Math 1150, Microbiology 4000, Biochemistry 4511, and Molecular genetics 4500. Unfortunately, because I was not doing so well in the

When I entered Cedars-Sinai in the early fall, the weather was warm and the sky was bright. I remember walking straight to the location of the first Pre-Healthcare Volunteer Program meeting. When entering the room, I saw the gleaming faces of the new volunteers yet I could not find anyone that looked like me. Surely, there was no other dark brown and dark eyed young women, it was only me. I was the only person of Hispanic background. Immediately, I felt a sense of accomplishment knowing that I had gained acceptance to a competitive program and that I was proudly representing my people in the room. Yet, as the program progressed that sense of accomplishment vanished and melancholy replaced it. Although I was the only Hispanic in my cohort, I believed that I might find other Hispanic professionals in the hospital. On the contrary, I witnessed an extreme lack of diversity in the group of physicians that worked in the hospital and more specifically in the surgical floor.