Personal Narrative: Natural 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.

The phone was ringing as I stepped into my house. My mother picked up the phone without realizing she would shortly be sent to her knees. She yelled for me to get into the car and we rushed into the hospital. As hectic as the situation felt, time seemed to pass by very slow in that car. We finally arrived to the hospital to find my father nervously talking to the doctor. I learned that my brother had been brutally beaten up by a couple of teenagers on his way home from school and, as a result, had lost most of his teeth.

Imagine a connected healthcare interface where your medications are linked to your smartphone, smart pill bottles remind you of when it’s time to take your medications, and prescription medications or surgeries are customized towards your individual genetic and physical needs. This is the future of healthcare - we just have a long way to go before we get there. As you look at startups in the healthtech space - many of them are well on their way to having one piece of the puzzle - AdhereTech with smart wireless pill bottle to TalkSpace with customized online mental health counseling. To create that integrated network I believe the buy-in will need to come from some of the largest healthcare companies currently, such as Johnson & Johnson, Cardinal

Since I was five, I knew that I wanted to be a doctor of some sort, so I started to prepare myself for medical school. I volunteered at one of the local hospitals, joined clubs that were specific to the medical field, shadowed different professions in the medical field yet, in all those experiences, I had never heard of osteopathy. I had no clue that osteopathic medicine existed until I saw an osteopathic school at a college fair. The admissions women and I had a conversation about medical school, and she suggested an osteopathic route instead. She gave me a pamphlet and when I went home, I tossed it out. To be honest, I thought that osteopathy was for people who could not get accepted into medical school. Osteopathy lingered around in the

It is narrow minded and myopic to think that only the sciences are prerequisite in producing compassionate, learned doctors. Some of the most respected physicians and scientists are as knowledgeable and engaged in Shakespeare and Mozart as they are in the anatomy of the human body or the chemistry of DNA.

Growing up our fears circle around things like monsters under the bed and in the closet, but once we reach the adolescent stage the monsters are a lot less physical. We almost become like superheroes unable to be harmed, indestructible. Situations where we are the ones lying in the hospital bed are few and far apart. I had forgotten I am not invincible, and rather than blowing off the amount of pain I was in I should have done more about it.

Since there aren’t many practicing DO’s in my area, I didn’t have much knowledge about osteopathic medical practice until a friend who was familiar with osteopathic medicine, discussed it with me. After a lot of independent research, I was very interested in the practice of osteopathic medicine. Luckily, I was put in contact with a practicing DO in a rural area near my home. My first experience with a DO was unique from all of my other shadowing opportunities because the level of personalized care each patient received from her was different than any I had ever experienced personally, or while shadowing. It felt so personal, and less business like than any other doctor visits I’ve ever had or witness. She took the time to get to know what was

'Well there are little incident both me and Dad have been talking to each other now but it was pretty awkward but we had a bond I guess you could say it's a bit cringey,... wait why am I talking to myself, anyways. Vlad has invited me to his house to play games it is about 2:23 PM so I am going to get ready and head on over to his house.

I unzipped my coat as I stepped into the warm basement. I crinkle my nose as the bitter smell of alcohol hits it. I feel like I should be used to it by now, I go to concerts at least once a month. We walk over to the small table overflowing with merchandise. It’s a tradition to by the opening bands CD.

My unique aspect is my early exposure to medicine. During high school I found a great opportunity at Johns Hopkins Hospital. There I worked for three years as a bed maker, environmentalist, and an operating room associate. This position was small, but I learned that even the smallest position can make an impact in a patient’s life by providing a positive attitude and friendly smile. Most applicants do not seek out medical experiences until undergraduate.

I went back to India after six months of stay in the USA and joined as a junior resident in neurosurgery at the Care hospitals in less than a week. I also received a call from Dr. Jayanthi Reddy, a prominent Obstetrician and Gynecologist in the city to work at her hospital during weekends. I couldn’t say no as I was interested in women’s health too. Working seven days a week including two days of 24 hour call every week was stressful, but I loved it because I found a platform to apply what I have gained observing the health system in USA. Soon they were confident of me and I became an integral part of the team at both places. They were impressed with my work culture which I need to confess was from my clinical experience in USA. I was providing

For over two decades I conducted Special Operations in the military. This physically demanding and damaging occupation resulted in chronic pain since 2007. After years of being in pain, my physicians inform me it was something I would just have to “get used to”. That statement sparked my interest alternative medicine and the discovery of the benefits of acupuncture changed my life. Rather than starting a second career using skills I had honed during my time in the service, I decided to pursue a career in alternative medicine. In 2015, I moved from Virginia to Washington to study Acupuncture and East Asian Medicine at Bastyr University. In March, just months after arriving on the West Coast I was a passenger in a vehicle that was rear-ended at 40 MPH. In addition to reinjuring previously healed traumas, the impact also created injuries I’m still recovering from. Five months later I broke my clavicle, which required surgery. During the following weeks, I relied on my non-dominant hand making schoolwork challenging. Then in November, I lost dexterity in my left hand due to a pinched nerve; the associated nerve pain was so intense it prevented sleep. The last 3 weeks of the quarter were blurry due to the sleep deprivation I suffered. The sum of my injuries caused a steady decline of my wellbeing resulted in the decision to take a medical leave of absence from my education. One could surmise

As I am completing this application, i am sitting in a hospital room waiting for my sister to wake up. Im waiting for her to open her eyes so i can nag at her to get some breakfast because that head ache of hers is only going to get worse if she doesn't eat something. I'm waiting to tell her that just because her legs don't work doesn't mean she can just lie in bed all day. I know she is going through a really hard time right now because at 15 years old she was unlucky enough to be diagnosed with something most people haven't heard of. Approximately 1,400 new cases of transverse myelitis are diagnosed each year in the United States and my little sister was just one. As i wait i think about the irony of the situation. I absolutely love hospitals.

When I interact with someone or the environment I am using the science of biology. The meat I eat was likely given GMO food and that is biology at work to try and feed the world. When ever I look at a banana I remember that it’s basically a man made plant and through the science of biology we were able to create it. Lastly medicine, with out biology I might have died for the onslaught of illnesses that I contracted as a baby. In the future I know medicine will advance and get better but biology’s biggest obstacle will be dealing with a second Spanish Flu and food in stores will be modified to be better and I might one day eat lab grown meat.

Two days after that, I woke up immobilized. All of my joints were on fire. I could barely open my jaw to call for help. I needed to be lifted out of bed and every step I took after that was agony. It did not subside.