Pursuing Medicine: Personal Statement

Being from rural Appalachia, I know that the inequalities in medicine are high and prevent many from seeking regular medical attention. Early in my life, I saw my friends, neighbors, and loved ones hesitate to seek medical attention due to economic reasons and the inability to access medical care.

During my four years at Brooklyn Technical High School, I was part of the Gateway to Medicine program. I was introduced to courses such as anatomy & physiology, organic chemistry, and biology. These extremely challenging classes piqued my interest to explore a future career in health care. The Gateway to Medicine program was multi-faceted, I went from dissecting cats to learning about spontaneous de-combustion. My guidance counselor also helped prepare me to choose a career in the medical profession.

I am interested in joining the Medical Professions Academy, because I believe it would be a great experience. This program will give me the inside look of what being a doctor is like that high school would not provide for me. I have been interested in going into a medical profession for a few years and I think MPA will help me decide where I want to go with it. While I may go a different route I think MPA will give me something I can't find at my high school. I was really interested in the hands on learning portion and believe it will help me with my future occupation. I am excited for the opportunity to joint MPA next year.

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.

A major devastating and debilitating disease, Alzheimer 's is a public health issue that affects not only the United States but also countries all around the world. In 2010, there were 35.6 million people living with Alzheimer’s. Researchers and medical personnel expect this number to triple by the year 2050. The disease is costing America an exorbitant amount of money and has become a burden on families, caregivers, medical personnel, the healthcare system, and the nation’s economy. If attention is not focused on this major problem, “nursing homes will be overloaded, caregivers will be burned out, healthcare system will be overwhelmed, and federal and state budgets will be overtaxed” (Alzheimer’s Association, 2011).

I come from a small rural town nestled in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. My hometown is split down the middle by a set of railroad tracks. On the north side, one can find pristine neighborhoods, newer schools, most doctors’ offices, and the only hospital in town. The south side of the town stands as a stark contrast. On the south side, you no longer find the wealthy neighborhoods but rather dilapidated and condemned homes and housing projects. One seems to find abandoned buildings on every corner, many inhabited by those that have lost their homes. Limited help is coming for those who need it, mostly through churches and volunteer programs targeting the underserved. Many doctors, dentists, and nurses are giving their time and resources to help

1. Briefly describe the one clinical experience you have had that has most significantly influenced your decision to study medicine. Do not replicate your AMCAS personal statement.

My passion for medicine is something deeper than a mere interest in learning the extraordinary functions of the human body. I am completely fascinated to learn gross anatomy, histology, pathology, and the complete medical school curriculum. However, I am more captivated by how the knowledge I will gain in medical school will allow me to perform the lifesaving procedures that physicians are able execute. Although, medicine is not always ideally as I have written, I believe that as a physician I would use my knowledge and my experiences to provide the best holistic care to my patients. My culture, my experiences, and my education will bring a different perspective to the medical field. I aspire to have the ability and knowledge to save a child that might not live, to save a woman that suffers a heart stroke, and to even provide the necessary treatment for a child with a mere cold. Additionally, participating in the Loma Linda Gateway to the Health

One of my Med school buddies nonchalantly mentioned to me during a casual conversation that family medicine was “the best” field and this is how I remember my interest in family medicine having started. Moving forward, as I considered the implications of a career in family medicine, I began to take into consideration the vast array of illnesses around me that I was naïve of before becoming a medical student. There is my father recently starting losartan for hypertension, my mother and sister’s migraines, my younger brother having eczema on his arms in connection to his asthma, my uncle’s rheumatoid arthritis, my aunt’s recent hepatitis infection, another brother’s Vitiligo of the foot, an aunt who recently had bilateral knee replacements due to osteoarthritis, and a younger cousin in Pakistan, where I hail from originally, who has a limp due to undiagnosed hip dysplasia. Then there is Pakistan’s polio vaccination deficiency, and my uncle who has polio of one leg, recently starting to use a wheelchair.

Pre-Med majors play a quintessential role in today’s society and in every community. In fact, society relies on doctors to help heal the sick. Without doctors, every community would struggle to find safe and effective treatment for their health concerns. As a Pre-Med student with a future career in medicine, I will have the opportunity to be a servant to other people. In fact, one of my passions is to help people overcome unhealthy habits and guide injured patients through recovery. In lieu of this, I believe that doctors have the capacity to change society for the better. Not only are doctors entrusted with helping patients heal, they give advice on how to live a healthier and happier life. Hopefully, the healthy lifestyle advice that doctors should give to their patients will be passed on for generations. In turn, this

Gary B. was a real estate attorney. He gradually found himself starting to have difficulties in doing his work, becoming less organized, and being forgetful. As a result, he was fired from 2 companies within 3 years. Gary was confused with his unusual behaviors until he went to a doctor and was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease (UsAgainstAlzheimer 's, “My Story with Alzheimer 's”, 2015). Actually, many people with Alzheimer’s share similar stories with Gary. Alzheimer 's disease (AD) is a type of dementia that slowly destroys memory and other important mental functions. It is difficult to detect in the early stage because its symptoms are not obvious in the early period and usually develop slowly. In the United States, there are around 5 million people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and this number is growing rapidly (Baker, 2011, p. 195). Although AD is becoming a common disease among old people, the cause of it is still unknown and there is no cure for Alzheimer’s currently, but some drug and non-drug treatments have been proven that can help with patients’ cognitive and behavioral symptoms. With the symptoms become worse over time and finally severe enough to destroy the ability to perform daily tasks, people with Alzheimer’s need to be taken care of by caregivers, which are usually their family members. The Alzheimer 's Association is the largest non-profit organization in the world dedicated to Alzheimer 's

Why is the disease of Alzheimer’s so relative to the chosen real world event topic and this course? Much of what will be covered in this class and the textbook, Health Care USA: Understanding its Organization and Delivery will correlate to the complex topic of Alzheimer’s Care. Upon review of the syllabus and Table of Contents, the three most interesting and relative chapters and topics include: Aging of America, long-term care, and research (Sultz & Young, 2011).

According to Hoyert and Rosenberg (1997), Alzheimer’s “complicates [the] treatment of other medical conditions” (p. 112). Patient’s behavior is sometimes unpredictable, which can make it difficult for health care providers to provide quality care. The patient may be willing to participate in a particular health related action and then suddenly be very resistant. It may be hard for healthcare providers to create a health plan that patients will consistently follow. Patients with Alzheimer’s may also forget to take a medication that may be necessary to the treatment of illness.

Alzheimer’s disease affects an astounding number of people in the U.S and majority of those are senior citizens, which has a significant impact on the economics of the health care system. Many people over 65 use Medicare insurance to pay for their Alzheimer’s expenses, and some use Medicaid, which puts the cost on the health care economy even higher. In 2015, the direct costs to American society of caring for those with Alzheimer 's specifically, will total an estimated 226 billion dollars, with half of the costs paid by Medicare (Alzheimer’s Association, 2015). Included in these costs are expensive diagnostic testing, psychological evaluations, treatment and maintenance, nursing care, medications and long-term care facilities. In addition to the necessary cost involved in caring for the patients, millions of dollars are put forth for research of this disease, because Scientists are still working on a cure. By 2050, the number of people age 65 and older with Alzheimer 's disease may nearly triple, from 5.1 million to a projected 13.8 million, without the development of medical breakthroughs to prevent or cure the disease (Alzheimer’s Association, 2015).

Every night, as I sat on the table with my younger brothers assisting them with their homework, I hear a familiar sound at the door. As she walks her heels click, and I can hear her searching her bag for her keys, the next thing I know the keys are in the lock and as it turns me and my younger brothers’ jump. We run to the door and indeed we scream in unison “Mommy’s home”, one by one she gives us a hug and a kiss. My mother asks us how our day was, and if we finished our homework, she then looks to me and said “did you cook and assist your younger ones with their homework”; I replied “yes mom”. As I warm the food, I take my mother’s purse, jacket, and shoes put them away and prepare the table for her to eat dinner. As I glance at the