The Alchemist Personal Statement

My interest in medicine first stemmed from my freshman Biology class and my Nutrition class. I was intrigued by our studies of cells, genetics, and disease. Both courses incited a sense of awe and curiosity within me. Dissecting a frog, was the stepping-stone for my interest in medicine. Seeing the frog's heart made me wonder how the human heart worked. My research into the human heart inspired me to learn more about the medical field. I sought out volunteer opportunities that would give me insight into a doctor’s typical day. During my volunteer experience, I learned that as a doctor you experience many obstacles, including patient compliance and insurance approval issues. In my journey to pursue medicine, I learned that becoming a doctor means more than helping people, it means being the team leader, being compassionate, and most importantly being committed to the patient’s well being.

Social isolation is a social issue where people avoid contact with one society. They are commonly seen nowadays preventing people from interacting with another as well as creating reliable relations, abating any chances for one to realize their destiny. This negative spiral immensely affects the opportunity for people holding a feeling of love and community toward others.

“You can always turn a bad kisser into a good one,” Laura Prepon. Santiago, the main character of Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist leads a modest and ordinary life as a shepherd. Santiago travelled constantly, exploring the Andalusian terrain. In his travels, Santiago met a woman who interpreted his dreams, and told him his treasure would lie in Egypt at the pyramids. However, Santiago believed that the dream interpreter was a phony, and he continued to herd his sheep. Soon after, he exchanged words with the King of Salem, and Santiago was once again told to venture to Egypt in order to find his treasure. After careful consideration, Santiago sells his precious sheep and begins his journey. An alchemist, somebody who turns lead

The phrase used by the narrator implies that even when times are difficult, a person who has faith and commitment will achieve its goal. Just like the novel, Santiago runs into numerously difficult situations when trying to find the destination to the treasure he dreamed of.

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.

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

I’ve learnt that being a doctor is about so much more than administering drugs. At its peak, being a doctor is about communication and compassion. I love working with people and I love science, and the more exposure I get to medicine the more confident I feel that despite its hurdles and sacrifices, there is no other career that would grant me as much fulfilment as

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

1. a. When Santiago began his journey, he had beginner's luck and used it to the best of his ability. After Santiago gave 1/10 of his flock of sheep to Melchizedek, his friend who was housing his sheep, agreed to buy the remaining sheep. The king of Salem related his luck to the "Principle of Favorability."

After seven hours of school and two and a half hours of soccer, I could feel the heaviness of my eyes as I was reading the last words on the page of my book, “It’s what you have always wanted to accomplish. Everyone, when they are young, knows what their Personal Legend is.” (The Alchemist 21) After I finished, I didn’t think much else about it, except for the fact that I had a quiz tomorrow. Consequently, this quiz was the first grade we would get for the school year, and I had to start out with a good grade point average. Grades to me are like an engine to a car - essential to being successful.

The Alchemist is a journey of exploration and self-discovery as we follow the main character, Santiago, a young shepherd who lives in Spain, on a journey to fulfill his personal legend. The novel shows us wisdoms and gentle reminders of how to change our lives from what they may be today into the life we have always dreamed of.

The Alchemist, a novel written by Paulo Coelho teaches us about the importance of self-discovery and exploration by taking us through the journey of a young Andalusian shepherd, Santiago. Paulo Coelho was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on August 24th 1947, to Pedro Quiema Coelho de Souza, an engineer, and his wife, Lygia, a homemaker. Paulo early on had dreamed of an artistic career and then after his surroundings in Jesuit school, he discovered his true vocation was to be a writer (Coelho 195). Upon telling his mom, she told him that his father was an engineer, a reasonable and logical man and had a clear view of the world. At the age of 16, Paulo’s opposition against following a traditional path led to his parents committing him into a mental institution (Paulo Coelho). To satisfy his parents, he enrolled in law school. However, it led him to mental illness and failing his career. After many years, he gave a shot at his dream profession and started to write. Paulo wrote The Pilgrimage: Diary of Magus which described his experiences and his discovery that the extraordinary occurs in the lives of ordinary people. He was the recipient of numerous international awards, amongst them the Crystal Award by the World Economic Forum. The Pilgrimage was published in 1987 and The Alchemist was published in 1988, a year after. Both novels appeared on the best sellers list but The Alchemist continued to sell more copies than any other book in Brazilian literary history. The Alchemist,

People grow both mentally and physically in their lifetimes; however, the unique ways in which people grow and develop create the wonder of diverse human life. Paulo Coelho contradicts this idea in his novel The Alchemist when he states, “And my heart and soul is your heart and soul” (IX). This underlines Coelho’s whole idea all of humanity’s stories are the same. Coelho shares this idea as he attempts to describe what he believes this shared story is through a boy named Santiago. However, while the humanity and Santiago may share the same goals, the way that Santiago achieves them is unrealistic compared to most of society. Santiago begins innocent and unknowledgeable of the world, and goes out on a mission to find his Personal Legend.

I have taken stock of myself, considering my skills, experiences, and goals. I have looked to family and friends, some of whom are doctors, for advice. Because of this self-examination, I have decided to pursue a career in health care. The process has been difficult at times but always illuminating. Throughout it all, I have never lost confidence - the confidence that I will actively absorb all available medical knowledge, forge friendships with fellow students, and emerge from my training as a skilful and caring physician.