The Day I Met Nathan

At the age of ten, I read a book, “Gifted Hands” by Dr. Ben Carson, which inspired and begin to motivate my interest in pursuing medicine as a career because I could identify with his discovery of the joy of reading and his fascination with science. When I was 14, I had an epiphany at the doctor’s office. This event occurred a little after I had finished my final exams in school and the next step was to go to senior high school. But, I thought the preliminary chemistry and physics classes of junior high school were daunting and went on to convince myself that a career in medicine might not be right for me.

“Excuse me ma’am I think you need your medicine, let me listen to your heart beat,” that’s what I use to say to my dolls. I have always had a passion for caring for others. I knew I would be in the medical field. My goal when I was a child was to become a pediatrician, but my past, present, and future has had numerous unexpected ups and downs.

Dressed in a white bath robe I leaned over to my little sister, Elly, with a toy stethoscope and began her physical. After observing Elly’s heart rate, reflexes, and vision I diagnosed her with the common cold and instructed her to stay in bed and eat chicken noodle soup. Playing doctor as a child was the beginning of my interest in medicine. As a teenager, attending doctor appointments cultivated my curiosity for the medical profession and convinced me to get my nursing assistant certification after high school. Working as a CNA developed my interest into a passion for medicine. I didn’t immediately know I wanted to be a physician assistant while playing doctor with Elly, or even after I became certified as a nursing assistant, but after realizing a PA’s work is like solving a puzzle I decided to pursue a Masters in Physician Assistant studies.

Almost thirteen years ago, my life changed when my youngest daughter was born with undiagnosed medical problems. The challenge of finding answers consumed my life. My family and I spent a significant amount of time searching for answers in and out of doctor’s offices and hospitals, always by our daughter’s side. Throughout my journey, I was able to learn a lot about the medical profession, including the differences between good and not so good healthcare professionals. We were fortunate to meet a lot of excellent doctor’s, nurses, and support staff, however, we also had our fair share of medical professionals that were not so great. At times our journey was extremely frustrating because we had to depend on medical staff that was uncaring and

During my first five years of practice, I want my roles to be that of helper, educator, professional, and researcher. As I progress through the profession, I will be assisting clients in accomplishing their goals while educating them in ways to do so effectively in a professional manner. In congruence with this, I also hope to do neurological research on individuals with neurological conditions and sensory integration of premature infants.

My passion for becoming an Internist began while working as a behavior analyst for the May Institute. Serving adults and children with a broad variety of developmental disorders provided my initial impetus and foundation. Working closely with individuals and groups as a case manager, created the desire to treat these individuals and further improve their lives. This experience motivated me to become a medical assistant, further exposing me to complex cases and clarifying my decision. I completed medical school to become an part of a multidisciplinary team to enhance the lives of people and their families stricken with intricate cases, as this tended to push the boundaries of who I am and what I am capable of more so than any other specialty.

I watched both the excitement of young children when seeing medical gadgets and the fear they gace when they are about to receive a shot. Once a little boy was so scared of the Stethoscope the dlector gad to gice him some candy first. When i tried playing with the young boy and listen to his heartbeat i noticed his smile had faded, and I lost my chance. I felt amazed to be watching my pediatrician at work showing great amout of swiftness, skill, and compassion toward the fearful little

After beginning medical school, I quickly realized that for every one question we could answer there were about a dozen that could not be answered. I delved even deeper into my studies, determined to learn all I could to help my patients to the best of my ability. Suddenly, two of my close family members died, and with this my determination to find answers increased again. Something else awoke within me during the morning of these loved ones, as well. I truly understood what families were going through while watching their loved ones suffering, and my empathy, compassion, and bedside manner became even stronger.

Do you have a family member with Down syndrome? Neither did Esther Gomez-Nieto, until 15 years ago when her grandson Alexander was born. In fact, she knew very little about Down syndrome at all. Years ago when Esther emigrated from Cuba, she had no idea the eventual path her life would take. She got married, had kids, then returned to school later in life, and became an educator and a grandmother. However, her most significant contribution to the world began when she founded Alexander’s Angels, Inc. in 2007, an organization for Down syndrome advocacy, service, and research.

“As many people, as many minds, each in his own way,” said Terence, a Second Century Roman Playwright. My experience observing an incredible little boy showed me the validity in this statement. The individual I observed is a patient at the Physical Therapy clinic where I am currently completing my internship. Most of the patients I see and interact with at the clinic are within the geriatric age range, and while I truly enjoy connecting and learning from individuals who possess more life experience than I, it is always refreshing to see a patient at the opposite end of the age spectrum walk through the door. Little did I know that this young child I would be observing would teach me far more than the science of his physical

David sought to volunteer and/or job shadow at several medical facilities and was told by the HR departments that because of HIPAA laws and insurance regulations he had to be 18 years old. David thought if he had a name behind him to give him credibility in the medical world he could break down those barriers the HR departments had set before him as a teenager. Using skills from his 4-H background he formulated a plan and executed it. He started a 4-H Club, which is a 4-H club that has a specific interest, David chose medical careers. To get the program off the ground, David used his networking skills to enlist the help of the medical school at Southern Illinois University, where he is a student in the Physician Pipeline Preparatory Program (P4). Because of David’s position in the P4, he has been able to secure many speakers and offer up engaging hands-on medical experiences for the 4-H Club members. The club moved beyond David’s wildest dreams when he was interviewed for a newspaper article and a Physician Assistant read the article. The PA who was intrigued by the idea of teens getting a taste of medicine before spending a lot of money on education and realizing that medicine was not for them decided to give the group a try. Through that article 4-H members are now experiencing the practice of medicine first hand

Gifted Hands is a Christian biography detailing the life of Dr. Ben Carson and his renown in the world of neurosurgery and American medicine itself. Early in life, Dr. Carson’s father left his family which included Dr. Carson, his brother Curtis, and his mother Sonya. Overcoming such obstacles as a pathological temper, academic hurdles, and an upbringing in the poverty-ridden slums of Detroit, Dr. Carson rose to international prominence with his divine talents and his reliance on God. Dr. Ben Carson’s simplistic writing style, detailed descriptions of medical events, and emotional transparency work in conjunction to make Gifted Hands an enjoyable and informative read.

Deciding to pursue a career in Family Medicine was not a choice that I made easily. Before entering medical school, I assumed Pediatrics was the field for me. Taking on a leadership role as a volunteer peer tutor for students with disabilities in high school had stimulated my interest in working with adolescents. However, after completing rotations in various specialties, I recognized that I enjoyed caring for patients of all ages and wanted to be in a profession where I can treat not only the disease but the person as a whole.

It wasn’t until the morning of Saturday, May 21, 2016 that I realized what the true feeling of unconditional love was. The moment a parent looks into his or her child’s eyes there is just so much love it’s unbelievable. People think they know what love is when they love a significant other, family member, or a close friend; however, that love is nothing compared to the love a parent experiences the day his or her child is born. That is the love I felt the moment I placed my beautiful baby boy on my chest.

Life is full of varieties and flavors. I tasted some of its hues the very next year. A new door was opened in my life. I had earned my bachelor’s degree at Adelo and by now it was time for me to get to Nuevo Universidad de Venezuela, a foreign medical school in South America. That’s where I met Dr. Yaser, a researcher. He was specialized in experimental, developmental and social psychology. In medical circles, he used to be recognized as a stalwart in his field. When I came to know that I had this rare opportunity of assisting him, I was, to be honest, flabbergasted. In this particular stage of mine, having this opportunity meant a lot. I guess no-one else could have taught me technical things like this man could.