Why I Am A Doctor

I want to be a MedServe Fellow for several reasons, with the ultimate goals of improving my community and providing a stepping stone between college and medical school. One of the main things I want to do during my gap year is gain clinical experience, something I believe I need before applying to medical school, and this program fulfills that desire. I could do research in my gap year, but working in a primary care setting would be the most beneficial in preparing me, not only for medical school, but for my career. My career goal is within primary care, and while I also could gain experience via an EMT route, I feel that MedServe provides a unique opportunity to truly experience and understand primary care. I want to have a more active role

Anything could have gone wrong. A Japanese soldier murdering my grandmother as they marched into her small village during the Rape of Nanking. The Communist forces dropping an aerial bomb on my mother’s home before the Fall of Saigon. My father’s old fishing boat capsizing in the South China Sea while escaping Vietnam before his miraculous landing in the Philippines. From time to time, I reflect upon my family’s fortuitous circumstances in the darkest periods of war and their tumultuous journey to America. Being the eldest child of second-generation war refugees has significantly impacted my life decisions and aspirations. Neither of my parents finished their education due the Vietnam War, so I have the privilege of being the first in the

I chose my career to be a Surgeon. This job is based on treating diseases, injuries, and deformities by invasive, minimally-invasive, or non invasive surgical methods, such as using instruments, appliances, or by manual manipulation. Make sure you follow the established surgical techniques during the operation.

Why are individuals’ education being limited in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and how is it affecting the communities and individuals? According to Human Rights Watch, in North Kivu, a province in northeast Congo, it is more likely for a child to never attend a school than a child born anywhere else in the country. Before turning turning twelve, 79 percent of children will not step foot in an educational facility (Gilchrist et al.). Out of all the children who end up enrolling in North Kivu schools, 40 percent will drop out in the first 12 years. Human Rights Watch did a survey in 2012 that stated, “... 16 percent of children in South Kivu and 8 percent in North Kivu who dropped out of school did so—at least in part—due to concerns about ‘fear of crime/conflict.’ Indeed, in South Kivu, it was the third most mentioned reason for a child to drop out of school,

My career goal is to enter the medical field and push myself to form relationships with the individuals I encounter. I was inspired to pursue a career in medicine while completing my senior internship, where I was introduced to the real-world medical issues that can occur. Through my career, I hope to form relationships, push myself, and help others.

People ask me what I want to do when I grow up all the time. What I want to do seems pretty normal, but the fact is that it is not normal because it’s unique to me. First off, I want to finish high school with preferably all A’s or the best grades I can achieve. After high school, I will go to a university of my choice where I will study a type of science or engineering based curriculum. After four years of undergraduate studies, I will apply to medical school. My dream has always been to go to medical school, so if I am not admitted I will be disappointed. However, I have high hopes that I will be capable of achieving this goal. After I complete medical school, I will go through specialization where I will become a type of surgeon.

At age five, I wanted to become a scientist. At age nine, I wanted to be a doctor. At age twelve, I thought I wanted to major in biology. At age fifteen, I found myself completing a difficult physics problem involving Newton’s Laws and solving equations. At age sixteen, I could analyze DNA fragments and run a Tollens’ test. At age eighteen, I knew that I wanted to devote my studies to learning how body mechanisms react to varying chemicals. Suitably, I started my college career as a biochemistry major.

My parents and grandparents are from Nigeria. I was born and raised in Nigeria. After my father died in the year 2000, I was only eight years. Two years’ later, my mother emigrated into the United States. she brought my siblings and myself five years after she came to America. The socioeconomic status of my family is middle class, all my siblings are self-sufficient and my mother is a stayed home hair stylist. Prior to my siblings and myself, my parents ended their education in sixth grade. Therefore, they emphasized education to us because they did not have an opportunity to afford education. My grandparents were underprivileged and in Nigeria, you could not go to school without money. School was a priority in our family but ever since

When I was about 11 years old, I developed a cyst that attached to my spleen. I felt this cyst for about 4 days, and the whole time I was in a lot of pain and I could barely breathe and my abdomen had swelled up so much I looked like I could be having a baby. Then I went into the operating room, and a surgeon cut me open and chopped out the cyst. Recovery was painful, but I could have died if I hadn’t had the cyst removed. Ever since then, I’ve looked up to the entire surgical profession.

During tenth grade, I decided to have a healthcare profession. Several people in my family work in the health field as a psychiatrist, nurse, and doctor. In my country, Haiti, the option to go to school was very limited because it’s very expensive. My father saved up enough money, so we can move to the United States. At the age of three, we came to the U.S. and my little brother Kenley was born in this country. I accomplished my twelve year public education in Stamford, CT. I graduated from Academy of Information Technology & Engineering high school in 2013. Throughout high school, I volunteered in the Stamford Hospital for three years. It was a great experience to serve many different individuals. For example, I worked in departments such as Endoscopy, Patient Transportation, Patient Registration, Maternity, Sunshine Team, and the Surgical Weight Loss. Next, I attended a nursing program called Southern Westchester Boces in Harrison, NY on September, 2014. In addition, I was assigned three nursing home locations and for each place I stayed there for eight weeks. I learned nursing skills such as vital signs (pulse, temperature, respirations, and blood pressure); administered medication; performed injections; provided care for tracheostomy, gastrostomy, and wounds. I graduated on June 24, 2014 and it was a ten month program. After graduating from a nursing school, it’s a requirement to take the National Council Licensure Examination known as the NCLEX to receive a nursing

My call into nursing does not derive for one specific instance but a combination of many experiences I have had during my life. For as long as I can remember, I have always had a passion for the medical field. Both my father and mother work in medicine and I have always found listening their stories fascinating and intriguing. Being involved and a part of a church that routinely did missions work in Mexico was where I realized how much I truly enjoyed helping people. While those experiences did not directly led me to becoming a nurse, I believe they had a huge influence. The initial desire to be a nurse struck me when I was about 13-14 years old. I was at church listening to the stories of a medical missionary couple that was visiting our church. I was very impressed with the impact they were able to make on these people’s lives and became determined that I too would like to make an impact on people’s lives.

Retrospectively, I realize pathology has long been an interest of mine. My medical career began ten years ago, as a veterinary technician, and thus the beginnings of my interest in pathology. I frequently found myself analyzing blood chemistries, complete blood counts, ear smears, and urinalyses and very much enjoying this work. Over time, my curiosity evolved. I began taking a greater interest in reading blood smears and fine needle aspirates, leading to an insistence that the veterinarians explain what they were seeing. At the time, I was completely unaware that my interest in pathology would eventually lead me down an entirely different career path.

I will always remember one piece of advice a teacher taught me during my senior year of high school. She said: “If you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life!” I have been incredibly fortunate to say I have not worked since I became a nurse. Become a nurse is much more than simply a calling. Nursing is a way of life; the compassion and care we give to our patients each and every single day is not something many people have the ability to do. To date, I have been one of the millions of compassionate and hardworking nurses around the world for over two years.

My journey began in Karachi, Pakistan, where I grew up dreaming of become a physician. My father, aunts, and uncles were all doctors. My entire family dedicated many hours of their day delivering health to the most needy with compassion and medical expertise. I remember going to my father’s clinic to watch him treat patients all day long, and then spending time with the family at the end of a busy day with great satisfaction. Even though he worked all day long, I never saw him tire. He was fueled by his care for his patients. As the only child, my mom sole focus was guiding me to become a doctor. All my nighttime stories were about getting satisfaction by helping people in need. As time passed by, I developed a deep commitment to improving people’s lives by improving their health.

If I was asked why I wanted to study medicine a year ago I would have provided a fairly satisfactory answer but if I’m asked why I want to study medicine - or continue studying – now I’m positive that I can provide the best answer possible due to the fact that I have actually studied and engaged in Medicine the whole past year.