Why I Was A Doctor

We have all seen them. Those countless commercials running all day every day, advertising the benefits of psychotropic drugs. Yet, no one can really tell you what they are for. Then, when one goes to a psychiatrist, many are prescribed these very same mystery drugs, often for feelings or conditions that are commonly found in most people. Psychotropic drugs are everywhere today. Physicians are often being prompted by big billion dollar drug companies to overprescribe psychotropic drugs in order to keep the massive industry moving, despite what damage it may actually be causing the patients who are already in a vulnerable state to begin with.

I stood with a look of wonderment as I watched the beehive of physicians, radiologists, nurses, and paramedics collaboratively save a man’s life. The scene initially appeared chaotic with scrubs flying around and doctors swarming all over, but in actuality the team was extremely single-minded—as if driven by instinct. I was amazed by the speed and conviction with which the attending doctor made his decisions; his training and experience was evident with every move. Seeing the tearful wife thank the doctor highlighted the impact of his work—his actions had saved a husband and a father. I left admiring both the competency of emergency physicians and their ability to touch lives in such a dramatic way. While my enjoyment of high school biology sparked my original inclination towards medicine, my first hand experiences in the hospital deepened my motivation and left me steadfast in my decision to become a doctor.

As previously stated, the actions on the industry do sway a doctor’s prescriptions. Many problems arise from this, namely the fact of expense and health. According to the FDA, generic brand drugs can be 80% more expensive than their name brand counterpart. The FDA also mandates that each must be bioequivalent. The doctors prescription could cost 80% more because of the influence of drug companies. Another factor of this marketing is known as going “off label”, or drugs being pushed for symptoms they weren’t made for. This is part of the reason opioids have caused the United States’ heroin outbreak. Drug companies designed extreme pain killers, meant for terminal illnesses. That isn’t a large market, so companies began pushing doctors to prescribe them for more and more cases. This is also on the rise with antidepressants and anxiety medication. Pharmaceutical companies over-advertising their drug is dangerous and has resulted in lawsuits for almost every major drug company. Famously, the English drug company GSK paid $3 billion in a lawsuit for over prescribing their antidepressant, Paxil (New York Times). Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Abbott, and Eli Lilly have all paid at least $1 billion for pushing off label prescriptions. However, many people support this entire practice because of the free market, and that companies have the right to advertise. While the free market is an integral part of Western culture, drugs are not just some product. Prescription drugs are tablets of complex chemistry backed by scientific research and approved of personal use by someone who has been to higher education for nearly twelve years. For example, sodas are an item on the free market. Coke and Pepsi have a right to advertise and try to create the better soda. They may convince someone to change brand loyalty, and there’s little to no consequence. Drugs have life-changing, or life-ending, potential and complex

After being adopted at the age of 5, I had some behavioral issues that were hard to parent. My parents took me to be assessed, I was diagnosed with ADHD. Shortly after being given this diagnosis I was put on the strongest dose of Ritalin, which I responded to by having zero affect. After the dosage was figured out, I was seen by several psychiatrists to confirm the diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. It wasn’t until third grade when I went to see my doctor, that I was then given the diagnosis of Attention Deficit Disorder, which I took Adderall for until sixth grade as well as stopped taking the Ritalin. As far as being assessed, I haven’t been involved in any assessments directly, rather my mother would provide the

Pharmaceutical companies market their product in a variety of ways. It can be anything from simple pamphlets to actually taking doctors out to dinners to persuade them. An enormous amount of money is spent on this marketing could go to other things, but it is instead used to influence people. It becomes less about the treating a condition and more about making a profit. It even gets to the point where pharmaceutical companies target the uneducated public and try to manipulate them. Pharmaceutical companies have turned prescriptions into more of a way to make a larger profit rather than a means to help people.

Due to the corporate competition between large pharmaceutical companies and their purpose as a business to “make money,” modern medicine is often characterized by the overuse of chemical drugs. Under current US law, it is perfectly legal to pay doctors to promote drugs. Big Pharma, the collective group of big pharmaceutical companies, continues to pay billions of dollars to doctors promoting and prescribing their drugs. The common assumption when one goes to the doctor is that he or she is going to get the best medication to cure his or her illness or disease. Sometimes, the medicine fixes the problem in the short term, but it does not target the underlying cause. On top of this, the drugs may aim to fix one problem but can cause unwanted side effects in the process. This creates the never-ending cycle of dependency on chemical drugs as patients are often prescribed more drugs to deal with the new problems that are created.

There are about 701,200 doctors in the United States. And I could be one of them. They treat people when they are sick or hurt. They give advice to patients to help keep them from getting sick. They bandage knees, prescribe medicine, sew up cuts. They bring new babies into the world and comfort older people who are sick or dying. And what made me go into this career was that I always wanted to do something in medicine. And I thought that why not become a M.D. And medicine is something I love to do.

While there was no debate that I passed the “Do you have ADHD?” test with flying colors, there was some speculation that something else was going on, so more tests were done. I vividly remember taking the next set of tests the school recommended for me. Mr. McMullen, a nice, older man would peek his head in the doorway signaling to me that it was time for me to go. While other kids would have been embarrassed I was happy to have an excuse to take a break and move. We would go to his office, where the test would begin. It never

My story began when I received shocking news that my grandfather has passed away from a heart failure. Being a twelve years old immigrant, bilingual of Vietnamese American, I fully experienced the hardship of caring for a very ill family member. Unfortunately, my grandfather passed away. The feelings of emptiness consumed my inner being. He was one of my closest family members and was there to raise me. I felt completely helpless and powerless, unable to prevent my grandfather from passing away. I became frustrated and started to ponder if the turn of events would have been any different. If I had better insight to what medical care had to offer, I could have been able to advise my grandfather about his condition and perhaps his problem may have been preventable. I vowed that I would become a competent doctor to find the reason behind my grandfather 's death and to make a real impact on this real life situation. I am determined to succeed.

After graduating from high school, I was accepted into my city’s medical school and started my career as a physician. However, Venezuela is currently filled with corruption, economic burdens, and violence; thus, after one semester, I decided to leave everything behind and move to the United States for a better future. Even though I had to start from zero, I want to pursue my dreams no matter the time it takes. Every action and every decision made me who I am today; transitioning to a new country, completing my pre-medical requirements, being involved in the community, participating in research, and having leadership roles are aspects that have aided shape my passion for medicine.

I never thought I’d be in a position to become a doctor. There were so many times that I thought it might be better to switch to a different career. These are not sentiments I had a long time ago. In fact, just under two years ago, I thought it may be best for me to change my future plans. But there was something that kept me going. I had a burning desire to keep on fighting, even when others might have thought it was just a pipe dream. You see, I was not one of those kids who played doctor at an early age or switched careers well after college. I really did not know what I wanted to do when I entered college. As an average high school student, I figured I would enter college as a biology major but switch if things got too hard. But those feelings never materialized. I think it came from my competitive spirit and to never settle for less. I never had any true passions until I started playing basketball in middle school. I would practice for hours and hours in front of my house. My mom would have to call me back inside because I liked to play for so long. I was passionate about it. I was devastated whenever I would lose a game or not play up to my potential. I remember playing against my brother and neighbor one time. I lost in a tight game. I was so angry that I punched my mailbox as I heatedly walked home and put a hole in it. I knew that I should never be content with second place, especially for something I was so passionate about. In a few years, I would feel the same

Getting into the medicine was not always the career goal I had in my mind, rather it became my career goal because of inspiration I got from my shadowing, research, and volunteering experience. The coursework for this field especially Anatomy, Physiology, and Organic chemistry not only tested my study skills but also my critical thinking skills and also my commitment to this field. There were ups and down and there will be more in the future, but there has not been a single time that I doubted myself in pursuing this path to become a Medical Doctor. In fact, all the coursework, research, and shadowing experience have always motivated me. This is why I am currently doing my best to self-study for MCAT using different free resources available as I cannot afford to enroll in any MCAT classes offered by test companies like Kaplan and Princeton Review. The money I have saved by working part time are just enough for to register for the MCAT exam and to apply for about five medical schools. This self-study approach is not the best approach as I would not be able to study the MCAT specific materials and practice questions like a real MCAT, however I would be able to avoid all that if am given MCAT course scholarship.

I didn’t really know how to find a doctor or make an appointment of the kind I needed without someone helping me but I knew I had to try because I was alone and exhausted. My depression had been going on but I currently had just finished spending my entire vacation in my apartment crying and feeling completely hopeless. After having my very first panic attack and ending up in a walk in clinic not knowing what was going on, I had made the decision that my apartment was the safest place to hide. It was time to get help. I contacted my health insurance company who referred me to a doctor. Step one was complete.

Growing up in Jamaica as an American child was a lot of fun; the rivers, the vegetation, the mountains, the people and the food are in supposable. However; painful moments exist after my grandparents died and my dad could not obtain any answers, it was tough memories for the each person. As a child, I was always interested in medicine, never forgot my Atlas of Human Anatomy my dad gave to me as a child, then the pictures was the utmost intriguing part. These painful memories lingered and are only one of my driving forces behind my ambition to become a doctor. Doing missionary work, working at the health clinic and volunteering to feed the homeless was my reality as child. Volunteering with different organizations provides awareness of how many people need aid, as such committing your time to service makes a difference. These type experience shape you into who you are, whether those experience are good or atrocious. Through these experiences as a young man I realized that my life would be ultimately fulfilled working directly to improve the lives of others as it relates to medicine.

My niece LuAnn has decided that she would like to have a career as a doctor. She is a very intelligent high-school student who is looking into her future and wants to make the right choices about her future. She has called me for advice about her pursuing a career in the medial field as a doctor. My niece LuAnn would like to find the best location for school and also a location for a medical career that goes beyond school. She knows I am taking a course in business economics and has asked me to put together a portfolio of information I gather on the market for physicians in terms of supply and demand, elasticity, economic profit and loss and cost of production. Of course as her aunt I am more than willing to help and I want my niece to be knowledgeable with the most up to date information and pertinent information possible on this career choice. I have decided to educate myself about the marker for this particular career and treat this project as if it was my own career choice. Hopefully with the information I gather and provide to my niece she will have the tools necessary to make an educated decision and evaluate her career choice.