Family Medicine Residency Personal Statement #4
I relish the opportunity to help people through medicine. During my ER rotation, a 2 year old boy was brought in after suffering a laceration to his hand. I calmed him by distracting him with my stethoscope, and was able to suture while minimizing the child’s anxiety. Easing this child’s pain and making him feel better gave me a great sense of fulfillment.[ad#bannermain] The boy gave me a big hug and flashed a huge smile. I was touched by his sincere gratitude, which reminded me why I chose to pursue a career in medicine.
Family medicine has always appealed to me. I enjoy seeing patients of varying age, race, and gender with a multitude of different concerns and diagnoses. Family medicine provides many great academic challenges but allows for the development of strong doctor patient relationships through long-term continuity of care, the care of individuals, and the care of families. In my FP rotations I have seen a variety of patients ranging from simple colds and pharyngitis to Parkinson’s disease, acute intermittent porphyria, and manic depression. I had great pleasure in Family medicine being able to interact with patients from all walks of life. Their diverse stories and backgrounds made my time in family practice anything but mundane. Family practitioners have an amazing breadth of knowledge when it comes to the practice of medicine. In my future practice, I would love to put that breadth of knowledge to use by making that occasional rare diagnosis. Furthermore, I will incorporate disease prevention by promoting regular health screening exams and balanced lifestyles for my patients. Pursuing family medicine is a great way for me to help others and maintain a continuous broad base of knowledge while being able to treat common and not so common diseases effectively throughout my life.
Through the course of my medical education, I have learned to adapt to any situation, learn about different cultures and belief systems, and provide holistic care for my patients. My travels through Europe while attending medical school in Poland have added even more to my understanding of cultures. In addition, I have gained extensive clinical experience through summer clerkships in Pomona, California as well as my clinical rotations during my third and fourth years in inner city Chicago. I have worked in medically underserved communities and learned medicine through a hands-on approach by seeing high patient volumes at understaffed hospitals. I also had a chance to develop my manual dexterity and build my confidenceby performing central lines, suturing wounds, intubating, performing CPR, and casting and splinting fractures. With such exposure I am prepared for new challenges that may come my way during residency.
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Several occurrences this past year, have geared me toward wanting to take out quality time to reorganize my thoughts before life becomes even busier. I wanted time with the people I love in order to make some memorable moments. At the same time I wanted to retain my medical knowledge. I have managed this by reading medical textbooks and journal articles in addition to volunteer work and observation at a nearby hospital.
Family medicine embodies the essence of what patients desire in their physician. The good family practitioner is people-oriented, professional, empathetic, and a good listener. These are all qualities that I have developed over time. In addition, I can work well with others and consult with colleagues when necessary in the interest of my patients. I exude the concept of determination and will accomplish any task I set my mind to accomplish. During clinical rotations I worked well as a team, yet at the same time I can work independently. I am adaptable to any environment and willing to work harde to be a great asset to my residency program. In return, I am looking for a program that is dedicated to providing high quality patient care while providing the highest level of training to its residents. I am dedicated, ready and eager to go above and beyond the call of duty in the pursuit of excellence in family medicine. Upon completion of my family practice residency I plan on working in a private practice or part of a group providing complete family care.
