Internal Medicine Residency Personal Statement #4
.“BEEP, BEEP, BEEP!” The annoying shrill sound of my pager jolted me from the depths of sleep during my first IM rotation call night. Within moments, my intern and I scurried through the hospital to the three tower nurses station. Ms. Jones, a 37 year old African American female was in respiratory distress. She had undergone a partial thyroidectomy surgery earlier that day. During afternoon rounds, Ms. Jones was alert, responsive, and in no distress. Now it was one o’clock in the morning and the nurse, the intern, and I were the only ones present. Ms. Jones was minimally responsive. Ultimately, we resorted to a trial of BIPAP, which quickly normalized Ms. Jones’ abnormal ABG and resolved her respiratory distress. A stat chest x-ray and CT were obtained to rule out a pulmonary embolism or other serious causes of dyspnea. Fortunately, both studies came back normal. [ad#bannermain]
Though I did not realize it immediately, my first night on call had taught me that internal medicine would be the career for me. During my clinical rotations, the decision to pursue a career in internal medicine became abundantly clear. My first night on call had demonstrated to me two important lessons. The first lesson was the importance of teamwork in the effective delivery of healthcare. The second lesson was the critical need for IM doctors and the versatility of the role they play in healthcare. That night, thanks to the effort of myself, the intern, the respiratory therapist, and the nurse, we avoided a potentially catastrophic situation. Every one of us played an important role, and together as a team, we came to an outcome that would not have been possible otherwise.
The internist plays a role of vital importance in the delivery of hospital care by being the quarterback in the management of patients. The internist provides an initial assessment of the patient and decides which specialists to consult. As the primary investigator, they are able to effectively produce a list of differential diagnoses using the information they have gathered from the history, physical exam, and various labs and studies they have ordered. The job of the internist is never boring and requires the integration of many disciplines. At times, the internist plays the role of cardiologist, nephrologist, and pulmonologist.
Through medical school, I have demonstrated many of the qualities that are desireable in an internist. I have performed well in all of my clinical rotations and taken every opportunity to learn medicine with great eagerness and enthusiasm. I love academic challenges and maintain a thirst for knowledge. In addition to dealing with the demands of medical school, I have attended numerous conferences and assumed leadership roles, including starting an internal medicine chapter at my school.
In my surgery rotations, I assumed the role of the surgeon and learned to perform ties with great ease. I improved my manual dexterity and impressed many of my surgical attendings with my eagerness to learn about their field of medicine. During my pediatrics rotation, I became a pediatrician, and worked diligently with children of all ages, diagnosing childhood illnesses and doing well baby checks. I have also performed intubations, started femoral lines, inserted Foley catheters, as well as numerous blood draws. I am now prepared to become an internist. I am disciplined, hard working, professional, empathetic, and always willing to go above and beyond what is required of me, including taking numerous calls as a third year medical student, which was not required. I have improved my understanding of many subjects in medicine, acquiring a broad base of medical knowledge which is an absolutely essential skill for the internist.
In addition to these qualities, I also believe a good internist should be personable, empathetic, and provide culturally competent care. While spending 6 weeks in Costa Rica, I lived with a Spanish speaking host family, worked in rural health clinics, and took an intensive Spanish language course. I have also traveled to many different countries and am conversational in several languages. It is important in today’s global society for physicians to provide culturally competent care through the understanding of different cultures.
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Internal medicine is a career that fosters lifelong learning and provides great personal satisfaction. It can provide me with the intellectual stimulation I desire in a career as well as the personal satisfaction of having a profound impact on the lives of others. In the future, I envision myself working as a hospitalist and maintaining an outpatient practice as part of a medical group. I am looking for a program with a strong academic environment and the resources that will allow me to continue to expand my knowledge base. In return, I offer my residency program a competent, enthusiastic resident who is ready and eager to take on the challenges that lie ahead and take full advantage of new opportunities for growth in internal medicine.
