Psychiatry Residency Personal Statement #1

“Psychiatrists are only for crazy people,” was the reply I often received from patients during my attempts to refer them for mental health treatment in medical school. There is a substantial stigma in the Hispanic community regarding mental health. It is often very difficult for them to ask for help. Depression is seen as a “weakness,” and Bipolar Disorder is synonymous with being “crazy.”
[ad#bannermain]It is difficult for them to view mental illness as a disease, and they often refute the idea of a chemical imbalance or a physiological etiology.

I was fortunate enough to be trained at one of the busiest and largest hospitals in Guatemala, and realized that a large percentage of the patients seen both in the hospital and clinic setting had mental health issues in addition to their physical illness. It was often either as a result of their medical illness, or many times their medical illness was actually the result of their mental health status. That is one of the main reasons that Psychiatry is the medical field that appeals to me most. I realized that physicians can make a big difference in people lives by just addressing their mental health issues. After all, it is difficult to live a happy life without proper mental health.

I feel will be able to personally contribute most to this field than any other field of medicine. Being the oldest of 5 sisters I have learned throughout the years how to be a good listener, and how to give advice when it is pertinent. I communicate effectively with people, and establish rapport with patients easily and quickly. During my seven years of training in Guatemala, I learned how to perform a quick interview without compromising quality and, most importantly, how to gain the trusting bond that is necessary for patient compliance. I love to work in a team setting. During my clinical rotations, I learned that being friendly with the nurses, social workers, and all medical personnel was vital to providing better patient care.

The most important quality that I can bring to psychiatry is my positive attitude and perseverance. I find it rewarding to be challenged. The greatest challenge I have faced was moving to United States and learning an entirely new foreign language and culture. It was fascinating to meet new people with different points of view, and made me able to empathize with, not just people of my own culture, but people of all backgrounds and cultures because of it. [When I decided to study for the USMLE, I also was raising three children, and supporting my husband during his residency in family medicine. I learned how important organization, a positive attitude, and most of all passion for what we do are to reaching our goals. It was not easy, but made me the strong person that I am today.

At this moment I am completing a clinical rotation in the Mental Health Department of Roosevelt Hospital in Guatemala, where I am performing psychiatric interviews, treatment and counseling both in the outpatient and inpatient setting. In U.S, I have followed a psychiatrist at Large HMO in California, as well as another psychiatrist in private practice, in order to gain different perspectives in the field.

My long term goal is to become a child psychiatrist because I am concerned about the alarming rates of psychiatric illnesses in the pediatric and adolescent populations. As a parent, I am fortunate enough to have an added perspective in order to . parents and their concerns. For my residency training I am hoping to find a program where physiological psychiatry and psychotherapy are both considered meaningful components, since I truly believe that both are equally important to treat mental illnesses. I am determined to continue to work hard, be challenged, and most importantly strive to make a meaningful contribution to my patients’ lives and field of psychiatry.