PATHOLOGY PERSONAL STATEMENT

                   The woman lying in Bed 14 was totally disfigured.  More than half of her body was covered by deep ulcers, foul-smelling pus and thick crusts and she had lost her hair andeyelids; and her cheeks were penetrated deeply. Seven years ago I was a dermatology resident at a teaching hospital in Beijing, I had the opportunity to see a wide range of cases from across the nation where I met Mrs. Yao.   From her husband I learned that her ordeal started with a coin-like macule on forearm, which was first misdiagnosed as psoriasis at a local clinic.  Believing the misdiagnosis, she treated herself with herbal medicine for several years until a full eruption of skin lesions. She was later diagnosed as mycosis fungoides, cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, and sadly passed away on our ward despite an enormous effort to save her.    The tragedy was reinforced by the fact that this tumor usually responds very well to chemotherapy, and Mrs. Yao could have had a good chance of survival if treated early.  During my residency I could not help but wonder: “How can we give every patient the correct diagnosis? “ Personal experience has made me fascinated with Pathology as a science and as a career and although I started my medical career in dermatology, I have realized that my calling lies in pathology.

The person who correctly diagnosed Mrs. Yao is my mentor, Dr. Xavier, a brilliant dermatologist and dermatopathologist whom I deeply admire.  My training in dermatopathology with Dr. Xavier  turned out to be the most exciting time in my residency.  Pathology our most powerful weapon to reach a correct diagnosis.  Dr. Xavier liked to say "Pathology is the third eye of the dermatologist".  Indeed, in a specialty where cases tend to be diagnosed by a mere glance at the skin, Pathology has a dramatic impact on clinical decision making.  I enjoyed sitting before a microscope, browsing through our collection of slides and making discoveries.  Every slide, every cell tells a story.  At that time I was convinced that Pathology would always be my passion.

I also chose Pathology because of enormous research opportunities.  During my first residency, I studied p53 gene mutations in skin cancers and wrote a well received thesis while

under the pressure of a tight residency curriculum.  With great enthusiasm I performed most experiments at night in my spare time.  This early adventure in science inspired me with great interest in scientific exploration.  During the following years my adventure has gone further and deeper.  It has moved from thermal cyclers to tissue culture rooms, to microarray chips, and even to supercomputers.  No matter what front I work on, my goal of applying science to furthering human health has never changed.  Being a pathologist would give me an enormous opportunity to bridge basic science and clinical medicine, while applying the latest scientific advancements to solving the mystery of human disease.

No specialty attracts me more than Pathology.  Making diagnoses is a complex task that requires gathering and integrating information, a great intellectual challenge that I always enjoy facing.  As a pathologist, I will have the unique opportunity to work with physicians of every specialty, to deal with diseases of every organ system, and to combine clinical with morphological, biochemical, and even molecular findings.  It will be intellectually rewarding and will be a continuous source of learning.  Above all of these, Pathology will fuel the passion of all of us who have chosen Medicine as a career, because lives can be saved by correct diagnoses. 

In the future I see myself pursuing a career in academic medicine.  I will dedicate myself to providing the best diagnostic service to patients while exploring the nature of human diseases.  I would love to educate young physicians and scientists.  After residency I hope to pursue further training in a subspecialty.    I believe a residency in pathology is a place where I can begin to fulfill my professional goals.