PEDIATRICS RESIDENCY PERSONAL STATEMENT #5

I have always known that I would work with young people. My love of working with youth began in high school as part of the Boy Scouts where I discovered that I enjoyed the camaraderie that came with being part of a team, and the responsibility and rewards of teaching new scouts. I became an Eagle Scout during my senior year of high school, and armed with my new-found confidence, I attended State University to pursue my education and stay close to home.

At State University, I chose a double major in Molecular Cell Biology and Integrative Biology to study life at both the level of proteins and molecules, and at the level of ecosystems. During my undergraduate years, I continued to follow my Scouting roots, becoming an Assistant Scoutmaster and working with a small group of inner city youth. Each week, I tried to stimulate, encourage, and teach these boys who used scouting to help alleviate some stress in their difficult lives. It was a huge thrill for me to witness their enthusiasm for learning and their pride in their own accomplishments

I balanced these activities with my research at Medical Center, in which I helped evaluate the use of liposomes for encapsulating chemotherapuetic drugs and for gene transfection. Outside of the classroom and the lab, I spent time backpacking in the Sierras, trout fishing at a local reservoir, and tending to my saltwater tropical fish and corals. Toward my final years at State, I realized that medicine could unite my scientific curiosity with my passion for working with people, especially youth.

I have thoroughly enjoyed medical school at State University. In the first two years, I became fascinated by the wealth of information presented to students about the basic sciences. I especially enjoyed working with my classmates in small groups exploring new cases and teaching each other about medicine. Beyond my studies, I also eagerly sought out opportunities to work with people. After the first year of medical school, I had the good fortune to work for the National Youth Leadership Forum, a program that gives high school seniors a window into medical careers. Together, my group of 22 students and I worked through problem-based cases, discussed medical ethics, challenged public policy, and had an incredible time. I returned the following year because I absolutely loved the students! I will never forget the discussions, debates, laughter, and smiles we shared. Despite the hard and emotional work that left me exhausted, I felt immensely fulfilled.

Medical school has been equally exhilarating, both inside and outside of the classroom. I spent a year with Dr. Nice Guy pursing computer research, another love of mine. Our work involved the use of Internet access as a way to reward community preceptors and as a method of faculty development. This endeavor has culminated in several presentations and publications, and has been very fulfilling to me personally and academically. In the future I also plan to be active in utilizing computers in medicine and in the medical informatics field.

During my third year, I rediscovered my reasons for pursing a career in Pediatrics. With my studies in the basic sciences, my third year clerkships have helped me realize the true gift of being a physician. I have been given the privilege to interact with patients and their families in an intensely intimate manner. I enjoy teaching young patients and their parents about their disease and how they can conquer hardships. Also, I am excited about taking care of patients from birth to adulthood. Working with young people is rewarding because of the chance to be involved in a growing relationship with patients as they mature and learn. Pediatrics is a natural career for me because it provides me with an opportunity to work with people whose energy ignites my spirit. Pediatrics gives me the determination to think through problems, the curiosity to learn, and the energy to stay awake at three in the morning. When you love your patients it becomes easy to work hard for them.

I am looking forward to training at a program that will train me with the same enthusiasm that I will give my patients. In addition, I seek a program with a culturally and ethnically diverse patient population, and one that will treat me as part of a family. In the near future, I picture myself as an educator to patients, families, medical students, and residents. I plan to continue both teaching and community service inside and outside of medicine. Furthermore, I bring to a pediatric residency program my desire to work in a team, my experience with youth, and my tremendous enthusiasm for learning.