DERMATOLOGY RESIDENCY PERSONAL STATEMENT

While I continued to pull through the heavy water, I heard the coxswain call out, "This is it!" My feelings of complete exhaustion and loss of breath would have to wait. Months of getting up at five in the morning for drills on the Strong River would come down to one final moment. Rowing in college had meant working hard surrounded by teammates who shared enthusiasm and drive. Although my present goal is to train in dermatology, tenets in rowing continue to serve me today: hard work and perseverance never go out of style.
As my fondness for rowing demonstrates, I love a good challenge. The opportunity for challenge and new discovery attracted me to chemical engineering and medical research as an undergraduate. While working in a lab at Harvard, I became interested in applying technology to the field of medicine. I was given many hands-on tasks including learning tissue grafting. Surgery on animals allowed us to study tumor angiogenesis and directly visualize vessel growth and regression. My talents in engineering proved to be of great use when I developed an algorithm to quantify blood flow. I had found research I truly enjoyed and this interest motivated me.

In medical school, I enjoyed the visual inspection of physical diagnosis; clearly describing what I saw came naturally. I enjoyed the focus of small, hands-on procedures. Dermatology captured my interest and by early in my fourth year, I decided I needed more time to explore the field. Following medical school, I took a two-year position at Medical University where my engineering background allowed me to contribute to the creation of a survey tool for an outcomes research study where I gained critical skills in conducting clinical trials. I became expert in FDA and IRB regulatory issues and spent a great deal of time seeing dermatology patients. Gleaning clues from subtle distinguishing features required a true love of the diagnostic process; studying disease and following treatment outcomes continued to be satisfying. Together, these experiences confirmed my enthusiasm for dermatology was worth pursuing.

The field of dermatology appeals to me for many reasons. The relationship between doctor and patient is collaborative and often ongoing. Blistering and other diseases offer a spectrum of severities and clinical challenges. Our growing understanding of the skin's immune system makes this an especially exciting time to be in dermatology. Developing new therapies is tremendously rewarding—-and the end results thrilling to see.

Since completing my medical internship in June, I have worked as a Clinical Fellow with the Department of Dermatology. I continue to add to my research skills guiding a Phase III melanoma vaccine trial. I have become expert in vaccine development, manufacturing, and testing. My experience has allowed me to collaborate with world-renowned dermatologists and researchers. Skills I develop here will surely serve me well throughout my career.

My goal is to utilize my unique background in engineering to one day design and test new dermatologic therapies of my own. I would consider myself lucky to return to My University for residency and my elective only strengthened this feeling. I believe My University can offer the ideal training environment for the type of career I have chosen. The diversity of clinical settings and spectrum of disease is appealing, and training with research leaders such as Skin Doctor would offer a great perspective on evolving therapies, as well as continued mentorship. I will continue to use hard work and determination to reach my goals in dermatology and like in rowing, look forward to new challenges and discoveries ahead.