MEDICINE RESIDENCY PERSONAL STATEMENT "The Career Change Personal Statement"

Although I began my medical career in anesthesia, I have developed a keen interest in internal medicine during and after my anesthesia training. While assessing surgical patients, I often obtained medical consults. By interacting with internists on various occasions, I realized that internists possess broad knowledge and ability to solve complex problems in a systemic and methodical manner. I personally believe that the art of practicing medicine is in internal medicine. I love the challenge of the intellectual stimulation in internal medicine. This was further evidenced by spending time with internal medicine residents on a daily basis during my observership training at both Hospital A and Hospital B. I find the bedside experience during rounds both challenging and rewarding. I feel great achievement in using my knowledge of pharmacology, microbiology, and physiology to explain signs and symptoms of patients. Furthermore, I believe the providing long-term care to patients is an integral part of practicing medicine. However, while I was an anesthesiologist, my contact with most patients usually starts one day before and ends one day after patients have surgery. Even though patients develop complications from anesthesia, they do not seek medical care from anesthesiologists, because there is no communication channel between anesthesiologists and patients. I love the opportunity to provide continuous care for adults. Though internal medicine, I feel confident that I can achieve my best professional satisfaction in the future.

My knowledge and skills in anesthesia will be a useful asset in internal medicine. I am skilled in performing different kinds of invasive and non-invasive monitoring procedures, such as placement of central line, Swan-Ganz catheter, and fiberoptic intubation. These will also be useful to me as a resident in internal medicine. Putting lines in ICU patients effectively and efficiently will not only save my time but also improve quality of patient care. As always, I will be very happy sharing my skills with fellow residents and medical students. In addition, while I was a visiting instructor at the University Medical Center , a level I trauma center in Big City, I managed anesthesia and performed resuscitation on many trauma patients and developed skills in working with complicated situations under stressful conditions. This will make me feel more comfortable while rotating caring for critically ill patients.
My hands-on clinical experience at both private and public hospitals in the United States was a unique opportunity to learn how the medical care system works and to enhance my communication skills with patients and their family members. By participating in all the activities in internal medicine during my observership training, I also honed my history and physical skills in internal medicine. All these will make me better prepared for my residency training in internal medicine. Even with these experiences, I am prepared to work hard to succeed in my residency training.

I will bring enthusiasm, dedication, and professionalism, as well as knowledge and skills of perioperative patient care and physiology, to my internal medicine residency program. I seek a categorical internal medicine residency program that provides a balanced training approach. Through this training, I hope to develop excellent clinical skills and judgment, and embark on a career with constant intellectual stimulation and the opportunity to provide both preventive and therapeutic medical care to patients in a manner that I could not provide as an anesthesiologist.

[Good job on discussing one medical career, and why it wasn't enough for the applicant. This is a prime example of a personal statement that clearly explains a transition from one career to another]