The Inspiration to Become a Doctor

Personal Statement

An orbital blowout fracture is a fracture of one or more of the bones surrounding the eye. If the orbital floor is fractured then the globe of the eye can begin to fall through the bone often resulting in permanent visual impairment. I know this because I once experienced an orbital blowout fracture in my right eye. It happened when I was walking home from a long night of studying for an organic chemistry exam (organic chemistry was a class I had been struggling in all semester). On my walk, a dozen men jumped and assaulted me. For what seemed like the longest three minutes of my life, I was brutally beaten, and my jaw, nose and shoulder were fractured. The orbital blowout was just one of the many injuries I sustained that night -- but it was the one that left me the most concerned. Normally, a person in my situation would receive emergency treatment in order to prevent further harm to the eye. As it happened, this all occurred on the eve of the arrival of Super Storm Sandy, and there was no way for an operation of this nature to take place. I was forced to retire to my lodgings, where, of course, power was soon lost.

When the storm passed and power was restored, my surgery commenced (and it was, in some ways, more painful than the beating). However, when after three days I returned to the doctor's office and had my bandages removed and moved my right eye for the first time in more than a week, the joy I felt was indescribable. Relief washed over me. I was so happy and thankful for what the doctors of modern medicine had been able to do for me -- I could not even begin to express it.

When I returned to school, I had a newfound conviction. Organic chemistry had been just one of my stumbling blocks at college. My G.P.A. had been a dismal 2.6. My parents and the Dean of Students urged me to try something else. But after experiencing firsthand what modern medicine could do, I was determined to be part of that world. I loaded up my semester with nothing but pre-med courses and I prioritized my life around them in such a way that success could not but be mine. When I earned a 4.0 for the semester, everyone was astonished -- except for me. I was filled with confidence in my academic abilities because of the desire that supported them and the vision I held of myself practicing medicine -- of being a doctor like the ones I had encountered in the hospital. In fact, I had to return to that world and see it again -- but this time I wanted to see it from the side of the practitioner rather than from the side of the patient.

Therefore, that summer, I embarked on my first shadowing experience. I was very nervous initially but I quickly established a rhythm once I realized there was nothing to fear. I became enthralled with my surroundings. With each new patient, I attempted to form a diagnosis in my mind before it was given by the doctor. I saw each one as a challenge -- but also as a person, who was in need of medical assistance. I could identify deeply with them, because I had once been there too. I found myself looking forward to meeting them, to hearing their stories, to being able to empathize and take part in the process of treating them (even if I was only there as a shadow). The experience further steeled my resolve to be a member of the medical community and to be able to help people just like the ones I met that day.

When my undergraduate work was completed, I enrolled in a Masters Degree program in Biomedical Sciences at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. In my first semester, I earned a 3.85 G.P.A. and was among the top of my class. This May I will be graduating from Robert Wood with a Masters in Biomedical. My experiences in this program have only served to strengthen my desire and resolve to become a doctor.