怎样在美国成为医生(4): Personal Statement

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怎样在美国成为医生(4): Personal Statement

Flysss [教育与学术]

Those are some sample PS collected from an MD managed website, and I remembered that one of the webmaster was the author of the First Aid Series.

But most of those websites were probablly closed already. Anyway, hopt those PS helpful for your guys.

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1. Family Medicine

Although I started medical school with an inclination toward primary care, my choice of family medicine was not a foregone conclusion. I have considered many areas of specialty throughout my medical school experiences, but I keep returning to family medicine as the best match for my vocational goals and personality. Family medicine attracts me for several reasons. First, family medicine allows me to treat a wide variety of patient populations and illnesses. My medical school training and extracurricular interactions have given me the opportunity to serve all age groups, from infants to the elderly. I love children and gave serious thought to a career in pediatrics. Yet I also enjoy aspects of orthopedics, obstetrics, psychiatry, and geriatric care. I feel that family medicine offers me the most interesting spectrum of patient care. Although some may view this variety as a daunting challenge, I see it as a constant spark of excitement in the practice of medicine.

I also find family medicine attractive because of its role in small communities. Unlike other medical specialties, family medicine affords me the opportunity to live and serve in a small town. I feel that a family doctor can fill an important need in small and often under served communities. I look forward to offering quality, up-to-date medical care in a setting where my patients and I interact on a firstname basis and where I can offer treatment based on perhaps a more intimate knowledge of my patients' backgrounds. I found this to be true during my family medicine clerkship in rural Idaho as a fourth year medical student. My experience in Idaho convinced me that I could enjoy serving as a family doctor in a small community. On a more personal level, a small community is a great environment for raising a family, and my wife and I would like our children to grow up in such an environment.

I also feel that family medicine has a unique and vital role in educating families and providing preventative care. As I teach parents about developmental milestones, immunizations, give anticipatory guidance, and prescribe treatments for childhood illnesses, I do more that treat one sick child. As I teach adults principles of healthy diet and exercise do more than avert heart disease. Such education has the potential to help generations live healthy lives. Age-appropriate screening and counseling are other important roles I look forward to as a family doctor.

Several influential family practitioners in my life have given me additional impetus for choosing family medicine myself. Dr W. not only brought me into the world, but he also delivered and continued to care for my twin brother and four other brothers and sisters over the years. Several years later, he was able to deliver my sister's children as well. Of course this scenario is not always possible in today's transient society where people change insurance plans and doctors frequently. However, the opportunity for this kind of long-term interaction with families seems to still exist in instances in family medicine. As a teenager my family doctor became a trusted friend and respected adult figure in my life. Dr M. was able to relate to my teenage issues and treated me with appropriate respect. He showed me that a doctor can have a positive influence on a patient's life far beyond traditional medical cures.

Years ago I, was stymied as I tried to select an undergraduate course of study that would best help me in a medical career. I consulted several medical professionals and asked their opinions as to which major would best help me in a medical practice. Many respected family practitioners advised me to major in business so that I could better manage my own family practice someday and assured me that such an education would benefit me in any type of practice. They also felt that choosing a major outside the basic science curriculum (which I would still be learning as a prerequisite for medical school) could only enrich and broaden my education. Now that I have decided upon family practice, I am grateful for their advice and look forward to applying some of the business fundamentals I learned in my own practice of medicine.

Finally, family practice appeals to me because of its focus on the family unit. My family—my beautiful wife and two children, as well as extended family—is the most important thing in my life. I want to become the type of doctor that my own children, wife, mother, and grandmother would feel comfortable and confident turning to for medical care.

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2. Family Medicine

During the first day of orientation for medical school, a priest who was a member of the faculty gave an interesting dissertation on how our training would affect the rest of our lives. He told us that, during the course of our training, we would either become more human or more inhuman. Although at that time I had a sense of what he was trying to tell us, it was only after going through four years of medical school that I truly understood the point that he was making. At times I have seen both empathy, as well as its lack, in attendings, residents, and fellow students that I have worked with. Some perceive patients as diseases, problems, or interesting cases, whereas others view them as people seeking guidance, support, and understanding. As I have progressed through these years, I have grown to embrace the human side of medicine, which is the substance of family medicine.

Before I decided to pursue a career in medicine, my initial plans were to obtain a career in coaching or personal training. Exercise and competitive sports were always an important component of my life, and to have a career that incorporated both of these seemed like a worthwhile goal. I thus pursued and completed a master's degree in physical education at Ithaca College. However, during my time there, I became more aware of the importance of other aspects of health that I had not previously acknowledged. Specifically, I had been focusing on the physical aspects of health, while neglecting the mental and spiritual components. While it would be possible to educate people about the importance of all of these variables as a personal trainer, I felt that a career in medicine would give me the opportunity to help more people with a wider variety of issues and problems. In addition, in my continuous search for self-improvement, I personally would be rewarded with a career that would allow me to expand my knowledge and improve myself in all of these realms. Thus I began the pursuit of a medical degree and have ended up where I am now.

I grew up in a small rural town in upstate New York, and would like to return there once I finish residency. There has been, and continues to be, a shortage of physicians in that area, and I would like to be able to provide much needed health care for the people in the community where I was raised. I also come from a large, close-knit family, most of who still reside in the area. In addition, practicing family medicine in a rural area would provide the opportunity to practice medicine more like the traditional general practitioner did, by being more encompassing.

The mission statement of family medicine might read as follows: In patient care, the physician must take into consideration all aspects of an individual's life as part of a larger whole. This involves not only the physical and physiological manifestations of illness, but also peoples' relationships with others, their belief systems, and their lifestyle choices. Continuity of care and the development of a true patient-physician relationship are also key components of this equation. I subscribe completely to this statement. In addition, I believe that people have a great deal of control over their own health, but many require a facilitator.

I have much to contribute to family medicine. I firmly believe in the biopsychosocial model. I am driven to expand my physical, intellectual, and spiritual horizons, and to help others to do the same. I have gained a sense of maturity from experiences throughout my life, and intend to continue to learn from the lessons life provides. A good doctor should possess all of these qualities, and a good doctor is what I intend to be.

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3. Family Medicine

Mr. M. a patient plagued with Alzheimer's disease, sits in his chair at the nurses' station looking around blankly. Recently, his wandering became too great a burden for his wife to bear, and she now faces the difficult decision of placement in a long-term care facility. I notice Mr. M looking at the checkerboard near him on the counter. Desiring to show a bit of concern, I gently approach him and we soon strike up a friendly game of checkers. My heart warms when Mr. M. cautiously begins to smile and laugh. That particular afternoon, a few minutes of my time and attention made a small difference, and that opportunity to build patient relationships is exactly what draws me to Family Medicine.

After completing the first week of a community medicine rotation with a family physician in town, my husband commented that I was always in such a good mood when I returned home from clinic. I realized I feel happiest by spending my days doing what I truly love. Patient education, personal relationships, and variety draw me to this specialty. Seeing relatively healthy patients and attempting to maintain their health fulfills me; the continuous opportunity for teaching patients and playing a role in prevention brings me great satisfaction. Although I enjoy procedures and have been told I am good with my hands, I would much rather spend fifteen minutes talking to a patient about diabetes or counseling on sexually transmitted diseases than spend time in the operating room or perxxxx a lumbar puncture.

I welcome continuity of care and personal, repeated interaction with my patients. Gaining the trust of patients, xxxxing relationships, finding out about my patients' lives as individuals, and being appreciated sustains me. Additionally, a family doctor sees patients with a wide variety of problems, and this requires a breadth of knowledge that I find challenging and intellectually stimulating. The diversity of diseases and ages of patients in family medicine is greatly appealing to me.

My communication skills, attentiveness to details, sensitivity to psychosocial issues, and interest in a wide range of people make me uniquely qualified to pursue Family Medicine. My organizational skills allow me to communicate well, being complete and yet concise, thorough and yet efficient. I am a discerning listener, for my first priority when encountering patients is to hear what they have to say and what they hope to gain from the visit. A willingness to explore psychosocial topics is central to quality primary care, and my background in biopsychosocial human development allows me to have further insight into my patients' concerns. My experience with the elderly, my love of children, and an interest in women's health round out my suitability and help to engage me in multiple aspects of Family Medicine.

In the future, I hope to find a fulfilling and service-oriented vocation while still being able to have a family and continue my involvement in church and volunteer work. My impression is that family medicine residency programs truly care about their residents and faculty as well as their lives outside of medicine. This draws me even more to the specialty. At some point in my life, I would like to practice medicine in an underserved area. My husband is studying to become a United Methodist minister, and we agree that there is a need in rural and small town areas of western North Carolina for both of our professions. family medicine will give me the training and the skills necessary to serve in a small town setting, as a broad knowledge base is indispensable for such work.

Paying attention to a patient's needs, even if those needs are nonmedical, becomes essential for success in family medicine. This was apparent one afternoon when a few minutes of down time turned into an amusing game of checkers and an insightful interaction with an Alzheimer's patient. The experience taught me the value of compassion and helped to refine some of the skills I will use in my future as a family physician. I hope to have the chance to bring my medical skills and my unique personal gifts to your family medicine program; likewise, I feel certain that my choice to pursue this specialty will fulfill me for years to come.

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4. Internal Medicine

It did not take long to choose internal medicine as a career. My first medicine rotation was early in my third year and I was thrilled to be allowed to act as a sub-intern, writing orders and following up on my patients during work rounds. One of my first patients was a 26-year-old man, barely younger than I, who was admitted for fever, weight loss, and cough for several weeks. Each morning I visited him he had a sad, scared look in his eyes, as if he knew something was very wrong, yet felt utterly helpless about it. At times I thought his face was my face, his fear my fear. However as a member of his health care team, there was comfort in helping to orchestrate the diagnosis and treatment of his Hodgkin's Disease. The joy of helping this patient and others reinforced my confidence that internal medicine was the right field for me.

I chose internal medicine because it exemplifies four facets of patient care that I find most appealing: holism, humanity, diversity, and continuity. Taking care of the "whole patient" means not only treating the joint pain, but also addressing the obesity, heartburn and depression, if not in one session then over several visits, and with comprehensive coordination of care. Considering the humanity of each patient means really getting to know them all, discovering what makes them special, and treating each person's care as important as my own.

Being broadly trained in primary care allows the physician to address a variety of problems, leaving the patient feeling well cared for. This diversity also challenges the internist, demanding the integration of disparate data into a coherent picture of a patient's state of health. Internal medicine has been the most intellectually stimulating rotation I experienced. Providing years of compassionate, quality care leads to the rapport and trust that are key in educating and motivating patients to collaborate with their physician in their health care.

Internal medicine provides the continuity necessary to treat acute problems that require knowing the patient well and to treat medical problems that require long-term management or exhibit gradual improvement. There is also a great opportunity to provide preventative care that can mean the difference between a serious future problem or a "cure in advance."

Personal characteristics that will allow me to be a good internist include a passion to care for others, a strong ability to be a team player, and a love of intellectual challenge. Caring and humanism are traditions in my family, from my first generation grandparents who were very active in community service to my parents who were steeped in social work, psychotherapy and religious ministry. Over the years, I've decided that what is most important in life is to contribute my best to society and to individual lives in particular—to truly make a difference. My background in psychology from undergraduate studies gave rise to a deeper understanding of human needs and complexities and strengthened my commitment to work with others to provide hope and relieve suffering. The volunteer work I did in Guatemala and inner cities nurtured my compassion for people with few resources and special needs, as well as the joy of helping.

My desire for intellectual fulfillment led me to gain exposure in basic and clinical research. These experiences taught me a great deal, including attention to detail, careful problem solving, critical thinking, and openness to new ideas. Developing a screening interview for diagnosing patients with dissociative identity disorder at Yale, I learned to listen carefully to patients, with compassion, while picking up on subtle behavioral cues. I spent one year between my second and third year of medical school to pursue research in tumor immunology at the university. This work was fascinating, and piqued my interest in medical immunology. While I decided at the end of that year that what I really wanted to do was treat patients directly, I gained a much deeper appreciation for the importance of evidence-based medicine.

Working collaboratively with others has served as an important skill for me as a healthcare provider. I have developed this skill as a medical editor of the university newspaper, French hornist in the medical school quartet, researcher, and website developer. I have also nurtured my role as community leader through working as a cantor and serving as the treasurer of the university graduate school.

I plan to practice medicine in a primary care setting, with a possible subspecialty in rheumatology. I am also considering as fellowship in medical inxxxxatics. I chose internal medicine because it fits best with who I am, and I am confident I will flourish in this profession and make my best possible contributions to the health of the community in which live. I greatly look forward to internal medicine residency, my next level of medical training.

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5. Internal Medicine

I come from a family who does not have deep roots in education, as neither of my parents graduated from high school. As migrant farm workers, my parents moved to my birthplace in California's Central Valley. From a young age I was driven to achieve success. This motivation was spawned by parental and teacher encouragement, my participation in the GATE (Gifted and Talented Education) Program, my parent's strong work ethic, and my own work experience in a fruit-packing company in the long, hot summer days of the Central Valley. It was during my last few years in high school that I realized my strong interest in science (receiving the highest cumulative annual score in chemistry) and community service (participating in Key Club events that benefited financially burdened families), that directed my college education and ultimately led to my interest in becoming a physician.

As an undergraduate, my interests focused around the fields of science, medicine, Chicano history, and social studies; passions that have continued to this day xxxxing my career goals in internal medicine with interests in helping underserved populations and basic science research. During college, I was particularly interested in the delivery of healthcare to the underserved. This interest fueled my participation in monthly trips to Tijuana, Mexico, to serve the healthcare needs of underserved communities in a free clinic. My observations and experiences through the project helped me decide that improving medical care delivery to populations in need of medical care, within or outside US borders, was going to be a lifelong goal. This passion led to my first international trip to Quezaltenango, Guatemala, where local physicians introduced me to Third World medicine and the poor healthcare conditions of public hospitals in Guatemala. I returned from my trip with a better ability to speak Spanish, a substantially deeper appreciation of the people who endure the conditions there, and a sincere belief that I can make a change in the poor healthcare conditions for Third World communities and recent immigrants to the US.

My passion in this area continued into medical school, where I became a coordinator for a local health fair. This health fair is one of the largest student-run fairs in Urban City and serves one of the poorest areas of the county, primarily populated by recent immigrants from Latin America. My experiences as the leader of more than 200 volunteers who shared my of vision of delivering health care to this underserved community was one of the most influential, satisfying, and inspiring experiences in my life. During my last year as coordinator, the Chicano-Latino Medical Student Association received the American Medical Association Minority Community Service Award and I was awarded the 1997 University Chancellor's Humanitarian Award, a campus-wide award given to three students annually.

In addition to community service, I found myself drawn to basic science research after an engaging lecture in cell cycle proteins during my first semester in medical school. Cancer has always been interesting to me; it is tragically powerful, complex, and affects all age groups. These interests soon motivated me to look further into a possible career in basic science research. Between my second and third years in medical school I received a full-year fellowship through the Department of Medicine to conduct cell cycle research. I found basic science research to emphasize a more independent problem solving process than the first two years of medical school. Working to understand a disease process or a novel interaction between two proteins with the potential to impact patient care is something I found extremely stimulating, challenging, and rewarding.

My clinical rotations have been equally stimulating with new responsibilities, xxxxing trusting patient-physician relationships, and educating patients about disease processes and prevention. I have enjoyed all my clinical rotations though I am drawn toward medicine because of the strong foundation in basic science, valued patient-physician relationships, and the variability of patient issues.

I am looking forward to a career in internal medicine at an academic medical center where I can enjoy basic science endeavors; enjoy communicating and educating medical students, residents, and patients; enjoy the challenge of the diversity of disease processes; and enjoy treating the entire patient. With my passion for improving healthcare delivery to the underserved and a strong foundation in internal medicine, I also am looking forward to working with minority urban populations and Third World communities.

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6. Internal Medicine

Little did I know how one of my weekend excursions last summer would parallel my journey towards a career in internal medicine! The Medical University Alumni Association sponsors several students to work in clinics and hospitals in small, rural towns throughout Mexico. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to immerse myself in Latino tradition and culture while beginning to better understand one of the largest populations I would soon serve as a third year medical student.

My journey started one weekend when my classmates and I went to climb the Paricutin volcano and to visit the only structure remaining in the sea of lava rocks— the old town's cathedral tower. After stumbling through the lava during the beginning of the hike, I finally learned how the different shapes and sizes of rocks underfoot provided varying degrees of stability in different situations. Several hours later, however, the novel sea of lava rocks that lay ahead began to seem endless. I began having doubts about the entire hike and about the route that we were taking. Were we lost? After all, there was no trail for us to follow. Shortly thereafter, though, we passed by a large rock with a white arrow pointing in our direction. Taking that as a sign that we were on the right path, I felt a great sense of relief and a rejuvenating boost of energy. As we neared the foot of the volcano, my excitement turned to anxiety. Having never before stepped foot on a hiking trail, how was I possibly going to climb a volcano? With a significant amount of teamwork and coaching by my classmates, however, all of us reached the top, suffering only a few minor abrasions. From where we were standing, we could see the bed of lava through which we had climbed behind us as well as our final destination in front of us, the tower of the cathedral. The remainder of the hike to the cathedral seemed much easier, given the crash course in lava rock climbing earlier that morning. Sitting under the arch of the tower in the early sunset was phenomenal.

While describing my trip to my grandparents, I was suddenly struck by the similarities between climbing Paricutin and my journey towards a career in internal medicine. College was like climbing through the first sea of lava rocks. I knew the general direction I wanted to pursue but could not see the final destination. I was fascinated by science and decided to try research. Though I was intrigued, it did not offer me the perfect balance between learning about science and using that knowledge to help people.

Although I entered medical school with a better understanding of what I wanted in a career, I was still lost among the lava, trying to learn which rocks were best suited to support my method of climbing. There seemed to be as many directions in medicine as there were rocks. During my third year of medical school, however, I found my rock with the white arrow—my internal medicine rotation. I loved the challenge of deriving a list of differential diagnoses while having the opportunity to understand, educate, and care for diverse individuals. Internal medicine was the one discipline where there was a genuine interest in every aspect of a patient's health as well as an emphasis on disease prevention. "Consult your internist" was used on a daily basis on many other services because they were unable to treat the entire patient.

Though I have now found my volcano, I cannot yet see my cathedral. I have not decided whether I want to specialize or to practice general internal medicine. I also have a strong interest in patient education. One of my most disturbing discoveries over the past year is how little patients know about their own conditions. All patients with a desire to learn more about their illnesses should be provided with the opportunity. Given the success of computer-based interactive learning, creating software to supplement and enhance patient education is another facet of medicine that I want to explore. Taking advantage of the widespread availability of computers and the unlimited possibilities of multimedia computer presentations may revolutionize patient education. Regardless of the path I will ultimately choose, I believe a strong foundation in internal medicine is imperative. Not only will I be able to either serve as a primary care physician or continue to specialize, I will gain a better prospective on what is truly lacking in patient education.

Graduation brings me to the foot of the volcano. I look forward to the challenge and excitement of climbing the volcano of residency with some trepidation and anxious exhilaration. I hope that residency will be filled with the same atmosphere of camaraderie and mutual learning I experienced in Mexico, that the end of residency will reveal a clear view of the tower of the cathedral and that serving patient's will always be as phenomenal as sitting in the tower. Interestingly, I recently learned that some regard Paricutin as one of the Seven Wonders of the World

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