Joint Medical Program - Essay Example

Joint Medical ProgramThe UCB-UCSF Joint Medical Program (MS/MD) combines the resources of two major campuses to allow more extended, individualized studies, completion of an in-depth research project, and writing of a Master’s Thesis summarizing that research. Given the mission of the JMP as described on the website at http://jmp.berkeley.edu, prepare an essay describing how your specific educational goals would be met by participating in this program, and what topic or question you might address in the research portion of your three JMP years.

500 words or lessI am elated to know that the Joint Medical Program is offers a more broad, encompassing approach to medical education, by being a venue for thorough exposure to interdisciplinary perspectives. I personally uphold the institution’s belief of “training[ing] physician-leaders in the human, sociocultural and bioethical contexts of health and disease.” This suggests holistic development for students like me who intend to become ethical, value-driven, and compassionate medical practitioners in the future.

This desire to develop medical student holistically is likewise reflected in their approach to clinical assessment, where the student is expected not only to evaluate the patient’s clinical symptoms, but those in the other facets as well, including cognitive, emotional, and social functioning. In effect, the student is not only constrained to being empirical and research driven, but considers the “whole” person in his diagnosis and treatment. At the end of the day, my ultimate objective in pursuing a career in medicine is to be able to extend selfless service to the less fortunate, with whom I have been exposed to early on.

I can empathize with their suffering and their communities’ dire need for medical attention. Another feature that is worth noting is its Contextually Integrated Case-Based Curriculum. I appreciate the use of “case-based problem oriented learning…that contextualizes and fully integrates the basic, clinical, and social sciences.” This program again demonstrates the holistic approach of JMP to developing medical students. They have also reviewed and undertaken scheduling changes to enhance the teaching of research skills, and allow the students sufficient time to work on their Masters theses.

This is ideal in helping medical students like me to manage their time effectively. Moreover, the use of the more novel and perhaps more effective case-centered, small group tutorial model would allow more collaboration and interaction among class members. I also appreciate the supervision and mentoring of expert tutors – this more personalized approach will promote retention of concepts, and encourage greater individual involvement. I have also discovered that the institution puts due emphasis on geriatric medicine, and includes endocrinologic diseases as one of its focus areas.

This disease is of particular interest to me because I have Latino roots, and our community is typically plagued by this disease. I have witnessed my own family members’ misery because of the effects of this debilitating disease. The program would be able to sustain my interest in carrying out diabetes research, which I intend to pursue as a topic for my Master’s thesis. Offhand, I would want to do the following research: “The impact of diabetes: a health disparity among the Latino community.

” In doing so, I am hopeful that the findings of medical research will help find a viable solution for its treatment and management.