Pediatrics Residency Program Application - Personal Statement Example

A part of what makes the art of medicine both exciting and intimidating is the decisions doctors have to make to save lives. I am proud to say that Ihave been practicing my own decision-making even before I entered med school, as where I am now in the field of medicine is a fruit of critical decisions that, looking back, I am glad to make. Admittedly, I did not know at first that I wanted to be a physician, but my parent’s and godfather’s roles in healthcare practice were a constant reminder of how the profession, although demanding, is rewarding; that although I saw that my father provided patient care at times without return, I realized, through my godfather, that physicians gain respect and trust of an entire community.

Despite being surrounded with role models while growing up, I put off the decision of getting into the practice of medicine twice, first after high school, when I chose to get a degree instead of going straight into medical school, and second when I decided to work as a clinical assistant right after getting my college degree. I wanted to know for sure that I am getting into this profession not because my family wanted it but because I wanted it for myself.After working as a clinical assistant, the realization that medical procedures, even as simple as monitoring the vital signs of patients, are all essential in improving the qualities of lives of the patients has lead me to realize the drive in me to be directly responsible for the betterment of people’s lives.

I enrolled at the Universidad Autonoma de Guandalajara in Mexico, where I got the honor of seeing real patients even on our first year. Aside from exposure, the school has motivated us with increasing roles in patient care as we work our way through the internship year. It was indeed a good preparation for me, as I was named as the Most Outstanding Intern of my internship class. Soon after, my merits as an astute clinician was put to the test, especially when I did social work and had to be solely responsible for the health of a community within a 30-mile radius.

After seeing countless of patients already, beginning from my work as a clinical assistant to my experience in social service, I feel that my passion is on providing bright futures for children who simply do not deserve the suffering they have to endure because of their illness. And yet, despite the painful innocence, they still give a warm smile enough to say that everything will be all right. Now that I am taking another step towards the advancement of my career as a physician, I believe that a supervised training in the United States will give me the opportunity to meet patients with conditions I have not yet encountered, to work among the best in the field of Pediatrics, and to learn the latest trends in providing the best care to our patients.

In addition, the structured system of education will also allow me to learn as much as I can from my training. In spite of the challenges that will come with being in a new environment, my rich experience with patient care is significant in motivating me to do my best for my patients even at times of adversity. The presence of my parents and godfather provides a constant reminder of primum non nicere and improving the quality of life. As well, being able to work despite meager means in Mexico is significant in developing our clinical eye, diagnosing through history and physical examination alone, with ancillary tests used only to provide supportive data.

In the future, I believe that this opportunity will train me to be a good clinician not only confined within the halls of a hospital but goes out to reach far-flung communities as well. By knowing the latest, I want to work for and contribute to the advancement of providing healthcare in Mexico, and consequently be established as an important part not only of the medical community but of the Mexican community as well. I hope that I have answered whatever questions you had in mind. I would really love to discuss with you the details of my training in your University.