Like other medical professionals, my major priority is to bring relief to those suffering from one or more of the health issues but I envision an enlarged role for myself as a medical professional. My goals also include raising health standards among less privileged members of the society as well as playing the role of an educator in order to influence people to adopt healthier lifestyle. Healthcare costs continue to rise and financial resources are necessary for access to the best healthcare services. But I see healthcare as a basic right and believe everyone should have access to the best healthcare services irrespective of their economic and/or social background. This is why I have decided to especially focus on less privileged members of the society.
While technical expertise is important, success also demands certain set of soft skills and/or traits. One of my personal attributes that will be an asset in the medical field is commitment to learning. I am continuously seeking formal and informal learning opportunities to improve myself and I believe the need for continuous learning will only increase over time due to rapid pace of progress in the medical field. Continuous learning is also important because every patient deserves nothing but the best care from his/her physician. Another attribute that qualify me to become a physician is my strong cross-cultural and social skills. I have travelled extensively and in addition, I have also interacted with a wide range of patient groups through my work experiences at both profit and nonprofit organizations. One of my major attributes that will be an asset as a physician is positive attitude towards change. I see change as an opportunity to learn more and become better rather than as a threat. I have always embraced challenges no matter how intimidating they might have seemed at first such as working in the field with limited resources as opposed to more comfortable environments like a hospital setting.
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"Self-Expectation Essays: Medical Career Expectations".
I have no doubt I will successfully meet the technical standards of the university both under the pressures of life on a Caribbean island as well as in an environment with different cultural and logistical elements. First of all, I have always done well in science courses whether in high school or college. One of the reasons I am a quick learner in both academic and work environments is that not only science courses are perfect fit to my interests but also to my skills and strengths. Second, it will not be my first experience working in an environment with vastly different culture and very limited resources. In addition to working with nonprofit organizations in the U.S., I have taken international trips to countries such as Spain, Italy, and France with the nonprofit organization People to People. I adopt anthropological attitude towards other cultures which means I don’t judge them but instead respect them and strive to learn as much as possible about them. Being a native of New York has also been instrumental in my strong cross-cultural skills because here I have always been surrounded by friends and people from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds. I should also be comfortable working with limited resources because I have already experienced efficient management of limited resources through working with organizations like People to People and Hudson Valley Hospital.
While technical expertise is important, certain nontechnical skills and values are also essential in helping the physicians provide optimal care to their patients. First of all, physician should be passionate about helping people. Unless he possesses the real spirit of the profession, he won’t last long in the field or won’t invest the required time and efforts in improving his craft. Second, a physician should be able to put himself in others’ shoes. A physician interacts with patients with diverse ethnic, cultural, economic, and social backgrounds and in addition, patients have their unique personalities. Unless a physician is emotionally and mentally strong, the demands of the job would soon wear him out. A physician should also have the desire to continually improve his craft so that he can provide the care his patients deserve.
Fortunately, I have acquired these skills and values through a diverse range of work experiences including my work with Hudson Valley Hospital and nonprofit organization People to People. Some of the patients I have worked with include cancer patients, individuals from impoverished backgrounds both in U.S. and abroad, children, and elderly patients. My most recent internship was as an assistant to an orthopedic surgeon.
