一个后辈小姑娘写医学院申请要我看。凡事必须要依靠精英，我只有求助专家了。劳驾各位提供宝贵意见。大恩不言谢。
My family always told me “boys are just better at science”. However this never altered my affinity for science. Science allowed me to understand the world and people around me. For example, science helped me understand why my uncle was addicted to drugs, and how therapy helped him overcome this obstacle. I knew that science would be integral to what I will do for the rest of my life, and I knew it would be used to help others in a meaningful way. Because of my interest with science and how it has helped my family, I am motivated to become a physician to help others.
To me there is no task more meaningful than to provide healthcare, because good health is fundamental to all human activity. In order to contribute to the medical field, I began volunteering as a translator for the Asian Health and Services Center at their annual health fairs. The health center provided free health screenings and referrals to specialists. At these annual health fairs, I learned that many elderly Chinese American immigrants do not go to the doctor because of the language and cultural barrier. Within the Chinese community, one oftentimes does not see a doctor until they have an illness that has become too severe to ignore. Because of the lack of a preventative mindset, when an individual finally sees a doctor they’re often diagnosed with chronic diseases, some of which are incurable. This, in turn, creates a bad image of physicians, and perpetuates the cycle of not seeing a doctor due to the physician being unable to help in some cases. I believe that I can make an impact in the Chinese community, among other ethnic communities, who avoid going to the doctor because of these barriers. Although I may not speak all of the primary languages of all the ethnic communities, I feel that I can better understand their culture and where they’re coming from as it relates to their health because I am also from an ethnic community. My own life experiences will shape my practices as a physician in ways that will create a welcoming, culturally competent environment for patients, especially immigrants, in order to provide the healthcare they need.
Another experience that shaped my desire to become a physician was my volunteer service at the Child Abuse and Evaluation Services (CARES) clinic—a place to evaluate and care for children who are suspected to have experienced sexual or physical abuse. While the children waited to see the doctor, I talked and played with them, and tried to make the visit as comforting as possible, because most of these children have just been through trauma. At CARES, there was a boy I’ll call “Sam” who came during the times I volunteered. Although Sam and I were familiar with each other, he would always claim that his bruises were accidents and not a result of someone hurting him when I asked him.
My experience at CARES piqued my interest in how physicians were helping children like Sam. Hence, I shadowed a physician at CARES to see it for myself. I found that physicians not only provided medical care and treatment, but also empathized with and empowered these children during times of great distress. By showing compassion, physicians at CARES are often able to determine important information about a patient’s abuse. This then allows a physician to chose better treatments. My experience at CARES showed me that the best healthcare not only includes treatment of physical symptoms, but also includes humanistic aspects. Like these doctors, I am motivated to incorporate humanistic components into treatment for my patients.
Overall, I chose medical school because I believe that there is no task more meaningful than to provide healthcare. My experience at CARES inspired me to become a physician who goes beyond simply helping individuals recover physically. I believe that by using my bicultural background and by showing compassion, I can encourage Chinese immigrants to access preventative healthcare before serious issues arise. The future of the U.S.—and its medical system—is increasingly multi-ethnic and cross-cultural. I believed that I am qualified, by both my life experiences and my liberal arts education[LY1] , to take a leadership role in practicing the kind of inclusive medicine we need in this cultural context. I intend to pursue medical school because I wish to serve as an advocate for vulnerable groups by helping them recover both physically and mentally. As a result, I will contribute to the needs of my patients and to the community as a whole.
[LY1]I have taken “race and ethnicity”, “biomedical ethics”, and “cultural anthropology”. Should I mention these courses here?
