As professionals climb up their way to success, a wide gap is created between them and the larger part of the society who benefits most from their expertise. As more professionals reach higher qualifications by specializing in their own fields, these pedigreed members of the society command exorbitant salaries, and thus, the average and the less fortunate service buyers became alienated from the much needed expert services. Medicine is one such field, and the irony is most aspiring students build their dream upon a noble cause of service the less privileged and the needy. Whatever happened to the Hippocratic Oath today is a mysterious phenomenon that ethics should investigate. My intent in starting this journey to the medical field is founded on two things – mastery of the medical sciences and dedication of my acquired skills to those left out by the current practice.
I grew up in Mexico with a brother and a hardworking single mother. Early on, I appreciate the true value of education, and that opportunities for those left out in the race is narrow. I see this social picture is being faced my many people in Mexico, and possibly the rest of the United States. Our life went on by making the most of what is available because we were not socially affluent enough to launch a platform of success from what we had. After high school, the thought of migrating to the United States haunted me, and this is the easiest yet most difficult decision I have in my whole life. I know that the best opportunity and quality of life is waiting for me in the land many dreamed to step on, but my attachment to the family, friends and the unique culture back home pulled me on the other end. Nevertheless, I took the leap to follow my dreams, and I don’t regret it.
Four year had passed and the change in my life began an irreversible trend leading to what I earlier planned. My dream of practicing medicine born to me slowly began to take concrete shape. I was fortunate to special access to friends and family in Mexico who are involved in medical practice, and this meant opportunity to volunteer in some positions that allowed me to test my interest in the field. During my high school days, I spent holidays and summer vacations in emergency rooms and operating rooms of our local hospital. My enthusiasm and sense of comfort was noticed by others, and soon my reputation grew up and was treated like a medical student. They allowed me to assist with sutures, x-rays, and other medical procedures involving patients. I am thrilled by this experience which somehow made me secure of the path I have chosen for my future.
I did not mind language and cultural barriers as a new immigrant, having been in the honor roll after admission to a community college in New York. The vow I made to reach out the least fortunate remained alive, and I found myself in the board of directors of a prominent community service organization. Despite hectic time limitations, I use my time outside of studies to community service: residential care centers, beach clean-up, troubled adolescents and orchestration of alcohol awareness week in my campus.
I am proud to have stayed in the roll of excellent students. While qualifying for the University Honors Program, I also served as a Vice-President of the American Medical Association’s student chapter. This initial success is my passport to enter special graduate level courses, which gave me a wonderful insight in shaping my future interests. I have been conducting a research work, as part of my honors thesis, with three prominent Cardiologists and the ________ Cancer Center. My part is focused on transnational studies along the line of engineering new and more effective cancer drugs.
I have to work full time to fund my four years in college and my living expenses since my family is unable to support me. But financial deficiency turned into a tremendous opportunity to spend those paid working hours with medical professionals. At the ______________ Medical Center, I was admitted as a laboratory technician in the Oncology Department. My experience there taught me that a physician would be doing great if the staff providing support are also doing good, and that given the hierarchical structure and politics in the medical world, there is no substitute to a good team to provide the best care possible to a patient.
I have given enough sacrifice to achieve academically while pursuing the career of my life – which is to be a future physician-scientist here in America. My passion for research has driven me fascinated to the study of genetic engineering. But what keeps me inspired is that obligation I volunteered to take on to share my ability for the benefit of everyone in the society, most especially the underprivileged segment where I belong.
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Everyone who grew up in a family of “well-respected” professionals must have felt the pressure of pursuing an ambition. Although it is an unspoken command, my parent’s plan for us, their children, always included going to college and beyond. They have raised us in a way that possessing the intellect and the motivation to excel is almost a given assumption. They have always hoped that all of us will play a vital role of making the world a better place one day. It was not easy for me to choose a career with such high expectations placed on my shoulders. In searching for the possibilities of maximizing my interests and capabilities, I found medicine to be the area that I could make some contributions in the future.
My work as a Certified Lifeguard and a swimming instructor brought me close to children. I found children fascinating while I teach them to swim, respect pool safety and administer CPR in various summer camps. They are always enthusiastic to learn new things, fearless in their quest to pursue what they wish. This job taught me not just the essentials of community service, but gave me the opportunity to pass on what I know to children. This is an immensely satisfying experience.
My pre-med study was inspired by the kind of patience and affability I employed when teaching children. Having been a research assistant in a microbiology lab before I focused to study medicine, I have seen a bright picture of contributing to a scientific discovery as a result of my patience working on a microscope. This dream catalyzed my decision to choose medicine early on. As a participant in the Pre-Med Shared Interest Housing program of my university, I was actively engaged in collaborative team projects. I got involved in projects to vocalize student’s needs and concerns on and off campus, as well as tutoring my fellow pre-med students.
The attrition rate for pre-medical and medical students is relatively high, and maintaining the student’s level of commitment is our battle cry. Collective community and academic projects proved to be working to address this problem. My experience in my first Organic Chemistry class is unforgettable. Having discovered that the subject is something that is way over my head, I dedicated much of my free time to study, take tutoring sessions, organized study groups and made close contact with my professor. It paid off well as I eventually earned a top spot in terms of grades in class. This has showed me how ardent work ethic can be formed.
The search for a rare internship program also helped me learn more lessons in work ethics. After deciding to take Osteopathy as my area of study, I took enough zeal and courage to apply for some kind of a “shadow” internship among Osteopathy doctors within the locality. I was forced to do this because there is no organization within my university that caters to this program. I was lucky, and now I am just glad that my current internship has fleshed out a deeper understanding of the medical profession.
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There is no established convention that judges what a good personal statement is. What matters really is achieving a quality written personal statement that would convince the people behind the selection process that you are the right one.
Following are top 5 tips to achieve the “quality” desired:
1.Make an attractive and coherent structure. Even if in the future a computer will be programmed to read admission essays, coherence would still matter. Without a logical order, even a machine will end up confused. But the fact is humans read and evaluate admission essays. Just imagine how many applicants are there, say hundreds, the person doing the job must be attracted to a personal statement written in a brief and concise manner. Put some logic in your structure, and better be brief than end up being misunderstood.
2.Choose a focus relevant to you and the school. A personal statement writer need not labor putting all the best things about him/her. Here, a prior knowledge about the core values and philosophy of the school an applicant wishes to enter is of big help. Focus on the things about you that would convince the evaluators that you are the right person to be admitted. Do not try to be funny or force humor in your essay. It will not add any value to attain your objective.
3.Make a good transition. An essay that is “all over the place” would reflect an unsavory personality. The most difficult task for a reader is getting across several paragraphs that would take time to understand how these are connected. Use appropriate transition phrases and clauses to give hint to the reader that another idea is being introduced. Logical sequencing, like “general to specific” and “specific to general” approaches, is helpful in managing transition of ideas. Showing a chronological flow is also a good way to make transitions orderly.
4.Give examples. Do not just tell, much more brag, about your competencies. It pays a lot better to show what you’ve got by giving concrete examples of accomplishments or achievements in the field one wishes to enter. A brief description of your relevant high school awards or how well have you managed to solve a related problem would help the evaluator understand better what you can do.
5.Be mindful of correct grammar and syntax. It would be embarrassing to be telling a lot about one’s outstanding achievements in a badly written essay. Correct grammar reflects how diligent you are. Correct usage of language signifies a quality possessed by a highly competent future professional. But it does not mean, however, that your essay would look more like a term paper than a personal statement. We can always write in a not-so-formal fashion yet grammar and correct usage is not compromised.
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The most important thing to guard against when writing a personal statement is unwittingly revealing information that would likely be used as a basis not to admit you.
Here are the things one must not forget to put in a personal statement:
1.Answers to all questions asked. Keep in mind admission administrators would want to see specific information related to the particular program being applied for. This is shown by the difference in the questions asked in varied programs, so if you are applying for more than one, you would need to prepare a separate personal for the other program. Adapt your essay to the set of questions asked in the program applied for. Do not force to answer different sets of question with the same essay.
2.Positive traits, but do not lie on your weaknesses. As much as possible, list all related traits and qualities that you possess and try to coherently elaborate how these will help you in the future. Do not hide if there is a weakness in your application. Be honest to admit it but point how these will be prevailed over by your other positive traits. You may also point out that such inadequacy is only temporary.
3.A thesis about yourself. All the information put into your personal should support the thesis floated about you. It must weave a picture that shows who you are, a person who will survive the academic program applied for.
4.Your goals. Do not forget that sharing your goals will indicate your serious desire to be admitted in the program you have applied for.
And here are things that should never be put in a personal statement:
1.Academic discussions. You are not yet admitted in the academic program, so do not indulge in academic discussion at this stage.
2.Empty, overused and vague words (e.g., beautiful, rewarding, meaningful, invaluable, etc.)
3.Minor or not-so-important points about you. Be sure to place only the relevant ones. The person in charge of admission has many things to read.
4.Humor. Do not try to be funny; it does not work in this case.
5.Things about politics, religion and your personal emotions. Such things are not within the ambit of the selection criteria. Politics and religions are subjects of human freedom, and one should avoid such discussions as it may impair the freedom of other.
6.“I’ve always wanted to be…” is a big no-no. It is obvious that you are a wannabe doctor, lawyer, etc. because you are applying for admission.
7.Sales pitch. You should not use gimmicks to promote yourself like someone involved in sales.
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A personal statement is written to respond to questions related to an application form which is usually a requirement of a professional or graduate school. It is sometimes called an application essay or a purpose statement. In essence, they are essays written by a student seeking a university degree like medicine or law.
Universities have varied application forms, but generally a personal statement is required as an integral part of a set of documents needed in processing an admission to a school. In terms of length, there is no standard number of words established as a convention. The length totally depends of the number of questions asked to be answered in an essay format.
Primarily, a personal statement serves as a tool to study the background and personality of a student applicant. These are read by professors assigned to screen students vying for an admission to a specific field of professional or advance studies. In writing one, the student must bear in mind that competition is stiff. As such, preparations and a serious review of examples, which are widely available in the Internet, must be carried out.
A personal statement deals more on the autobiography of the applicant than impressing the reader about specific academic or scientific issues. Showing the applicant’s proficiency and competence in the field chosen must come together with the introduction of one’s self and answering the questions asked. Since it satisfies the question “Why should we choose you?” the essay should try to elaborate a personal purpose behind the application for admission. One must focus on a personal vision and mission related to the chosen field which is sought for. Showing one’s uniqueness works effectively during selection processes.
It pays to spend time to research on the background of the school where an applicant wishes to be admitted. This helps the applicant to focus and explain in greater detail about his/her character and personal attributes conforming to the schools vision, mission, values and goals. A personal statement would help the selection process assess who among the applicants possess the qualities that fits best given the school’s philosophy.
Without overly emphasizing, a personal statement writer tries to convince the people administering the selection process that he or she “belongs” and would be a productive “citizen” of the school or university’s community. The applicant must choose carefully what credentials and abilities to highlight so that it fits the preference of the school. So do not aim for a very long personal statement that tries to put in all the good things about you. What is important is to show that you will make good as a student and passing all the academic requirements to complete the course would not be a problem.
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Ceasing to change our views, hopes, dreams and aspirations will definitely close the door to progress. Opening our senses to the challenge of continuity is essential to develop the ability to improve ourselves. When we lost the will to embrace new experiences, we have built a giant wall around our own personal ambitions, emotionally and intellectually. I have been formed around a broad background in finance, which is enough to propel me to a successful career platform. But I still can see another window from my own potential; and the study and practice of medicine appeal to me as some potential offering greater challenges and rewards, far beyond my current experiences. Ahead of me is a frontier of opportunity that is completely different from the path I have trod, and the fingerprints I have left shows that what I have chosen was never been thought to be possible.
I have always been thinking of doing something else other than my parent’s job, since they are both doctors. In a fit of adolescent rebellion, I was swearing before that I would take a completely different path, and I tried devising ways to excel in other fields entirely different from my parents. I have been proud of them and what they have accomplished, but the eagerness to shape a world for myself prevailed over me for a time. We left Thailand, my birthplace, when I was three years old – a decision my parents chose to widen the chances of earning more to provide for my siblings and I. But they would still send me to Phuket every summer, and as a youth, that served as a constant reminder to value my roots. It made me appreciate the advantage of not being too comfortable living in a single routine.
I have been engaged as an intern to a number of medical practices during my high school. But my academic interest did not bloom until I entered college, where I chose to major in business and economics. I took my studies with the usual great intensity that I commit in every endeavor I faced, and that allowed me to finish my degree in less than the typical four years. Of course, my life has been active and well-rounded as I got involved in academic clubs, yet a string of scholastic honors landed on me. I am good at numbers and financial analysis, and I have entertained the idea of spending the future in a business.
After graduation, I immediately took a job as an equities trade in a middle-sized firm engaged in financial services. I stayed their for five years, and later took a post as a financial consulting associate and eventually got promoted as a senior sales and marketing associate in the New York office of the company. Recently, I worked with Merrill Lynch where I was promoted as vice-president of the investment banking division. Given my experiences, I know I’ve got a promising future in the financial industry. But for each day that I wake up, I’ve always felt the craving for something more profound that my present personal life.
I am no stranger to the lows and highs of the medical profession, and this I learned and experienced being someone flanked by my parent doctors and a brother who is also in a medical school. It is not all altruistic glory or scientific innovation that made me shift focus to medicine, but I could say it is a gentle blend of both. Unlike in finance, medical practice allows its practitioners to touch and change permanently the landscape of people’s lives. I saw this as a foreboding challenge more as an opportunity than as an obstacle.
My genuine affection to fulfill a community obligation drove me change my career focus to take such a daring career shift. I have volunteered at soup kitchens, nursing homes and hospitals from high school to college. I also did tutoring for inner city children, and as a professional, I got involved in building homes for underprivileged communities. No doubt, shifting a career to a rigorous one such as medicine has grave consequences and challenges. But I know the rewards will be commensurate to all the time I invested and the endeavors I sacrificed. From now on, I will look forward to face more dramatic and irreversible changes that come my way.
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Duke University Medical School is a class of its own with specialization in both basic and clinical sciences. This medical school aims at quality patient care with great outputs through relevant and upgraded education and research. The school of repute believes in balanced and structured distribution of medical knowledge with scientific approach. The fact that the school is flooded with thousands of admission applications every year speaks volumes about its quality and strengths.
History of Duke University Medical School
From tobacco and textile to human health services – that’s the best way to explain the trajectory of Duke University Medical School. The history of this well known medical school stands and rotates around one person – James Buchanan Duke. In 1924, he transformed the Trinity College into Duke University with a focus on medical sciences. He took it as a social responsibility to bring better health care services to the poor Carolina regions. And by 1930, Duke University Medical School got accreditation from the American Medical Association to get into the chart of top medical schools in America.
Achievements, Famous Alumni of Duke University Medical School
Awards follow quality. This is true for Duke University Medical School. U.S.News & World Report has listed this medical school as one of the 10 best hospitals in US, in 2008. The school has also been the recipient of Health Care Hero Award for quality health care for the Triangle Community in 2008. This institution has also been honored by other awards like Consumer Choice award for providing quality health care etc.
Duke University Medical School shines brighter with a glowing list of successful alumni. Thirty-seventh President of the United States, Richard Nixon, received his graduate degree from this medical school. Ron Paul also attended this school. There are many more that have associated milestone developments in medical sciences with Duke University Medical School.
Admission Procedures in Duke University Medical School
It had been the endeavor of Duke University Medical School to make its admission process simpler. If you have good academics and high MCAT scores, then the process is just a matter of time. Remember taking the test is mandatory. Align the timing of the test with your filing application with the admission essay carefully. The school accepts only AMCAS verified applications to maintain it high standards and quality.
Writing your personal statement for medical school
The uphill task of getting into a premiere institution like Duke University Medical School becomes easy with a little bit of effort and proper planning. Prepare yourself with the aid of impressive AMCAS essay and check out a sample personal statement for medical school to fill up the application form in the right manner. Your personal statement should be able to show a side of you that the admission board won’t be able to see through your grades or MCAT scores. A personal statement for medical school or the AMCAS essay is a venue for you to prove the school admission board why you deserve a slot at their school. When writing a personal statement for medical school, make sure that you discuss your ideas clearly and concisely. Through a personal statement for medical school, the admission board has the chance to get to know you and your goals as a future doctor.
A well-written personal statement for medical should be free of grammatical errors. A personal statement for medical school should also have a catchy introduction to hook the readers. To make your personal statement for medical school unique, discuss experiences that have shaped you and motivated you to study medicine. A personal statement for medical school should focus only on important experiences; discussing too many topics might make your personal statement for medical school a confusing essay. For ideas on your personal statement for medical school, look for sample essays online. Because a personal statement for medical school may make or break your application in some cases, make sure that you prepare for your personal statement for medical school. It may take you weeks or months to perfect your personal statement or admission essay but it’s all worth it once you get admitted to your dream medical school.
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