When I think about my future career in healthcare, I am always reminded of how badly I wanted the doctor kit for my American Girl doll when I was around 6 years old. I never got the kit because I didn’t want to ask for it knowing how expensive it was; instead, I would create casts for my doll's broken limbs out of elastic book covers and tape.
Although very innovative, even at a very young age, I was attracted to the idea of helping people. My family instilled in me the importance of challenging myself and being involved in all avenues of life. My parents dedicated more than a decade of their life to ensuring that my grandfather lived a happy, comfortable life well into his nineties. My sister serves our community and family through her service as an EMT. Through example and upbringing, I adopted the values that my family cherishes: dedication to serving others and emphasis on the importance of education.
My life has been patterned accordingly. Academically, I enrolled in honors classes as an undergrad. My keen interest in the sciences led me to choose a challenging major in Biochemistry where I passionately immersed myself into everything that the department had to offer. I began seeking practical experiences within the field early on by getting involved in several different research teams and working on several different research opportunities. One of the more impactful research experiences was the undergraduate research I conducted at Auburn University during the summer of my sophomore year. Working under the guidance of graduate students and their supervisors, we studied and kinetically analyzed the hydrogen peroxide decomposition of several different anti-oxidative stress molecules. The ultimate goal of this research was to successfully synthesize an anti-oxidative stress molecule that could be used as a contrast agent during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to aid in developing more advanced diagnoses and improved treatment options. As a part of my independent study, I synthesized and analyzed MnH4qtp2, one of the anti-oxidative stress molecules we were studying, via UV/Vis spectra. Not only did this opportunity allow me to experience and understand the patience, diligence, and awareness that is integral to the process of research, but it also enabled me to experience firsthand how researchers can employ science in efforts to study and advance clinical problems
My interest evolved into the interpersonal aspects of medicine as I progressed in experiences and maturity, and this interest became the core of what drew me to a career in healthcare. Since my involvement in research, I have had direct healthcare-related experience. Working as a medical assistant became my first dose of authentic patient interaction. Being a medical assistant exposed me to a lot of medicine fairly quickly, and it provided many opportunities for me to interact with patients, whether it be taking their vitals, performing procedures such as irrigation or otoacoustic emissions, or prepping patients for procedures to be performed by the physician. In every scenario, patience, compassion, understanding, and providing my patients with comfort were required of me, and I found that these things were something that I was naturally able to provide. I was able to gain profound insight into the healing relationship between a doctor/caregiver and a patient. It was a common theme for patients to enter the office with a somber and irritable attitude. The capacity to personally connect with my patients by radiating a genuine, positive attitude around them had the effect of healing medicine, temporarily transforming them into a hopeful and vibrant state. The interaction with patients that I experienced within this setting was a crucial piece in the puzzle of experiences that led me to pursue a career in healthcare.
My decision to pursue medicine did not come to me in a moment of eye-opening revelation. It came as a result of several personal experiences I’ve had in healthcare over the course of my life. These experiences cultivated my interest to pursue a career that enabled me to provide service to others while challenging and stimulating my curiosity on a daily basis. By being exposed to both the clinical and research aspects of medicine, I understand that working within the lab has a distant approach to its contributions to medicine. I prefer to have the interaction with people that is only experienced within the clinical setting. My ability to empathize and understand others will be a crucial part of providing care to my patients as a future physician. I am eager to continue my journey to becoming a physician serving others, utilizing everything I’ve learned in the process to become the best physician that I can be.