My life experiences have prepared me for a career in family medicine. I find such a field to require genuine interest, dedication, and the ability to communicate and relate to patients of all age groups. Upon entering medical school, interested in skin conditions, I assumed that dermatology was the field for me. I soon discovered, however, that I was interested in treating the whole person, and that I wanted a career that treats the entire body, mind, and spirit.
Working with patients of diverse ages and backgrounds is essential to my happiness. As a physician, I strive to impact my patients' lives positively. Through volunteering for Hospice during college and medical school, and working in a nursing home in high school, I have enjoyed working with the elderly. In addition, I have spent two years as an elementary school reading tutor and volunteered for a year in the NICU and Children's Medical Center at the University of Florida. Building a rapport with teenagers as a camp counselor has proven both rewarding and insightful. All-encompassing, family medicine allows me the opportunity to work with the pediatric, adult, and geriatric populations. A vast and diverse field, family medicine provokes my interest and will continue to excite me throughout my career.
Numerous life experiences have prepared me for this path. Traveling across the country with 35 teenagers for Big Tours and working as a Resident Assistant in a college dormitory exemplify my ability to work well with others. The oldest of four children, I have taken on the role of responsibility and leadership in my life. On an individual level, I have mentored a young child for the past several years, which has impacted us both greatly. Extracurricular activities have helped to mold me into the person I am today. Outside of medicine, I have experienced whitewater rafting down the Snake River, water skiing on Lake Tahoe, and hiking through Bryce Canyon. I am not only adventurous and easy to get along with, but I am also a dedicated hard worker who thrives on patient care.
Volunteering for several years in a family practice office has given me insight into the successful qualities of a family physician: patience, compassion, and excellent clinical skills. My various work and volunteer experiences have confirmed that family medicine offers everything I want in a career the ability to make a difference in the lives of patients while working in a field that I find exciting, challenging, and rewarding.
My passion for family medicine stems from my desire to practice preventive medicine. The ability to retard or prevent the manifestations of disease inspires me. I intend to focus my future practice on this concept. Emphasis on treating the entire patient as a whole is also important to me. This holistic philosophy is essential to building strong relationships with patients. I want to become the best physician I can be for my patients, a good listener, an excellent diagnostician, and a loyal confidant. To achieve these goals, I have high expectations for my residency program. To develop the clinical skills essential to becoming an excellent family physician, I must train at an institution dedicated to academic excellence and superior patient care. A solid educational setting combined with my desire to succeed will mold me into a well-trained physician. In the future, I desire to work in a clinical environment with an academic affiliation, which allows me the opportunity to teach what I have been taught to others. Many experiences in my life have helped me decide, unequivocally, that the field of family medicine is the path for me. My desire to treat and heal patients’ medical and social troubles drives me to become a successful physician. I look forward to the future with excitement and optimism as I enter the field of family medicine.