Use the space provided to explain why you want to go to medical school. The available space for your response is 5300 characters, or approximately one full page.
It was a brisk morning in sunny Colorado, and the view from the top of the mountain was spectacular. The fresh, crisp air numbed my cheeks as marmots ran around looking for crumbs that had fallen off energy bars. After a life dominated by open fields of Kansas, I felt beautifully overwhelmed. It was the first mountain I had ever climbed, and was sure not to be my last. The sheer magnitude of nature overtook me, and at that point, as a fifteen year old, I knew that my life would be devoted to the natural world. The path in which nature would lead me, however, was still a mystery.
Back in Kansas, I was involved in Boy Scouts, which intertwined knowledge of nature, leadership, and personal development. Rising from Tenderfoot to Eagle Scout required earning countless merit badges and meeting specific requirements, but the most valuable acquirement was friendship. Joining as an eleven year old, I had to learn to relate to seventeen year olds, and when I was seventeen, treating incoming scouts as equals was my priority. As a scout, there was hiking in Philmont, canoeing in the boundary waters, and camping across the Midwest. The differences in animals, vegetation, and habitats fascinated me. Even at a young age, questions of the physical world were running through my head, longing to be answered. Scouting increased my intuition of how nature worked, and also my desire to understand it.
In high school, deciding on a career was intimidating and confusing. Architecture had always been a serious consideration, as I was often found drafting plans to houses and sports stadiums in my sketchbook. Music was also on my mind, playing cello and singing my entire life made a significant impact on my development. Science, however, did not lose the battle of interests. A field biology course allowed me to understand the ecology of nature, and a course in human anatomy opened my eyes to the intricacy and beauty of the body. My interest in nature led me to biology, but the path I was to take with biology remained uncertain.
While pursuing a biology degree in college, certain classes began to wane my interest in the subject. One such class, which taught the taxonomy and phylogeny of plants and animals, almost made me change my major. I reminded myself that the reason for majoring in biology was not to memorize the taxonomy and phylogeny of flatworms. It was to expand my understanding of the natural world, and specifically the human body. The next year I took Structure and Function of the Human Body, and the class became a turning point in my college career. Joining the cadaver team allowed me to take lab exams that involved problem based learning, a new and exciting experience. Memories of nervously sitting in a hallway full of tense classmates, awaiting a test of unknown length and certain difficulty, still excite me today. Walking into the lower limb test, my first station consisted of a baby doll inverted inside of a female pelvis. The question only required knowledge of the ischial tuberosity, but the format required critical thinking to be answered correctly. I was enthralled with the dissection of cadavers, challenged with difficult exams that required days of studying, and fascinated with every new lecture about body systems. This was the first class in college that made me think, "I could do this for the rest of my life".
Interest in biology has significantly influenced my life, but it is relationships that have driven and supported me. Throughout my life, meeting new people and helping others has become essential. In college, I have formed my closest friends through participation in student groups outside of the classroom. One such group has the motto "Students Helping Students", and I have learned to live that motto throughout college by giving my time to organizations across campus. The last three years of college have given me perspective on how service enriches the lives of others, while enriching my college experience in ways the classroom could not.
When I initially enrolled in biology, declaring pre-medicine seemed sensible, but it was not a heartfelt choice. However, the human body course along with lessons learned through relationships made me realize that medicine was a natural fit between my love of biology and people. Attending the premedical student group, visiting a local medical school, and shadowing local physicians all helped me solidify my decision. The doctors showed me that the patient always comes first, and the care they provided was inspiring. In one such instance, the doctor had to communicate to their patient that smoking was going to kill them. The subject might have been awkward, but the doctor handled it with such dignity and gentleness that the patient fully understood without feeling like they were being reprimanded. To me, the intimate doctor and patient relationship is one of the most appealing aspects of medicine.
Whenever hiking in Colorado, the memory of my first mountain always comes back to me. The significance that ascent has had on my life, through a butterfly effect of sorts, has been amazing. The view from the top of that mountain was spectacular, and I am thankful for the view that it has given the rest of my life.
