Scholarship / I am a medical student on my way to becoming a physician [2]

Describe which experiences or persons have contributed to your plans to pursue a career in a health-related field. (limit 300)
I really want to make sure I am answering the prompt and not making any silly grammatical errors! Thanks for all the help!

pursuing medicine despite barriers

My grandfather had a passion for medicine, but became a factory worker. My father had a passion for medicine, but became an engineer. I had a passion for medicine, and now I am a medical student on my way to becoming a physician. The difference between our respective outcomes was not intelligence or work ethic, but opportunity. My grandfather grew up in a remote area and in a low-income family. In order to pursue a career in medicine, he would have had to travel far and abandon his family. This was not a feasible endeavor because his family relied on his income. As a result, my grandfather never pursued medicine, but always had aspirations that one of his children would become a doctor. My father shared my grandfather's passion for medicine and with the help of a government scholarship and my grandfather's support, pursued higher education in a nearby city. However, with old age crippling my grandfather's ability to work, coupled with the long and expensive process of becoming a physician, my father abandoned his dreams to support his parents. As an engineer, my father not only cared for my grandparents, but also laid the foundation for my success by encouraging my curiosity in medicine and supporting me financially as best he could.

The struggles overcome by my family members were stepping-stones for me, and I stand on their shoulders as I venture into medicine. I recognize the countless hurdles that still bar many individuals from pursuing medicine because such barriers are a part of my family history. Through programs like the National Student Leadership Conference on Medicine and Healthcare and TuMedPals, I have taken an active role in mentoring students interested in medicine. I hope I too can be a stepping-stone for others to pursue their dreams in healthcare.

Scholarship / Prompt by scholarship committee about my goals for the future [2]

Briefly describe your short-term and long-term goals related to your career (limit 300)

My research goals - the foundation for my urology career

Over the course of my first year in medical school, I have learned a great deal about the various fields within medicine. However, the field of urology in particular, has really fascinated me. With its advanced robotic procedures and unique pathology, urology is a field that offers physicians the chance to be at the forefront of medical innovation, while also helping patients deal with complex problems like prostate cancer and more sensitive issues like male infertility. Collectively, experiences like shadowing urologists and working on urology projects, have guided me to a career in urology. Specifically, as someone with an interest in sexual health (SH), I hope to pursue a fellowship in Andrology and eventually work in an academic hospital where I can practice urology, conduct research, and teach students. In order to achieve my end goal of becoming an academic urologist, I have short-term goals, which will help me to continue to explore the field and refine my abilities as a clinician, researcher, and SH education advocate. Currently, as a leader for a men's clinic, I have been working on developing a SH questionnaire, which will help medical students take more thorough sexual histories, so that they can provide effective SH interventions. Through the process of setting up this initiative, I also realized how little SH education the medical school curriculum emphasizes. To combat this, I have been working on a SH elective course that will bring in a variety of SH professionals, who will speak about topics ranging from STIs to working with the LGBTQA community. Finally, I am also researching the genetic mechanisms underlying prostate cancer and novel ways to treat erectile dysfunction, so that I better understand these conditions and the scientific method. My research goals, like my clinical and SH education goals, will be the foundation for my urology career.