Undergraduate / "Rachel's Challenge" - Common App: significant experience, achievement, risk... [3]

This essay is not my personal essay, but I am sending it to Stony Brook as an essay for admission into the Scholars for Medicine/Honors College program.

Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.

"I Accept Rachel's Challenge". The short sentence was spread across a large white banner at the main entrance of my local high school. I gazed at the small and seemingly-miniscule sentence and noted that the simple phrase has so much more meaning and significance than many young people my age would perceive.

Of all the events I have experienced in my life, one that has had a big impact on me was a presentation at my high school regarding Rachel's Challenge. During the presentation, Rachel Scott's sister Dana described her sister's immense influence on young people across the nation after Rachel's death at the Columbine shooting several years ago. Rachel promoted kindness and compassion unlike any other; her message spoke to me individually and moved my conscience. Although I have always been an advocate for benevolence and respect to all, Rachel's Challenge has truly shown me the importance of showing compassion and love to every individual regardless of appearance, ethnicity, or creed. The good deeds of a single person can create a "chain reaction" and exceed the expectations of the human mind. The presentation has empowered me to show kindness to all and be of service in my community through the Friends of Rachel Club.

The death of Rachel Scott at Columbine disturbed the entire nation. Moreover, the thought of such an act disturbs my conscience whenever it reaches my thoughts. Rachel's Challenge has prompted me to rethink my code of ethics and align it to that of Rachel's. Many young people today disregard kindness and humility; they associate it with weakness and gullibility. I choose to be humble and embrace Rachel's Challenge for the same reason as Rachel Scott to embrace it: I want to start a chain reaction.

Please give comments, criticism, advice, corrections, etc. Thanks!

Undergraduate / Paint a verbal portrait of an ideal physician... [4]

Paint a verbal portrait of an ideal physician and tell us about the experiences that you have had which have helped to shape this ideal.

Prior to the seventh grade, I had never experienced any serious injury in which I was in need of a doctor. However, one experience showed me the manner of a true physician.

When I was 11 years old, I obtained a foot injury while I was in school. Sharp spasms of pain shot through my foot and ankle after my foot slipped down the long staircase. Since walking became a challenge, I was wheeled over to the school's main office and was sent to a local hospital. When I arrived there, a radiologist took several x-rays of my foot. I was later seen by a doctor who handled my injured foot with meticulous care and carefully examined my x-ray photos with astounding precision. The small fracture in the tarsal of my right foot was so tiny that it seemed almost invisible to my untrained eyes. However, the doctor pinpointed the fracture as if it were clearly marked. The doctors who cared for me showed that their sole concern was to tend my injury and make sure that I received proper medical attention.

My experience with my foot injury has helped shape my ideal of a model doctor. An ideal physician is compassionate and would express selflessness to all of his patients. Although he may be fatigued or concerned with other matters, the wellbeing of his patients should be his primary goal while in the workplace. A physician must also be optimistic, but he must always tell the whole truth regarding any situation. His sole purpose while on the job is to care for and help patient I have been cared for by many doctors and hospital staff members that have some of these ideal qualities. Their benevolence and altruism is the reason that I am here today.

This essay is required for entry into the Scholars for Medicine program at Stony Brook University. Please give advice, comments, corrections, etc. Thank you very much!

Undergraduate / Macaulay Honors College-Discuss some issue of importance... [3]

Discuss some issue of local, national, or international concern and its importance on you.

(no more than 500 words)

A prevalent issue of national concern that affects me is national health care. As an individual born with health problems, I understand that the medical care that I received has given me a chance to live a healthy lifestyle. The issue of health care, along with my own experiences, has greatly affected me in my decision to become a physician.

On July 3rd, 1992, I was born as a premature infant. My arrival was at Beth Israel Medical Center in Manhattan, and my birth weight was only about two pounds. Immediately after birth, I was placed into a small incubator which was designed to aid my poorly-formed respiratory system in breathing in the neo-natal unit. The fact that I was so small, fragile and helpless amazes me; I was small enough to fit in the palm of my mother's hand; my frequent cries were inaudible. I firmly believe that I am here today because of the valiant deeds and heroism of the doctors and hospital staff that cared for me. The subject of health care is consequential because all human beings deserve the right to live even if they have or have had health issues. My conviction is that proper health care is important in the saving of lives; it impacts us all.

Although I had never suffered from immediate complications at birth other than respiratory problems, my days of decent health were numbered. When I was a toddler, my tonsils began to swell up; they became very swollen, to a point that made it difficult for me to swallow solid food. Also, my tonsillitis made breathing difficult while I was asleep, which brought much worry to my parents. Soon I was sent to a doctor who ordered emergency surgery to remove the swollen glands. The operation was a complete success: I was able to eat solid food again and I was breathing much easier.

My recent visit to the neo-natal care unit at a hospital gave me a broader view of the health challenges that premature infants have to face and the importance of proper health care. When I saw the vast amount of medical equipment that facilitated their development and the meticulous treatment that they received, I was amazed at the amount of care that each child received. Health care does not only save lives, but it gives us all the chance to live lives that are joyful and fulfilling.

The issue of health care has greatly affected my view of the world. It has given me the zeal and desire to become a doctor in the near future. I want to become a physician to help individuals in need of medical attention and provide the medical care in which they need to live at their prime. My experiences as a young and sickly child have shaped my decision to become a doctor. The optimal care that I received as an infant showed me that caring for one's health can truly make a difference for a lifetime.