Undergraduate / Tufts Supplement Prompt #2 [What voice would you add?] [4]

Any comment/feedback greatly appreciated, will return favor :)

2. Self-identity and personal expression take many forms. For example, music, clothing, politics, extracurricular interests and ethnicity can each be a defining attribute. Do you surf or tinker? Are you a vegetarian poet who loves Ayn Rand? Do you prefer YouTube or test tubes? Are you preppie or Goth? Use the richness of your life to give us insight: what voice will you add to the class of 2014? (200 Words)

I'd say the words "Blood, broken bones, adrenaline, composure and compassion" sum up my role as a rugby medic rather accurately. Being on the medical team, I have seen my fair share of bloody lacerations, broken bones and fingers pointing at impossible directions. On the sidelines manning the first aid post, nervous anticipation is shared by most of the medics during an intense match, accompanied by a racing heartbeat induced by adrenaline.

Months of being a medic has taught me to these feelings and replace them with qualities that I believe are essential to all medical care providers: compassion and composure. Care providers should always be empathetic and collected, we should feel the plight of others which will give us the desire to eliminate it. As a medic, I am often faced with unexpected emergencies making composure imperative to the effectively assessment and the appropriate treatment of the patient. Such qualities and skills can be directly applied in everyday life, where compassion and composure not only serve to enhance relationships, but also aids in building new ones.

Tufts Class of 2014: I offer you the voice of a compassionate, empathetic individual who will ceaselessly continue to improve himself, in the hopes of making a significant and positive impact on others. And if the TEMS is ever short on medics, I'll be delighted to step up.

(TEMS = Tufts Emergency Medical Services, the admissions tutor should know that :) )

Thank you so much.

Undergraduate / I'm an older brother; Tufts - Let Your Life Speak [4]

Hey all,

Any comment/feedback will be greatly appreciated. If you read mine, I'll read yours. :)

1. There is a Quaker saying: "Let your life speak." Describe the environment in which you were raisedďyour family, home, neighborhood or community and how it influenced the person you are today.

Since the age of five, my parents bombarded me with extra-circular activities: boy scouts, swimming, badminton lessons, English, Maths, Chinese tuition they dedicated a large portion of their time to ensure that I had a broad range of opportunities. Three years later, my sister was born -- a pre-mature four-pound infant. Visitors were not allowed for two weeks, when they were she attracted everyone's attention, my parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins...

Many would think that I would resent my sister for snatching all the attention from me; well they were right. Despite the forewarnings my parents gave before she was born, I experienced a spectrum of emotions: anger, jealousy, frustration and confusion. Fortunately, this only lasted until the day I saw her. She was in an incubator, wrapped tightly in the standard white-green hospital towel, her fist curled in a ball next to her rosy pink cheeks. That's when it hit me- I'm an older brother. At the age of ten, this had a massive impact on me. The resentment for my sister instantly dissipated and I found myself repeating to myself, "I'm an older brother... I'm an older brother". Something clicked in me; this assumed responsibility of being an elder sibling put "responsibility", "maturity" and "sensibility" into my ten-year old vocabulary.

From that day, my parents never gave me the same amount of attention again. They never told me that I had to be responsible, nor did they doubt my ability to cope by myself. They trusted my instincts and today I thank them for this journey of self-discovery. This event was one that shaped the majority of who I have strived to be: an independent, motivated and sensible young adult capable of taking his education into his own hands.

Undergraduate / Paramedical Experience -- Common App Essay [4]

Topic of my own choice.

I sprinted up the field towards the goal, ball at my feet. Looking up, I find my teammate in an open space. I visualized the pass and sent the ball rolling to a perfect position for a shot. My mind freezes in horror as I watched an opponent slide tackle my teammate, his face contorted with pain. Time seemed to slow down as I heard his screams of agony. I ran over, clueless and scared as I stared grimly at his deformed ankle. I stood there, my heart pounding loudly in my head, desperately trying to think of a way to help. In my horror, my insignificance and lack of ability seemed to magnify itself in my head.

The shocking incident motivated me to begin the process of becoming certified in first aid. I began with basic first aid training, where I learnt basic skills like how to treat a laceration. Hoping to further improve my knowledge, I took more advanced courses, and self-studied courses which are not offered locally, such as the Basic Emergency Medical Technician course, learning more advanced procedures such as airway management and spinal stabilization. These courses have prepared me to stay calm in the face of emergencies in order to provide help, and as they were challenging I have also learnt the importance of commitment and perseverance.

This commitment was evident in many areas of my life such as sports and community involvement. I realized that in order to better myself, I must not only strive to achieve personal goals, but also to extend my skills and knowledge through practice and perseverance. I encountered difficulties, but instead of being discouraged or giving up, I am encouraged to try even harder to excel at my activity. It was this fascination and dedication that allowed me to complete the courses, and become a member of the medical team at an internationally recognized rugby tournament such as the IRB: Rugby Sevens World Cup 2009.

Years later, a more experienced me watched from the sidelines of the Rugby World Cup Sevens 2009 Asian Qualifiers. The Singaporean and Sri Lankan national teams are engaged in a fearsome battle. Knowing that injuries most commonly happen during scrums, I felt increasingly nervous as I watched the players in red and green plough into each other.

My mind froze in horror as I watched a defender tackle a red player from behind. The whistle blew. It was an illegal high tackle. Familiar feelings of shock rushed back as I saw the player lie on the ground, motionless. Suppressing my panic, I ran onto the field with the medical team. Fortunately, she was conscious but complained of numbness in the arms. My mind raced through all the information that I have acquired: possible spinal injury, my superiors confirmed this. I knew we had to transport her to the hospital immediately but placing her onto the spinal board was no easy task. I was put in charge of stabilizing her neck, thankful that I had self-learnt the technique but terrified of this sudden immense responsibility I had taken up; a simple twitch of my hands could cause a lifelong paralysis. Calmly reassuring her, I kept her head level while another medic slipped a neck brace on, after what seemed like hours, he clicked it into place. I breathed a sigh of relief.

I examined the Singaporean player who was now strapped onto the hard, yellow spinal board. The player looked at me smiled and whispered "Thank you." At that moment, I reflected upon all that I had learned and achieved since my friend broke his ankle. I realized the significance of the cause I have committed myself to: the ability to impact another life positively. I felt accomplished and satisfied. The challenges and difficulties I had encountered in the course had indeed thoroughly prepared me for this experience. The last ten minutes seemed to magnify in my head, all the hard work I had put into the expansion of my medical knowledge seemed worthwhile, the exhilaration and adrenaline driving me towards this closing, a combination of self-success and self-gratification. These ten short minutes in my life, crucial to both the player and myself; every second was a small battle between my excitement and my knowledge.

Thanks for your time.