bk23
Nov 30, 2008
Undergraduate / "to America from Ethiopia" - uc prompt #1 [2]
A typical 5 five year-old girl usually wants a Barbie or some sort of doll for her birthday, but I was not your average 5 year old and a doll was far beyond what I desired to have. "I want a stethoscope." That was my solid response when asked what kind of present I wanted. From that moment on becoming a doctor has been my ultimate goal. Of course at the time it was because I held a simple notion that helping people is "cool" and since then, I have realized that a doctor is much more than someone who just helps people. The inspiration I have received from my mother through her actions has been a driving force in the path I chose for myself 12 years ago.
In 1986 my mother immigrated to America from Ethiopia to complete her education in nursing. After receiving a scholarship to Pacific Union College, this was her chance to escape the Communist regime, which had numerous adverse effects in Ethiopia. However, despite becoming a nurse, she never accomplished her dream of medical school because she just did not have the money and resources necessary. My mother works hard to provide for her family. She has always put an emphasis on education first no matter what the circumstances. This has motivated me to always perform my best in school and realize the importance of education from a young age. Born and raised in a third world country where half the population lives under the poverty line, my mother has created for herself a successful life. I have no excuse to fail and have every reason to succeed in becoming a doctor.
On several occasions I went with my mother to the clinic she worked at. I saw the way my mother treated patients with compassion and care and knew she had a genuine love of helping people. I knew she could work elsewhere making much more money, but she stayed at the clinic because she wanted to. I admired this and became even more inspired to pursue a career in medicine. My fascination with the human body developed as I grew older and my mother was there to answer every question I had: "How is blood circulated through the body?" "How does the heart work?" "Why do we feel pain when we touch a hot stove?" My fascination with the sheer complexity of the human body was propelled by my mother's willingness to explain this to me. As a result, I developed a great interest in science, particularly from a psychological perspective.
I am not a five year old anymore and I understand that helping people is more than "cool". Part of being a doctor is the ability to provide service and support to those who need it and help them understand themselves, part of that is receiving the satisfaction of helping someone, and part of that is the intellectual stimulus of science. Perhaps I am subconsciously trying to fulfill my mother's failed aspirations of becoming a doctor through my pursuits, but nevertheless she has encouraged and influenced me enormously. Medicine is a tough career, but with the self-motivation, determination, work ethic, and love of helping others instilled in me through my mother, I am committed to achieving my goal of becoming a doctor.
A typical 5 five year-old girl usually wants a Barbie or some sort of doll for her birthday, but I was not your average 5 year old and a doll was far beyond what I desired to have. "I want a stethoscope." That was my solid response when asked what kind of present I wanted. From that moment on becoming a doctor has been my ultimate goal. Of course at the time it was because I held a simple notion that helping people is "cool" and since then, I have realized that a doctor is much more than someone who just helps people. The inspiration I have received from my mother through her actions has been a driving force in the path I chose for myself 12 years ago.
In 1986 my mother immigrated to America from Ethiopia to complete her education in nursing. After receiving a scholarship to Pacific Union College, this was her chance to escape the Communist regime, which had numerous adverse effects in Ethiopia. However, despite becoming a nurse, she never accomplished her dream of medical school because she just did not have the money and resources necessary. My mother works hard to provide for her family. She has always put an emphasis on education first no matter what the circumstances. This has motivated me to always perform my best in school and realize the importance of education from a young age. Born and raised in a third world country where half the population lives under the poverty line, my mother has created for herself a successful life. I have no excuse to fail and have every reason to succeed in becoming a doctor.
On several occasions I went with my mother to the clinic she worked at. I saw the way my mother treated patients with compassion and care and knew she had a genuine love of helping people. I knew she could work elsewhere making much more money, but she stayed at the clinic because she wanted to. I admired this and became even more inspired to pursue a career in medicine. My fascination with the human body developed as I grew older and my mother was there to answer every question I had: "How is blood circulated through the body?" "How does the heart work?" "Why do we feel pain when we touch a hot stove?" My fascination with the sheer complexity of the human body was propelled by my mother's willingness to explain this to me. As a result, I developed a great interest in science, particularly from a psychological perspective.
I am not a five year old anymore and I understand that helping people is more than "cool". Part of being a doctor is the ability to provide service and support to those who need it and help them understand themselves, part of that is receiving the satisfaction of helping someone, and part of that is the intellectual stimulus of science. Perhaps I am subconsciously trying to fulfill my mother's failed aspirations of becoming a doctor through my pursuits, but nevertheless she has encouraged and influenced me enormously. Medicine is a tough career, but with the self-motivation, determination, work ethic, and love of helping others instilled in me through my mother, I am committed to achieving my goal of becoming a doctor.