Undergraduate / Texas Austin - (rat surgery) [7]

Rat Surgery

I looked into the microscope and gracefully fumbled around with the tweezers and scissors, attempting to assist my lab mentor tie two arteries together. Although this was only an experimental micro-graft onto a sedated rat's thigh, the tension and excitement in the lab reminded me of the day I watched an actual laparoscopic surgery, nervously standing behind a surgeon as he carefully operated through a high-resolution monitor on a human being. I reflected upon the extreme purposefulness and determination I felt during those micro-surgeries. My back might have ached, my eyes might have been sore and weak, but I never even noticed this pain until I came home. For, even though this was just rat, I felt convinced that success in our experiment might one day translate into the difference between life and death. After taking all biology classes with lab, I have become increasingly interested in the biomedical and my greatest goal in life is to become a physician. I understand that this is incredibly difficult but I feel that if you can dream it, you can achieve it. I believe that I have many talents which make me well suited to pursue a medical career. The medical career gives me the unique opportunity to express my talents while benefiting human life. I think that my ability to communicate makes me well satisfied to pursue a medical career. I like to consider myself a "people" person. As a waitress, cell phone saleswoman, and youth group counselor at church, my communication skills improved and expanded since I was constantly meeting new people and discussing different topics. People constantly disclosed their personal issues to me as a counselor. I learned to become not only a good conversationalist, but also an excellent listener. I believe this talent makes me well suited to pursue a medical career. My most rewarding experience was tutoring middle school students in math and biology. Also, helping people to learn play the piano and drum. I always try to develop a good rapport with students. I believe I possess a talent for teaching others in a friendly manner and in a manner that helps them to grasp difficult concepts easily. My cultural diversity also will be a great contribution to my career. I was born in South Korea, being raised in a Korean family, visiting different countries, and now living in the United States. I have experienced the similarities and differences among many diverse cultural groups and geographical areas. This allowed me to relate to different types of people by understanding their ways and beliefs, a quality that will help me work well with other students and help me serve my patients better in the future.