Graduate / "The night my grandpa passed away"; Medical School personal statement [4]

This is my personal statement for my medical school application. Doesn't have to be specific about any particular school.
Any critique is great appreciated specially grammar errors. Thank you so much

I will always remember that night when I got back from school knowing my grandfather just passed away. I have never thought that this would affect me so deeply. For all I could remember, he had a Cerebral Vascular Stroke when I was at a very young age. This has paralyzed his whole body. All I can remember of him was a lying, emotionless old man lying on bed whiles the rest of my cousins and I surround him every New Year talking to him knowing there would be no response. However, witnessing him being buried down never to be seen again was much more difficult than I ever imagine. We busted out in tears. That moment made me realized there are certain bonds between people at the moment they were born. Sometimes we can't realize those bonds as we have no or very little connection with the people but it's still there. Only when we about to lose them, we realize their existence, and sometimes it's too late. Knowing I will never want to leave any of love one again, healthcare will always be where my career heading me. However, I did not know what to do as I understand no one can live forever.

It's the summer of 2007. I arrived in the US for the first time with dream and hope. I was so excited and thrilled for all the experience I was about to have. I was given once of a life time opportunities. From that moment, I realized it's would never be the same for me. However, soon enough, the sweet of a new adventure began to fade, replaced with the bitter of reality. Things were very difficult in a new land. Everything was different. People talk in different ways, about different things, and in a different language. It's not easy to connect with other people especially when we are not speaking the same language. The feeling that you are apart from everybody else is not an easy feeling. Imagine walking across the hallway and the people you know are actually across the earth. The following weeks, I changed my habits little by little. I became much better at time management. I also try to be more organized so I can fit other activities in my schedule. I always love soccer. I joined a couple pick up soccer games after school, which I enjoy. I found some people who share my interest. We talked and soon enough we became friends. I also noticed the difference in culture and try to be more appropriate. Before I know it, I was able to adapt myself with the changes in the cultures. I left behind my culture shock as I can learn so much from other different culture. Different cultures teach people to approach a problem in different ways. You can either tackle it down with a direct approach and constantly work to improve the efficiency; or you can think outside of the box and take a different approach. I know I need to combine the spirit of never giving up as I was raised by my culture with the ability to think critically to make the best out of this life time experience.

However, I'm still not sure about my career goal, and what I want to do in healthcare. It all changed in the summer of 2010. I came back home to visit my family and friends only to realize one of my aunts was diagnosed with breast cancer. We didn't know what stage it was yet but she was devastated. We tried our best to comfort her. All my cousins and I gathered around her every night. We talked, tried to make her laugh, and kept her happy or as it would seem. There were times when she just began to cry. We knew how hard it is for her to hold it in but sometimes it's just impossible. One night, she said to us one thing that would change my thought forever. She said that "no matter what happens, she would be happy to take it, she would be scared but happy because at least she knows in the end, in her life, she did the right things, and in these last moments, she still has everyone around." That's when I realized it's true that people will die one day but in the end, the most important thing is to figure what you are supposed to do in life. Some people don't realize what they really want until the very end. They might thought they do but when it's too late, they realize it's not. When people think that it's their last moment, everything will become clear to them what they really want. I want to be that person who can give those people another chance in life. Everyone deserves one. As a doctor, I can help them just live a little longer, and maybe then, it would not be too late for them to do what they actually want. Only then, they can leave in happiness and that would make their family and loved one relieved.

Graduate / Physician practice and diagnose diseases; Medical College App [2]

Have you participated in or conducted investigative research? If so, please describe your involvement in the project. If you have published or are listed as an author on a publication or manuscript in press, please provide the title, authors, and name of the journal. If not, please describe an instance where you solved a problem you had never faced before.

How do you envision incorporating research into your ideal career?

During 2011-2013, I had two different chances to improve my experience in research. One of them is my own personal investigative research, and the other one being from my volunteer experience with a clinical research lab. The first investigative research I did was part of my senior project as a biochemistry student at Queens University of Charlotte. I conducted an experiment to investigate the interaction between a protein and a ligand using the NMR we have at Queens. The main purpose why I chose this particular topic is due to the fact that at Queens, we have a much weaker NMR compared to other facilities. Using this model to study, I can determine whether or not it is possible to conduct familiar studies using the NMR we have. Besides, the interaction between protein and ligand are really crucial to find new way or open new methods in battling diseases that seem to be at dead end in treatment.

I chose to study the interaction between NAD+ as the ligand and Yeast Alcohol Dehydrogenase as the protein. The interaction was able to be studied using the special technique in NMR. This technique makes use of a special effect called the Nuclear Overhauser Effect, which come from the molecules during the binding interaction. The effect will produce different intensities between a free ligand and a bound ligand. The intensities are picked up by the NMR and yield a 2-D spectrum. Theoretically, the data from the spectrum can determine whether or not the interaction occurred. Most of the time, I conducted the experiment on my own including trouble shooting when complication arose under minimal supervision from my professor and academic advisor - Dr. Andrew Tucker. Thanks to the guidance of Dr. Tucker, the experiment went relatively well although the result is quite disappointed. Using our current NMR at the time, it's very hard to determine if interaction can occur with such bad resolution. This experience taught me to think like a scientist and to be patient. More importantly, it reminded me of the importance of the ability to work independently.

Starting from September 2012 until March of 2013, I was lucky enough to be a student volunteer in General Surgery Research of the Canon Research lab that is part of the Carolinas Healthcare System. During this time, I have an opportunity to understand and be familiar with the procedure done to study Hemorrhagic Shock and the Septic Shock Syndrome. At the beginning of the experience, the majority of my work is to learn and get used to the laboratory environment and techniques. During this time, besides doing maintenance lab work such as cleaning, autoclave, prepare cell cultures, etc., I usually conducted my own small personal projects working with an immortal cell line of mice hepatocytes - the HepG2. Later on in the experience, I was able to be involved more in the investigative research done by my supervisor Dr. Powell. Her work was to investigate the effect of Resveratrol and Mitochondria Vitamin E in the treatment against cells that went through Hypoxic Environment. In the beginning, we mainly worked with different immortal hepatocytes. Later on, the experiment was conducted on animal model through cardiac puncture and cells collection. Although, I was not allowed to be involved in critical steps in the procedure, I was still able to perform and observe certain techniques and procedures that would be very useful in the future. This was an amazing experiment from which I was able to learn about the different techniques, skills, assays, critical thinking; how to develop an experiment/hypothesis, the ability to question yourselves, work under pressure. I also developed my own understanding and knowledge on the subject through various amount of literature documents, articles, etc. Most importantly, this volunteer experience has taught me the difference between a classroom environment and real life lab situation.

The impact of research in clinical community is tremendous. It's almost impossible to separate research and medicine from one another. We are battling new diseases every day and if physician failed to update new treatment techniques or skills, we'll lose this battle. Becoming a good physician, I might be able to save thousands of people but if I can figure out a more effective way in dealing with a certain diseases, the number of people I can save would increase greatly. Being a physician and a research also create amazing effect as one role can greatly compliment the other. A physician will make you understand the need for a different cure; the patient interaction will show the empathy that'll give you encouragement. Research enables physician not only in term of how the results can help provide better direction for treatment but also prepare and help a physician in reasoning critically and take in every possibilities that is involved in a procedure or analyze. Therefore, it can help improve the way a physician practice and diagnose diseases. Either way, both require a great level of commitment and dedication in order to succeed.

Thank you so much. This is one of the essays I need to turn in for an application. Grammar is my biggest concern, so tear it up.