Writing Feedback / Vice-President of Phi Theta Kappa; SERVE the underserved/Experiences [2]

QS: Explain my experiences with underserved communities, community-based work, leadership roles, and commitment to working with the urban underserved. (500 words)

first of all would the above question be the same as this qs: How have your experiences prepared you for the challenges of a medical practice in an underserved area?

Initially, I sharpened my leadership skills while working with community leaders as vice-president of Phi Theta Kappa. From recruiting scholars to initiating car washes, I learn how to be a leader who leads by examples. I make a point to find a personal connection and purpose of my actions. For instance, when I first organized a Blood Drive in Austin, I never thought that this would have a great impact on me such that I continue to donate blood bimonthly to this day. As one with my community, I see this response as my connection with the anonymous recipient. My motivation to donating also changed as I gain more insights into the medical field. As a previous emergency room volunteer and a compassionate student, I've learned the importance of blood transfusions and how often it can save lives.

My progressive commitments for underserved areas were reinforced when I joined Biology Scholars Program (BSP). Serving in a program that seeks to increase the number of underrepresented students in medicine, I gained invaluable convictions to give back to my community. BSP is the tight-knit family in a huge university that taught me the skills to advocating for the underprivileged communities. At the same time, I was actively involved in programs run by the First Presbyterian Church. They provided me with a structure to connect to the poor areas of Oakland and Berkeley. Through the global organization with World Vision, I participate in charity work to support the Dalit (untouchable) people of India, make first-aid kits for the villages in Uganda and hike at Hope Walks yearly to support HIV prevention.

Finally, in response to end homelessness, my husband and I donate 100 pounds of fresh grocery annually to the Berkeley Home and Housing Project. I recognize the difficulty in solving theproblem of hunger and homelessness. So in the community that I have build in the Soup Kitchen, I know that laughter goes a long way. While I cook meals and wipe down the tables of the homeless, I try to develop friendships and provide a positive support. Listening to their stories and witnessing the reality of many lives inspires me and teach me the skills to connect with various people in my community. This experience also led me to a similar project at the Alameda Food Bank. Here, I collect donated goods, sort and bag groceries as they come through an assembly line. Since most volunteers there were seniors, some tasks were indeed challenging for them. So my assistance to offload heavy boxes meant a great deal to the seniors. More importantly, the opportunity to spark inter-generational dialogue was very fulfilling.

The times I mentored underprivileged youths, built homes for Habitat for Humanity, or cooked for the homeless, became the personal encounters that gave me reverence to treat each person with dignity. Regardless of how big or small my contribution was or the impact I can make, I still felt like I was making a difference. Within such limited resource settings, I learned to maintain a positive attitude and flexibility in decision-making. Serving the vulnerable community proves to be a rewarding career that affords me with a lifetime of leadership and learning. It was enough to make me eager to come back each week, excited at the prospect of helping the vulnerable.

Undergraduate / animals, artwork, sciences - present yourself to the Committee on Admissions [3]

Seriously, I've come to a point where I pretty much have said what I thought needed to be said about me in the primary application and other questions. So guys out there reading this, feel free to laugh at what I'm about to answer. Help, I'm so out of ideas.

3. If you could present yourself to the Committee on Admissions, what would you want to make sure they knew about you? (1900 characters)

First, I am great with animals and have a history of pets such as white mice, hamsters, budgerigar, ferret, monkey, iguana, chicken, tortoise and many more. I grew up recruiting stray dogs in Asia prior to breeding my own dogs. From picking out ticks, clipping nail and ear cleaning, to nutrition, birth and microchipping-I acquired these transferable skills from my personal hands-on experience. I have also been told to be a great dog trainer.

Secondly, I am actually really good with my hands, and have produced some incredible artwork one can find at my house and on the walls of my friends' and family's homes. In my spare time, I like to spend quality time painting on my canvas or making wooden scultptures. Maybe it is also due of this artistic flair that I got involved with some student film projects and had te opportunity to act in theatres. Through my connection and network with colleagues, I recently hosted a diversity women's talk show that will be broadcast in India and in the States. And maybe I've even took my artistic talent to a different level by procuring a part-time job as an independent logo-designer; I collaborate projects directly with clients and conduct interactive workshops on the branding and color-playing to suit individual field of work.

Finally, I wish to let the Committee know that I feel that my MCAT score does not reflect my understanding of the basic sciences, my command of English language or the full potential of my scholastic and personal accomplishments as demonstrated by my solid undergraduate grades. Perhaps the test's format and time constraint made it difficult to demonstrate my knowledge in the subjects. But I can overcome this in time. My strength lies in my tenacity; I repeated the MCAT and improved my score.

Undergraduate / Volunteerism is like this: Rewarding Experience [7]

2. a personally rewarding experience. learn about yourself ? (1900 characters)

Rewarding Volunteering

The first time I gave blood, I knew my reason well. It was in time when a few hundred dollars made next month's rent. I was a pharmaceutical research project that paid anyone healthy in exchange to try experimented drugs and let them draw my blood several times a day. I didn't think that was so difficult until I fainted on the third day. Fortunately they were sympathetic enough and sent me home with some compensation. But when the 9/11 attacks occurred, I was very distraught at the sight of the victims and this incident confirmed my growing sense of need for human connection. But inflicted with my own financial and family issues, I couldn't contribute anything despite all the good intentions. This was the reason why I started donating blood; even if I may not possess the charitable assets of a millionaire or a doctor, I see this response as my connection with the anonymous recipient. My dedication to donating has been changed as I gain more insights into the medical field. As a previous emergency room volunteer and a compassionate student, I've learned about the importance of blood transfusions and how often it can save life. A small prick and an hour of my time is another way to make a difference in someone's life. I strongly believe that we are here as a community, and that we should help each other out. Since then, I have been standing in line every 8 weeks to donate a pint of blood. They would ask me the same inane questions about having sex with infected prostitutes or cavorting with the mad cows. As a matter of fact, I, too, face a fear of needles. I often get stuck improperly and multiple positions because of my thin veins. And yes, I have been deferred for a low iron level on many occasions. These circumstances have never stopped me from donating.

It's one of my purest sincere personal acts and I do it without an applauding crowd or acknowledgement. In fact the most rewarding gift was 4 years later when I received a letter stating, "thank you, your blood has save three lives." Regardless of this insignificant statistics, I literally believe in rolling up my sleeve bimonthly and donating blood. It doesn't matter if I may be a boss or secretary, rich or poor, black or white; I still sit in the same chairs while my arm is swab with the same iodine. And despite how athletic or out of shape I may be, I can only give a pint. I may have nothing more common than the Type A+ blood I share with my recipient, but my part matters and it's this pure charity and unaffected by the transitory clutter of civilization that I value. Volunteerism is like this. I want to overcome stereotypes by changing one person at a time, and I will eventually become that person no matter the outcome.

Writing Feedback / Spanish Language proficiency [15]

3. A requirement = student will have achieved low intermediate Spanish proficiency by the time they reach their third year of medical school. Explain your current Spanish proficiency and/or plan for meeting this requirement (1900 characters)

In high school, I took two years of French. I know that Spanish is more practical but it wasn't a choice offered at my school. As it turned out, learning four more years of advanced French in college gave me a way to connect and converse with a whole different bunch of folks across the world. I was so fascinated by its culture that I decided to minor in French. Unfortunately the heavy upper-level courses in college didn't allow me to accommodate a time-consuming minor in languages.

Actually I started learning Spanish while working at the local cafe at Austin, Texas. In order to communicate with the kitchen staff, I forced myself to learn basic conversational Spanish. Interestingly, my years of French lessons really helped me in understanding the Spanish language. Most of the Spanish word are similar to French words because both languages come from the Latin.

In addition, I have traveled quite extensively and have developed an ear for different languages and regional dialects of the respective countries where I lived. Now I speak fluent Chinese and Indonesia and understand three other dialects--Sundanese, Cantonese and Taiwanese.

Thus, as much as my Spanish proficiency may be limited, I am confident that I can pick up the language pretty well through the conversational classes that I anticipate to take. In fact, I am really excited to take Spanish classes as I have always been an enthusiast for languages and cultures. I also plan to watch some of my favorite movies in Spanish. This is an easy and fun way of learning since many movies today comes with multilingual functions. Previously experiences have told me that this has a double effect--first it introduces me to words whose definition I'm already familiar with; and secondly due to its conversational style, it teaches me the an authentic way of conversing.

Undergraduate / Prepare to serve - a medical practice in an underserved area [5]

2. How have your experiences prepared you for the challenges of a medical practice in an underserved area? (1900 characters)

My diverse background gives me the ethnorelative preparedness and desire to fill the gap of healthcare in areas stricken by poverty, lack of education and social inequity. Living in various countries, I identify with different healthcare systems that impact patient care and how traditional and Western medicine often conflict with one another. Most importantly, I recognize the cultural differences, socioeconomic and political elements that greatly impact inequities in ones wellbeing and access to healthcare. Within such limited resource setting, it is critical for me to maintain a positive attitude and flexibility when applying decision-making.

Eager to gain hands-on experiences, I specifically chose to work with physicians serving the low-income communities-an academic physician, internal practitioner, emergency hospitalist and a dermatologist, respectively. By spending concentrated time with each physician, I witness firsthand the demands and rewards of different medical professions. I also noted the difficulty of balancing many relationships: with patients, nurses and social workers, as well as hospital administrators and insurance carriers.

I did not anticipate that the Emergency Department has become the all-too-frequent source of basic care for poor patients. My previous interpreting experience became very helpful when it comes to connecting with the underprivileged families at the hospital who needed assistance in dealing with system complexities, such as insurance or language barrier. Emergency medicine prepared me for the fast paced yet highly rewarding profession where I get to see the results of interventions almost immediately. I learn to be spontaneous and possess the physical stamina to multitask. I learn good bedside manner and communication by emulating compassionate physicians.

My desire to interact with people and understand their background stemmed from my exposures to poverty and violence during my childhood. The years of struggle have left me with an inner strength I can rely on. The opportunity to serve the vulnerable is not only a gratifying way for me to give back, but also a chance to encourage those who identify with me. This special connection is vital towards inspiring motivation and possibility. Listening to their stories grant me the empathy and inspiration to step out of my comfort zone.

The progressive leadership and commitment for underserved areas were reinforced when I joined Biology Scholars Program. I learn effective interpersonal approaches of delivering materials in communities with limited literacy through mentoring underprivileged youths at FACES. From the homes I built for Habitat for Humanity, to the hot meals cooked for the homeless, these personal encounters gave the reverence to treat each person with dignity. And though I may be a good teacher at Sunday School, I sharpened my leadership skills while serving as vice-president of Phi Theta Kappa Honors Society.

Serving the underserved community has proven to be an honorable and rewarding career that will afford me a lifetime of leadership and learning.