Prompt: Why Medical School?
I thought to myself, "Oh, that's disgusting." I was only nine years old, but I could still recall that one blistering, sunny afternoon when I was standing in front of my house observing him. He slowly scooped his own feces off the ground and forcefully inserted his hand inside his mouth. "No no!" his mother yelled in khmer while dashing out of the house. His mother immediately yanked the chain that was attached to one of his ankles, hard enough for him to move away from the feces. The boy's name was Chew. Chained up next to the housedog, he stared straight at me. Chew was mentally retarded. At the age of five, he lacked proper speech and self-control. He was very difficult to handle and had a tendency to run away from home. Chew's lack of sanitation attracted flies to his face and entire body. He also had an unusual enlarged stomach. This was all very puzzling to me and it was not until I took an upper division biology course in college that I realized Chew had a case called Kwashiorkor, a condition associated with protein deficiency and malnutrition. Because of his condition, Chew was so hungry to the point his stomach started to digest its own muscles for protein source. Kwashiorkor is actually a common condition among children in Cambodia, where clean water is scarce and the food supply is lacking. Chew, along with many kids in Cambodia, also lacked proper medical attention and necessary nutrients for proper body function.
Being born and raised in Cambodia, a third-world country, my family and I were a little more fortunate than some of the other families around us. We were graciously given an opportunity to immigrate to the United States. However, I could still recall our lifestyle back in Cambodia. FInding clean water was always challenge and refrigerators were uncommon, so oftentimes, we would walk miles just to retrieve ice in order to keep our food fresh for one more day. I can not even remember the last time I wore a pair of shoes in
Cambodia; stepping on sharp objects on the ground became routine.
Looking out onto the streets, it is not shocking to see children competing with stray dogs as a pastime. Despite these vivid memories, growing up in Cambodia made me appreciate the little things in life and the people around me.
There are multiple factors that influence my decision to become a physician. I would be lying if I said Chew's condition is my only motive, but that memory sure played a major role in my decision of wanting to be a doctor. Other reasons include the death of my grandmother, who died of necrotizing fasciitis, a flesh-eating disease, and my grandfather, who died of a malignant brain tumor a few years ago. Both of my grandparents died at a very young age, not much older than 65 years of age.
Looking back on my college years, I have matured tremendously, intellectually and mentally. I admit I have made a few mistakes during my adolescent years, but I believe I have the motivation and inspiration to start this new phase of my life. During my last three quarters at UCR, I received all A's in my classes. I received three consecutive Dean's Honors Lists and a Chancellor's list. Even though I did not graduate with honors, college has taught me something that I will take with me wherever I go, and that is hard work does pay off in the end.
I am currently working at an urologist clinic, where I work alongside Dr. Felix Yip. I assist patients with certain procedures such as cystoscopy and prostate needle biopsy, a procedure used to check for prostate cancer. Working in the clinic has taught me how important it is to have great communication and interpersonal skills and working alongside Dr. Yip has opened my eyes to what doctors do on a daily basis. It allowed me to decide whether this profession is right for me and so far, I have enjoyed every moment of the experience. I am also interning at Queens of the Valley Hospital, where I work alongside nurses and doctors to ensure the well-being of patients.
Becoming a physician is long and painful journey, but I am ready to take on this journey and the satisfaction that comes with it. I do not have pretensions of solving world poverty and disease, but I am incredibly drawn to the medical field. It is a frontline profession that directly affects people's health and well-being and hopefully, my career will make a difference in people's lives, especially children like Chew, who deserve full medical treatment and attention.
Any comments/feedback will be appreciated greatly! Thank you so much!
I thought to myself, "Oh, that's disgusting." I was only nine years old, but I could still recall that one blistering, sunny afternoon when I was standing in front of my house observing him. He slowly scooped his own feces off the ground and forcefully inserted his hand inside his mouth. "No no!" his mother yelled in khmer while dashing out of the house. His mother immediately yanked the chain that was attached to one of his ankles, hard enough for him to move away from the feces. The boy's name was Chew. Chained up next to the housedog, he stared straight at me. Chew was mentally retarded. At the age of five, he lacked proper speech and self-control. He was very difficult to handle and had a tendency to run away from home. Chew's lack of sanitation attracted flies to his face and entire body. He also had an unusual enlarged stomach. This was all very puzzling to me and it was not until I took an upper division biology course in college that I realized Chew had a case called Kwashiorkor, a condition associated with protein deficiency and malnutrition. Because of his condition, Chew was so hungry to the point his stomach started to digest its own muscles for protein source. Kwashiorkor is actually a common condition among children in Cambodia, where clean water is scarce and the food supply is lacking. Chew, along with many kids in Cambodia, also lacked proper medical attention and necessary nutrients for proper body function.
Being born and raised in Cambodia, a third-world country, my family and I were a little more fortunate than some of the other families around us. We were graciously given an opportunity to immigrate to the United States. However, I could still recall our lifestyle back in Cambodia. FInding clean water was always challenge and refrigerators were uncommon, so oftentimes, we would walk miles just to retrieve ice in order to keep our food fresh for one more day. I can not even remember the last time I wore a pair of shoes in
Cambodia; stepping on sharp objects on the ground became routine.
Looking out onto the streets, it is not shocking to see children competing with stray dogs as a pastime. Despite these vivid memories, growing up in Cambodia made me appreciate the little things in life and the people around me.
There are multiple factors that influence my decision to become a physician. I would be lying if I said Chew's condition is my only motive, but that memory sure played a major role in my decision of wanting to be a doctor. Other reasons include the death of my grandmother, who died of necrotizing fasciitis, a flesh-eating disease, and my grandfather, who died of a malignant brain tumor a few years ago. Both of my grandparents died at a very young age, not much older than 65 years of age.
Looking back on my college years, I have matured tremendously, intellectually and mentally. I admit I have made a few mistakes during my adolescent years, but I believe I have the motivation and inspiration to start this new phase of my life. During my last three quarters at UCR, I received all A's in my classes. I received three consecutive Dean's Honors Lists and a Chancellor's list. Even though I did not graduate with honors, college has taught me something that I will take with me wherever I go, and that is hard work does pay off in the end.
I am currently working at an urologist clinic, where I work alongside Dr. Felix Yip. I assist patients with certain procedures such as cystoscopy and prostate needle biopsy, a procedure used to check for prostate cancer. Working in the clinic has taught me how important it is to have great communication and interpersonal skills and working alongside Dr. Yip has opened my eyes to what doctors do on a daily basis. It allowed me to decide whether this profession is right for me and so far, I have enjoyed every moment of the experience. I am also interning at Queens of the Valley Hospital, where I work alongside nurses and doctors to ensure the well-being of patients.
Becoming a physician is long and painful journey, but I am ready to take on this journey and the satisfaction that comes with it. I do not have pretensions of solving world poverty and disease, but I am incredibly drawn to the medical field. It is a frontline profession that directly affects people's health and well-being and hopefully, my career will make a difference in people's lives, especially children like Chew, who deserve full medical treatment and attention.
Any comments/feedback will be appreciated greatly! Thank you so much!