My approach to medicine follows my approach to running: do as MUCH as you can, as OFTEN as you can, and as WELL as you can. I started running about seven years ago to stay fit and relieve stress. I set my own goals and schedules, and I ran my first 10-mile road race almost before I knew it. Last fall, I completed my first marathon, and this fall, my second. Running has taught me discipline and increased control over my body and mind. I believe I am a more focused and energetic medical student because I prioritize fitness, and undoubtedly maintaining a regime will continue to benefit me in my future medical training and career. I cannot take good care of others unless I take good care of myself.Guiding has also served to instill many valuable lessons. Being a Girl Guide from the age of five and later a Girl Guide leader has taught me the value of community service. As a girl scout member, I learned self-reliance, outdoor living skills, and basic life skills such as simple home repair and budgeting. I also participated in numerous community service projects to help food banks, women's shelters, and other charitable organizations. This taught me the importance of using your skills and giving yourself to help improve the lives of those less fortunate. As an adult volunteer, I have gained valuable organizational and leadership skills while running weekly meetings, supervising special events and camps, and developing strategic plans. Being a leader to these young girls has made me more patient and nurturing.
While attending medical school, I participated in Monte Carlo, an annual charity fundraising event. As co-chair, I had the opportunity to hone my organizational and team-building skills throughout the year. This event requires the commitment and dedication of nearly everyone in the first and second-year classes, students who already have a lot on their plate. At times, arranging meetings, meeting deadlines, and keeping everyone motivated and committed was difficult, so my energy and patience were tested. I also learned to work well under pressure! This event depends on support from community businesses, and a large part of my role involved securing and organizing donations of cash and prizes. Many of these donations came at the last minute and had to be quickly incorporated into the event.
I am drawn to Internal Medicine because of its team approach to patient care and the nature of the patient population. I first saw how different professionals contribute to patient care while volunteering in the pre-admission clinic, where physicians and other professionals from various disciplines worked together to prepare patients for elective admissions. I later saw the same kind of teamwork when I became a clinical clerk in oncology, where family doctors, surgeons, radiation and medical oncologists, and palliative care specialists contribute to patient care. I look forward to working as part of such a team as a resident and later as an internist. To the nature of the patient population, we have an aging population here in Canada, and patients require continuity of care for their multiple medical problems. Education, compassion, and empathy are crucial for patients suffering from chronic and terminal illnesses. As a clinical clerk doing Internal Medicine, I met a patient who presented with symptoms suggestive of a stroke. She was admitted to oncology because of her history of bowel cancer and the possibility that it could be brain metastases causing her symptoms. I visited her multiple times each day because I knew she often did not understand what the doctors told her on their daily visits, and my additional explanations reassured me. I have many of the skills necessary to work in the field of Internal Medicine and am looking forward to acquiring others during my residency. My ultimate career goal is medical oncology, where these skills and medical expertise will continue to be an asset. Based on my experience working in oncology, cancer patients need accurate information, compassion, and a doctor willing to advocate for them.
I look forward to the challenge.
I am seeking an Internal Medicine residency program that combines the opportunity to work in outpatient clinics where I can see the same patients over an extended time with adequate subspecialty and inpatient experiences. I want to work with professionals who are open to new ideas and eager and available to teach. I had the opportunity during my clerkship to work with a busy nephrologist who always found time to prepare and ensure that house staff understood what was happening with each inpatient. I also seek a program that encourages its residents to find a balance between their professional life, personal life, and community involvement.
