Professional Summary
Personal Statement
On a spring morning amid the COVID pandemic, I went to the hospital as a third-year clerk with the optimism to learn new aspects of medicine finely balanced with the relief that the most challenging year in medical school was nearing an end. Little did I know, this day would be the most heart-wrenching moment of my medical school career. After four days of daily ED visits for cyclic vomiting, an adolescent girl was admitted as a “soft admission.” Out of a gut feeling that “something’s not right,” I asked her about sexual abuse. After some reassurance, a reluctant teenager shared for the first time her recent history of sexual abuse by an adult. This one question completely changed her medical management. I sat next to her on her bed, holding her hand, and with tears, she described her trauma. Her trust in me humbled me, but it wasn’t my clinical decision-making that elucidated what four days of ED visits didn’t. My empathetic approach with concern for her safety ultimately earned her trust in me and the medical system. My knees were trembling, but I knew it was for moments like this that I changed my career from quality engineering to medicine.
Why I Chose Cincinnati
UC was my very last interview; I had never been to Cincinnati and did not know too much about the program either. During the interview day, listening to Dr. Warm’s intro, I wished I had been to Cincinnati and knew more because I really liked the emphasis on patient-centeredness and the innovative educational approach. I chose Cincinnati because in addition to the great education, everyone I met was so down-to-earth and genuine that I could see myself fitting in well and being part of a great team.
Education
MD: Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine