Professional Summary
Personal Statement
As I sat on the familiar exam table, the fresh paper crinkling each time I shifted my weight, I could feel my heart palpitating. “Are you seriously nervous?” I asked myself. “You do this every day. You can’t possibly be nervous.” I had recently changed medical insurance and was waiting in a patient room to establish care with my new primary care physician. It was a simple visit that would take 15 minutes, yet I couldn’t help but feel anxious. That day, I experienced just a sliver of the worry with which the patients I routinely see are confronted, and I was met with an overwhelming sense of empathy towards them. During my Internal Medicine clerkship, I distinctly remember delivering a life-changing diagnosis of pancreatic cancer to a patient who presented for simple abdominal pain. The look of fear combined with courage and strength on his face as he held back tears will remain imprinted in my mind throughout the rest of my career. I am continuously amazed by the grace and bravery that such patients display in the worst of circumstances; while my own experience was nothing compared to his, it was an excellent reminder to continually display the same sensitivity and compassion I would desire as a patient myself. This principle will be the guiding philosophy during my future career as a physician.
Why I Chose Cincinnati
I remember listening to Dr. Warm’s presentation during the interview day and thinking to myself, “if I were to build a program that emphasized everything that is important to me, it would be UC.” I was impressed by the innovative curriculum, hands-on didactic schedule, emphasis on patient-centered care, and commitment to resident education and growth. Furthermore, the people I met there were truly phenomenal - caring, funny, encouraging. What really stood out to me was one resident’s answer of why she wanted to be chief. She told me that she had a wonderful chief who supported her through a difficult patch in residency, and that she wanted to be that for someone else. I was truly touched by this as it was not only the most genuine and compassionate answer I had heard on the interview trail, but also a direct reflection of the type of people at UC. They were a family, and I wanted to be part of it.
Education
MD: Central Michigan College of Medicine
Contact Information
University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
231 Albert Sabin Way
Cincinnati
Ohio, 45267
ZAMULKOA@UCMAIL.UC.EDU