My younger brother’s doctor kept on apologizing for not able to save him. Alas! My ten year brother lost his life. It was that phase of my life when I did not know enough about health and life-death transition. He did not have any major disease. He was just suffering from flu and fever. On the other hand, his doctor diagnosed him with malaria meningitis. He was not able to identify my brother’s disease. However, he was sure that malaria took away the life of my brother as the disease was a common cause of death among children in that era. Although I and my mother were acquainted with the fact that sampling and testing were necessary for diagnosing malaria, we could not ask the doctor why my brother was not tested in a proper way. My brother was injected thrice with several injections; all for various diseases. The doctor had the plan to save my brother with the “Bingo." The reason behind telling this nightmarish incident is that the same incident helped me develop a strong passion for becoming the most successful disease diagnostician. I aim to be a disease diagnostician in order to save the life of other people through new sampling and testing methods.
It is important to mention here that the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) was discovered in Saudi Arabia about two years and a half ago. A coronavirus causes this syndrome. According to the Saudi health authorities, the MERS coronavirus has caused most deaths in the country and has made it the world's worst-hit country taking the lives of more than one hundred and sixty nine people every year. Recently, a traveler from Saudi Arabia to the United States of America was diagnosed with MERS. Later, a Saudi Arabian tweeted: “Finally coronavirus is in the United States, we are too lucky." The tweet astonished me, but then I realized that people in Saudi Arabia hoped that the United States’ advancement in medicine would help to develop a cure for the perilous disease. People in Saudi Arabia believe that the expertise, equipments, and skills in the United States would help in the elimination of the life-threatening syndrome if the disease is present in the USA. This situation also boosted me up to apply for this program. I firmly believe in the popular notion that “what does not kill you makes you stronger." I aim to be a great diagnostician to prove to the world that it is not necessary for a doctor to be American for saving the world from a hazardous disease. I want to prove that Saudi Arabian doctors are not behind others in the field of science.
My country is going through rapid changes and I believe that the next few years are critical for the improvements in virus-diagnosing techniques. I have observed the occurrence of significant changes in the field of medicine. I believe that the expansion of scientific education in Saudi Arabia may help students tremendously to become great doctors. It is another reason I want to get enrolled in Arizona State University (ASU) as it is widely recognized as one of the most respected and renowned universities of the world.
After the completion of my Biomedical Diagnostics degree, I would like to help my country to progress in the scientific field. I would also like to work for child obesity in Saudi Arabia. I am aiming to develop an organization for fighting the obesity epidemic. I wish to find new treatment methods for the analysis and interpretation of results of tests and specimens obtained from the samples. By working with doctors in a direct manner, I want to be able to assimilate and analyze data relating to food and water samples. The other reason for applying for the Biomedical Diagnostics program is that I want to increase my knowledge related to diagnosing. As the job market is too competitive in Saudi Arabia, I want to secure a respectable position for myself with the help of my adequate experience. By enrolling in the Biomedical Diagnostics program at ASU, I will not only be able to learn the technology, science, and business of medical research, but I will also be able to work with people from other cultures and countries.
