Medicine is a life long commitment to learning and care of others. Dedication, stamina, and perseverance are all qualities that a good physician must possess. The one element of a good clinician that cannot be acquired or learned per se is experience. Experience enables the practitioner to quickly make a determination regarding some particular malady, whether it is differentiating between something physical or psychiatric, or acute disease or chronic process.
The PAVERS program at the department of emergency medicine will allow me to see patient care first hand and thus acquire experience that I otherwise would not have. Patient advocacy will teach me critical parts of medicine by collecting data from patients and hearing their symptomology and concerns directly. Often times, a patient in the hospital is scared and confused. Other times, a patient may feel they are entirely alone, without family or support, and these patients may be particularly vulnerable. It is important that the ill do not feel as if they are without a support group. The simple act of another person speaking to the patient directly may be cathartic and offer a measure of support for them.
I am fully committed to learning medicine and the PAVERS program. I have good analytical skills, pay attention to detail, well organized, a quick learner, and have very good interpersonal skills. Presently I am enrolled at St. John’s University, pursuing my Bachelor of Science in Biology. Furthermore, since May of this year I have been working at New York Hospital in Queens interpreting for patients in Urdu and Hindi. Other duties of mine include: being a Patient Experience Ambassador, tea-cart service, performing discharge calls, and transporting discharged patients. Since August 2012 I have worked with Dr. Zufferey of the St. John’s University Microbiology Laboratory. Our work includes research into e. coli and various parasites, with a particular focus on Leishmania, and what makes them antibiotic resistant.
The PAVERS program would be the ideal place for me to grow and learn about the medical field. Through interaction with patients, physicians, and nurses in the emergency department I will develop an appreciation for what goes on in a metropolitan emergency room. My previous work experience has well prepared me for the challenges at hand, as I have had a lot of patient contact in the various positions I have previously held. The goal of promoting socially responsible medicine is a very noble one, and I will be able to contribute my skills to the fullest in order to uphold that goal. Furthermore, the experience I gain both within the emergency department itself and with the research projects that will be undertaken will give me a fuller picture of the medical profession and enable me to exploit the knowledge I gain for the betterment of my future patients, and the medical profession generally.
Inolvement in the PAVERS program will enable me to obtain critical experience on the road to my main goal of becoming an Obstetrician and Gynecologist. The learning that I will undertake in the program will form a solid basis for patient understanding and enable me to utilize and hone many skills that I have acquired from previous work experience. Furthermore, it will also test my abilities to cope with the rigorous hospital environment and the difficult shifts that are experienced by healthcare workers. It is my hope to provide patients a level of support and help that will enable them to understand and overcome their ailments. While the physician must dispense the medicine, it is society, and other hospital workers that must provide a support group and understanding that will enable the patient to fully recover.
