Tell us about an experience, in school or out, that caused you to rethink or change your perspective. What impact has this had on you?
After graduating from Medical School, I was given the opportunity to be an observer at a Sports Medicine clinic. I was always familiar with the many career paths Sports Medicine can take; but after working with a Kinesiologist, I was at awe of all the further possibilities which the study of movement could actually offer. The field of study actually complements one’s previous academic pursuit and serves the similar purpose of improving the quality of lives of people who practitioners get to eventually interact with. I was therefore allowed to use my knowledge of medicine and fuse it with facets that focus on rehabilitation. This particular thrust of providing people who had encountered various injuries sustained from sports or physical activities is most challenging; yet equally rewarding. The experiences shared by people, who I got to observe; and from the testimonies of those who were comprehensively cured were just overwhelming. I recognized that the experience provided me with the impetus to transform previous perspective in the treatment of people through a shift in focus and orientation through specialization in this endeavor. The satisfaction I felt after knowing how this art form can help people with their daily lives was unbelievable.
Explain how you responded to a significant challenge that you have encountered and what you learned in the process.
During my third year in Medical School, I was in an urgent care rotation in Atlanta, Georgia. There were just a remaining 15 minutes left in our shift when a father brought his sick 10 year old child in. The child had a fever. The senior student in our team told us that he had seen this case dozens of times; and that the symptoms revealed signs of viral illness. He suggested to send the boy on his way without a full examination. I disagreed and told him that it would not take that long to do a proper physical assessment, as a standard operating procedure; and to make sure that nothing sinister was happening. We went through with the complete physical assessment and discovered that more than the viral illness, the child needed to be further examined to rule out hyperthyroidism or any other potential cause of fevers of unknown origin (FUO). As such, I learned that even though we are in a stressful professional discipline, we have the responsibility to take undertake physical assessment and recommend diagnostic or laboratory procedures, when deemed necessary so as to ensure that the health condition of patients are holistically taken cared of.
Please include any additional information that you would like the Admissions Committee to consider when reviewing your application.
I started off my career with the plan to pursue medicine and make a difference in people lives. Although I have acknowledged that this profession has been rewarding; despite the challenges that were encountered in the health environment, there seems to be a void which was filled in the disciplines of Sports Medicine and Kinesiology. I eventually realized that the treatment I want to give people is not solely on prescribing drugs or medications. I have recognized that the ability to allow someone to walk or throw a ball around with their child gives a more rewarding and uplifting experience.
