As I write this, I think about the thousands of miles I have traveled in pursuit of the finest medical education, and exposure. And yet, my path to Family Medicine began right here in Canada. I was 12 when the accident happened. My friends and I were playing hide-and-seek at a friend's farm. I remember trying to climb up into a metal trolley. It would have been a great place to hide - and as I grabbed the top of the door to pull myself up, it suddenly came crashing down on top of me. Laying there dazed, I was half-conscious of the warmth of my own blood as it spilled across my face. The hospital was too far away, and so I was rushed to a local family doctor, who quickly controlled the bleeding of the multiple lacerations, putting some 26 stitches into my face, mostly around my left orbit.
I learned that this fantastic doctor not only patched up casualties of childhood games, but also delivered children, and immunized them, tending to the medical needs of an entire community of people of all ages, and whole families, from neonates to seniors. The work of the family doctor filled the role of prominent town ER doctors, pediatricians, OB/GYNs, and more. I will never forget him, his gentle hand and demeanor, and I credit him with putting my feet on the path of Family Medicine.
To this day, I still do not want to limit myself to one sub-specialty, preferring the richness and variability that Family Medicine has to offer. My approach to Medicine, my sensibilities, and the source of my professional, personal even spiritual satisfaction in my work come from seeing patients of all ages, children, pregnant women, and the aged. Moreover, Family Medicine will enable me to research specific areas of family practice that are important to me, such as PCOS.
As a general practitioner, I envision keeping an active private practice, and teaching at least part-time as an attending or visiting lecturer. What is more, I want to use my own successes as a jumping-off point for launching medical mission work in emerging nations, efforts aimed at advancing young women's futures in medicine. Indeed, I have been inspired by attendings I have had the pleasure of working with who have gone to Haiti, sometimes taking teams of medical students to provide free Diabetes, hypertension, and other preventative health screenings as well as basic primary care camps for locals living in remote, poverty-stricken areas. On a local level, I want to use my position in the community to make sustainable contributions to programs that provide education and shelter for homeless children, as well as free medical care.
I bring with me to the Family Medicine residency program and student body, a solid academic foundation in medicine and psychology coupled with numerous educational, professional, and volunteer experiences in differing set-ups and positions of responsibility in Canada, the US, and the West Indies. The work has proven my ability to adapt quickly and easily to differing situations, to be resourceful, and to think on my feet. Additionally, I feel my international exposure has developed my humility and ability to communicate effectively with people from differing backgrounds, creeds, and socioeconomic levels.
In the most practical terms, working with a female family practitioner, Dr. XXX, a woman I hold in the highest admiration, I have seen how to run a private clinic practically and efficiently. I am all the more confident that I am exactly where I need to be. My maturity, leadership, and team member abilities have been tested and proven as the manager of the care of a young motor vehicle accident patient, who is now a non-verbal, quadriplegic with cerebral palsy, as well as giving me an excellent grasp of the concept of long-term medical care for individuals.
Healthcare systems everywhere are only increasing their representation of diverse patients, and healthcare professionals need to meet their unique needs as a matter of course. To this end, I feel that my multilingual abilities, and having lived, and been educated in the US, Canada, and the West Indies, and many travels to India have given me a distinct worldview and grasp of the immigrant experience. It was in India where I assisted my sister, a public health nurse, and her colleagues with setting up and delivering preventative medicine seminars, and setting up free alcohol, drug abuse, and hypertension clinics for rural villages. In the West Indies, where I lived and was educated for two years, I had the unique opportunity to assist local physicians and take rounds with doctors in the hospital on an island. In this place, primary care physicians had no boundaries to the services they could provide. In addition, two-and-a-half years of clinical rotations in XXXX opened my eyes to healthcare differences between the US and Canada.
As an aspiring general practitioner, I think that a quote I heard in the US that fits our profession well, is that the door of a priest should always be open, but the door of a doctor should never be closed. I feel confident that given my many experiences earned in widely diverse places, combined with my genuine desire to bring about positive outcomes for all of my patients, that I am ready for the opportunity and challenge of a quality Family Medicine residency. Thank you for your time and consideration.
