As I write this, I think about the thousands of miles I have traveled in pursuit of the finest medical education, and exposure. I often wonder when people speak of healthcare disparities if they can ever truly grasp what it means. Having gone to medical school in India, I remember with great clarity my school’s outreach programs, free health screening camps, and the WHO’s Pulse polio immunization program, volunteerism that put me into direct contact with people in rural villages. These were places where, at times, people were seeing a doctor for the first time in their lives, preventative medicine was unknown, or where a trusted and qualified general practitioner was rare.
Immigrating to England was a choice born of wanting to immerse myself in a different culture, system of medicine, and gain exposure to better technologies, protocols, clinical techniques, and research opportunities. Having completed my FY1 and 2, I feel prepared for the opportunity and challenge of a quality IM/FM residency, giving credence to the two areas of medicine that have given me the most significant levels of personal, professional, and even spiritual satisfaction. To date, no other place to my mind offers the same opportunities for becoming involved in a patient’s health, or to make a difference in their life. This approach to medicine has always impressed me as being undeniably holistic, treating the patient when they are unwell, and educating and practicing preventative measures to prevent future illness or readmissions. Moreover, IM/FM offers me the chance to research infectious diseases, particularly HIV, arguably one of the most significant healthcare crises of our time. My intense interest in this area of research has been fueled by the work of my current position as a particular trainee doctor in Infectious Diseases (Internal Medicine) at XXXX Hospital in Hull, England.
When my colleagues speak of their goals, five and ten years after the boards, I often think that I am simply looking forward to a lifetime of education, and contributions. All I have ever wanted was to bring about positive change and outcomes in the lives of my patients through treatment, education, and thereby increasing their amelioration of life.
I bring with me to the IM/FM program a solid academic foundation in Medicine coupled with wide-ranging healthcare experiences in the UK and India, work that has proven my hard-working, reliable nature and work ethic, as well as my interpersonal communication skills with both patients and colleagues. More specifically, I feel that my extensive work in OB/GYN, emergencies, longitudinal continuity ambulatory experience, triage, and in-patient medicine has given me an excellent clinical grounding from which to enter into the IM/FM program.
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 India and the UK, have given me a distinct worldview and grasp of the immigrant experience.
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. I am ready for the opportunity and challenge of a quality Internal/Family Medicine residency.
Thank you for your time and consideration.