My grandfather wasa well-respected physician in his community. His colleagues revered him as an honest, kind person who always had time for his patients. He was a general surgeon by training but ultimately opened a nice little private practice in Port Arthur, Texas, where I was born and raised.I remember going to his oftice quite often, not only to visit but also as a patient myselt. It was clear that his employees truly enjoyed working there and the environment was serene and wonderful and quite conducive to patient care and satisfaction. I don’t remember much about my 9randrather as he was quite young when he passed; was only 9 years old. However, I vividly remember him always smiling and laughing heartily when he spoke with other people. He was an incredible physician and my mother often comments about how similar our personalities were to this very day.
At his funeral, I remember thinking how incredible it would be if, one day, I could become a physician just like him. In retrospect, it is incredible how such small things in life can dramatically influence your future and ambitions. I maintained my vision throughout my younger years and after several setbacks and obstacles along the way, dreams did become reality. Medical School was the most incredible experience in my life. I was fascinated by the intricacies and complexities that compose our basic physiology. what was most fascinating to me was pharmacology and understanding the effects of medications within the body. The ways that pharmacologic agents modulate human physiology through the myriad biochemical pathways was simply astounding.
My invaluable clinical clerkships finally allowed me to translate my basic medical knowledge into clinical practices. During clerkships, I gravitated towards internal medicine because could apply my knowledge of pharmacotherapy and encouraging patient’s tO be adherent. As a teacher by profession, I always used this as an opportunity to educate patients regarding the importance of their medicines and the consequences of non-adherence. It would be reasonable to say that helping patients understand their iinesses and provide education about disease management and prevention was very satisfying as a medical student However, | also clearly remember the irst day of my surgery rotation. I remember being very attracted to the dynamic environment of the operating room, where strong collaborate effort is crucial for positive patient outcomes. Just like every other medical student, I was conflicted about how to choose a career.
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My first exposure to anesthesia was during my surgical rotation. I will never forget the case, it was a bypass surgery that very few medical students were able to Scrub into. After begging the resident several times that morning he finally agreed and I was ecstatic. I was scrubbed in, crowded around the surgical table more than willing to put my 4 days of surgical experience to use. I remember the cardiothoracic surgeon coming into the room and he stopped and starred at me. cOuld not wait to introduce myselt. I was already standing next to the patient, hands trembling but ready in my second assist stance. He asked who Iwas and why I was standing in his way. I enthusiastically stated that I was the new medical student starting my surgery rotation.. I will never forget this; he chuckled and was quite humored at my response. His words after that were quite unpleasant and doubt that this is the appropriate forum to be more specific; let’s just say my assistance was not needed at that time.
The anesthesiologist then asked if | wouldn’t mind observing her during the procedure. She told me she was a cardiac anesthesiologist and explained what exactly Occurs during a cardiac bypass surgery. She graciously explained the rationale of deep hypothermic circulatory arrest during bypass surgery while simultaneously taking care of the hemodynamics of the patient. recall watching the cardiac anesthesiologist working efficiently and collaboratively With all the other staff in the room and soon realized that she was actually running or “quarterbacking” the entire procedure after all; pardon the clichė. It was incredible to just sit and watch how everyone in the room worked together to keep this patient alive. Most notable was the constant vigilance, expert manipulation of cardiopuimonary physiology and prompt deciSIon making required of an anesthesiologist to ensure patient safety.
Later on, I completed a fourth year anesthesia elective at the Cleveland clinic and I discovered that I had a natural attraction to anesthesia. Anesthesiology is appealing to my professional and personal goals for several reasons. Anesthesia poses the intellectual challenges seen in internal medicine while alsO requiring the dexterous hands-on approach of surgery. It also satishes my love for pharmacology through the many different mechanisms and knowledge one most have to ensure that all medications are given appropriately and safely. lt is a unique field that has truly come a long way since its inception and has revolutionized modern surgical and medical practice. It isa held that will alloW me to work with a wide variety of other physicians and patient populations which will be very satisfying. Given my personality and sense of unity and leadership, I feel would be a tremendous asset in the operating room. Finally, l actually enjoy working under pressure. was a teacher, an avid athlete in many sports and am very comfortable voicing my thoughts and opinions whether it be in a small or large group setting.
I enjoy being a leader but at the same time am very receptive to others’ opinions and value the contribution of the entire team. aspire to pursue a career in anesthesia but I als0 intend to be as involved as possible with medical and clinical teaching and research. I enjoy the collaborative spirit that permeates the environment of education and medical science. I am always pondering and contemplating how to answer questions that have yet to be Solved. I consider myself tO be inherently curious and always questioning the rationale behind every scientific theory and will always go above and beyond for the benefit of my patients. I look forward to contributing to the advancement of medicine and patient care and hopefully can inspire many others to pursue their goals and realizing their dreams.
