Shadowing Experience Essay

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I am excited about the prospect of attending medical school. My dream began when I was a child in a rural village in Bangladesh, continued through graduating from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR) with a biology degree. Now, I am working in a research lab at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS).I have had many experiences that have reinforced my desire to become a physician. I overcame two major barriers as I worked toward my goal, my father’s opinion about appropriate careers for women and my lack of English. I grew up in a village where the nearest doctor was three hours away. When I was eight years old, I was surprised by my aunt’s pregnancy and intrigued to learn more about pregnancy and fetal development. …show more content…

I shadowed a primary care physician (PCP), a cardiologist, and a General surgeon in Little Rock. I was introduced to triaging, monitoring patient diets, and transitioning from diagnosis to treatment. These experiences exposed me to some of the immense responsibilities of doctors. Through my experience shadowing Dr. Richard Jackson, I learned the necessity of compassion in a physician and that it is as important as medical procedures. I observed him putting a colostomy bag on a seven-year-old girl diagnosed with colon cancer. When she recovered from surgery, he noticed she was sad and scared about the colostomy bag. He comforted her by telling stories of many other children who also had colostomy bags at a young age and finished his conversation by making funny faces at her. This made her happy and her smile expressed joy and the beauty of being alive. It taught me that a patient’s emotional health is as important as their physical health, and both factors need to be considered when providing care. This shadowing experience enabled me to see what it is like to be as a practicing physician and further reinforced my desire to be a

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