Antigua Personal Statement

Rikhil Kochhar
Personal Statement
American University of Antigua

Throughout our lives there are countless experiences that shape our goals and aspirations. Some events are planned, while others are stumbled upon. At some point or another, each individual discovers which career path he or she wants to follow and more often than not, will perform the necessary steps in order to realize his or her aspirations. In most cases, these steps are a result of the ‘planned’ events in life. I, however, have been lucky enough to realize that my heart lies in a medical career by way of a culmination of both the intended and the inadvertent experiences of my life.
I enrolled in the Pennoni Honors College of Drexel University in 2005, eager to begin my pre-medicine journey. Along with the regiment of science courses, I registered for a course called ‘Honors 201: The Culture of Respect’, where I serendipitously met Professor Philip Poczik, who would later become my mentor and friend. He provided a unique classroom setting, where the students served as the textbooks, providing first hand experiences of socio-economic, health, gender, race, and sexual orientation struggles. Growing up privileged and unaware of the

extent of oppression that exists in today’s society, my first semester of college was a culture shock. I truly began to understand the freedoms I had and simultaneously better understood my identity as a minority. I developed an affinity for this class and its principles, and was invited to help instruct the class as a Teaching Colleague in a similar course known as ‘Teaching for Change’.
Among the myriad of poignant stories told in this class, there was one in particular that struck me. One of the students in the class, a girl of African American descent, spoke of her experiences growing up in Compton, California, and the life experiences she had being born into an underprivileged and underserved family. Almost all of her stories had a unifying theme of her economic disadvantages, but the lack of medical attention she and her family had been forced to cope with always stuck with me. The student’s mother suffered from diabetes and passed away at an early age. Her father had battled various infections and muscular diseases, rendering him unable to perform routine tasks and therefore maintain a job. It was a struggle to have clothes on her back or food on the table. She had a particularly difficult day-to-day lifestyle and this vicious cycle we had learned about was coined- ‘The Cycle of Oppression’. Professor Poczik had always told me the stories that the students shared with us were ‘gifts’, but that these gifts only stayed with us unless we were prepared to perform and make a difference.
Healthcare horror stories were not a rarity in ‘The Culture of Respect’, and I realized I could make a difference even before attaining an M.D. degree. Four other students shared my sentiment and joined me in chartering an Undergraduate Chapter of A.M.S.A (American Medical Students Association) at Drexel University. I was especially supportive of AMSA because its foundations are built to be impartial to any political affiliation and it is instead focused on the betterment of healthcare. Through this organization I was able to become knowledgeable about current health issues and lobby for healthcare reform at an organizational level. During the Democratic debates of the 2008 Presidential Election, we held our largest healthcare rally in which people came in from all over the country. AMSA chapters from other regions and other well- reputed organizations such as the Red Cross joined us to make this rally a success. Our mission was not only to push for healthcare reform in the United States, but also to get more funding for the battle against H.I.V/A.I.D.S across the world. Being a part of this event showed me the importance of having the proper platform in bringing about change and reform.
My passion to be involved in this type of work grew as I was nominated and elected by my peers to the Executive Board of the association with the title of Community and Public Health Chair. The community and public health committee undertook a number of initiatives, ranging from blood drives to raising disease awareness. No experience was more rewarding to me than visiting neighborhood high schools and community recreational centers to spread the word of free clinics and lower the cost of medical treatment. These clinics are wonderful resources for the underserved members of our community, and I felt privileged to be a part of spreading awareness of their services.
Through these programs I had the opportunity to interact with Dr.

Velmahos, an infectious disease specialist. As I began working for him as a medical assistant, he allowed me to accompany him on his rounds. There were times when patients lacking health insurance came to the office seeking treatment and Dr. Velmahos graciously made time to tend to them and provide them with the same quality of treatment that he provides for all of his patients. Despite the overachieving effort of doctors like Dr. Velmahos, it remains difficult to help everyone who is in need of care. These types of frustrating situations place a great deal of strain on him and other doctors alike, yet they persevere around the clock because of their love for providing people with the best care they

can.
While studying medicine is proven to be laborious and painstaking, the fulfillment of treating an ailing human being is more than worth the stress and commitment. Through my experiences, I have come to discover that medicine is a multi-faceted profession and it is beneficial to approach it with a holistic and culturally aware perspective. I have grown with every experience I have encountered in recent years, whether it is AMSA, teaching for change, volunteer work, or working with Dr. Velmahos. Each advertent and inadvertent step of the way has led me in the same direction and consequently fueled my intrinsic motivation for a career in medicine.