College Admissions Essay: Growing Up In High School

I have always been interested in people?s stories. The narratives of our peers give us insight into our own lives as much as they entertain us, giving our own stories meaning and substance. Of course I enjoy medicine for the science, the pride, and the stability, but nothing draws me to the profession like life stories do. And the physician has the opportunity to not only experience these narratives first hand, but to be a part of them as well. I hope that I may, one day, know and become involved in the lives of my community, just as you, the reader, might become a part of mine.

I played football all 4 years of high school, and so far, participating in this sport is the greatest decision I've ever made. It taught me the importance of attendance and punctuality; if I did not show up to or was late to practice, training, conditioning, or meetings, I would pay the price. Playing the center position taught me attention to detail and how to focus on the task at hand. If I gave in to distractions, I would false start, and if I blew an assignment, one of my teammates would pay the price. The long hours of training taught me about effort and enthusiasm, for there is no other way to approach hours and hours of running, lifting, and hard work than with the proper mindset. And the entire experience taught me about discipline and

integrity. As a team, we lived and died as one, and proper communication and teamwork was essential for success. We had to sacrifice free time and selfish desires for the good of the group. Those four years have prepared me not only for medical school, but for my future, regardless of what I do, who I meet, or where I go; these principles are universal.

My love and interest in medicine remains strong and serves as the foundation with which I construct myself. But it was not thrust upon me, and I did not grow up around it; my mother works as a nurse, but I am related to no doctors or other medical professionals. I found medicine while in high school, and over time, I came to love it. Ever since I began training for football, I have been fascinated by the human body, and I have pursued to understand it. I devoured material involving strength and conditioning, hoping that I may understand what my coaches were putting me through and why they were doing so. Injuring my shoulders kept me in the presence of physical therapists and surgeons, which improved my knowledge of physiology and gave me insight into just how much healing these men and women do every day. This led me to eventually shadow surgeons and doctors as they performed various procedures and effectively communicated with their patients to improve their health and satisfaction. The show M*A*S*H started my interest in Emergency Medicine and Trauma Surgery, leading me to read more and more about emergency protocols, blunt and penetrating trauma, thoracic surgery, and shock.

Growing up in South Florida and its multicultural environment exposed me to rich and poor, black and white, and everything in between.

I?ve held conversations with city commissioners about education and public transit, and I?ve held conversations with the homeless about sleeping on the subway and hustling cigarettes in NYC. I associate with all types of people, and I am fairly adept at communicating with someone regardless of their culture, ethnicity, race, or economic situation. This is an important skill for a physician to have due to the sheer number and variety of people he or she will contact daily, whether patient or

coworker.

I spent the past year directly preparing for medical school. I passed some of the toughest biology and chemistry classes that my school had to offer its undergraduates. These classes have prepared me moreso than other classes because their material is also found in most medical school curriculum. I also volunteered at a local hospital, the James A. Haley Veteran?s Hospital in Tampa. As a transporter, I was tasked with moving patients to and from various sections of the hospital, and it was my job to make sure patients arrived at their destinations in a timely and safe manner. I was also responsible for transporting belongings, lab specimens, and prosthesis. The prior summer, I volunteered at a free clinic in Lake Wales, FL, where I was tasked with determining patient vital signs. During this year, I was partially responsible for improving patient health, and although the tasks at both jobs were small, they were still important. These two experiences were my first steps towards learning how to take care of patients and work in a clinical setting.

Not being accepted into medical school last year has not deterred me. I entered my undergraduate career looking forward to attending medical school, and my goal remains the same today. I know that with enough time and energy, my efforts will yield results, and I am fully convinced that I will become a physician. As the product of immigrants, my family is rooted in hard work. Their efforts are what brought me where I am today, and I will continue their legacy and make them proud.