Hdc Personal Statement

I want to be a physician because I want to help others through healthcare. I have always wanted to accomplish this through personally interacting with patients and providing them with the treatment they need. I realized early in life that I wanted to be an integral part of a patient’s recovery process. Over the course of my undergraduate studies, I also became increasingly convinced that I wanted to participate in biomedical engineering research. I realized that research could potentially allow me to help people on a much larger scale. I would not be confined to only those patients I interact with- many others would benefit if I produced something of value. The MD program at GW presents me with a caring, supportive community that encourages

me to achieve all of these goals.

When I visited India, I volunteered in a small medical practice for the underserved in central Ahmedabad. The practice was located in the middle of the most abject poverty I had ever witnessed. This community lacked access to proper nutrition and housing in addition to healthcare. Each day I volunteered at this practice, I realized how much joy true altruism could bring to an individual in need, and determined that I would continue working in disadvantaged communities as a medical professional. Therefore, after I complete my residency, I would like to practice in an inner city area. Inner city areas are facing a lack of physicians, and I want to do my part to change this. An American Medical Student Association report stated that women and children in urban areas suffer the most consequences from the lack of healthcare in the inner city. As an individual who has researched for women’s health for four years, I would like to see this research be applied to women in need. The urban poor also face health concerns such as pollutants, accidents, violence, and substance abuse. These are things I would like to address as a physician. At GW, I would have an early opportunity to get involved through organizations such as Physicians for Human Rights and Physicians for a National Health Program. The Community/Urban Health track program is something I would take advantage of as a medical student as it allows me to focus on population health from the very beginning of my medical career.