Personal Statement: A Personal Note On Bicycle Rides

The early morning bicycle rides were so refreshing. Sitting behind my brother, I loved the way the chirping of birds grew louder and then fainter. That day, as usual, I was lost in my dream world where children could play all day long and be happy. The next moment I realized, my foot was entangled in the rear wheel spokes of the bicycle; I saw a pool of blood and I fainted. In the ER, I woke up in pain; a feeling of dread came over me. The long white coats were intimidating, yet the people behind it gained my trust and made me feel better. My foot healed well, and the eight year old in me was impressed and intrigued.

Growing up as a military kid, I cultivated discipline, adaptability, compassion and an industrious nature in myself. My insatiable curiosity of how the human body functions and my natural ability to make an empathetic connection with people gave me the confidence and conviction to pursue medicine. I fondly remember my pediatric rotations motivating me to put in long hours to earn the trust of a toddler and an adolescent, each requiring different approaches. The

For a research study, I investigated to find an association between low birth weight neonates and passive smoke exposure during pregnancy. This experience helped me improve my skills of eliciting a sensitive history and taught me the importance of developing a rapport with the families. Monitoring the immunization schedules in our day care hospitals gave me the reassurance that life-threatening diseases were at bay. Using simple language to explain and ease the concerns of the anxious parents gave me immense satisfaction. I was fortunate to be able to use my medical knowledge to advocate for children with special needs from low socioeconomic backgrounds. This interaction gave me a deeper understanding of their day-to-day struggles and I was encouraged to see the improvement our humble efforts