Personal Statement

Here it is. It looks horrendously long, but only consists of about a page. Any feedback you can provide...grammarical, spelling, subject matter, pretensions, lack of pretensions, or otherwise, let me know.

Delivering health care in the village of Shishmaref, a glorified sand bar north of the Bering Sea, I fully understood the essence of Family Practice medicine. The roles of healer, teacher, coach, and politician combined with the mastery of a vast compendium of medical knowledge were essential for successful medical care. This is the challenge for which I entered medicine.
Knowing that I would one day return to practice medicine in my home state of Alaska, primary care has always been my primary goal. I feel that no specialty has a greater potential impact on its patients than Family Medicine. Tempted by clinical rotations in Surgery, OB/Gyn, Cardiology, and Pediatrics, I knew that the residency I was seeking would support full spectrum Family Medicine with a strong rural health component. My drives include a desire to promote general health and preventative medicine, the need to teach, the challenge of practicing primary care medicine in the absence of specialists, and hands on work with generations of patients.
Prior to entering medical school, I developed a solid and diverse foundation through a career as a Forensic Scientist and work ranging from Emergency Medical Services to Environmental and Biological Field Research. Encouraged my classmates, I elected to participate in class leadership opportunities. As class representative for three years, I have acted as a liaison between the students, faculty and staff of the medical school and its associated entities and coordinated various activities of the student body ranging from fundraisers to graduation programs. Working with the Commitment to Underserved People (CUP) program has provided an insight to medical care for the inner city and refuge populations here in Tucson. Representing the student body, as a member of the selection committee for a new Dean of the College of Medicine, I learned to interact with a group of strong individuals from various backgrounds in the hospital, medical school, and community. As an active member of the Bioethics Committee for the University Medical Center I have begun to understand the complexity and gray areas within medicine. One of my greatest achievements, however, was the coordination and creation of more than 180 apple and pumpkin pies for a Toys-for-Tots fundraiser at my house.
In preparation for a career in full spectrum family practice I tailored many of my clinical experiences toward this goal. Outpatient Pediatrics in the community hospital brought patients with concerns ranging from impetigo to a thumb amputation. Family practice in the Winslow Indian Health Care Center served the Navajo Nation and included home visits to remote sites on the reservation, working with a patient population far below the poverty line, and learning how to practice medicine with people who had lived in a far different world than I could ever imagine. Providing care in Nome and Shishmaref, Alaska to a predominantly Inupiat Eskimo population also taught me the intracicies of rural medical care, telemedicine, and the possibilities of a practice far removed from specialists and the modern conveniences of a university hospital. My association with the Indian Health Services was continued with the Native American Cardiology program based out of the University of Arizona. Traveling with a group of Cardiologists and Fellows to the Navajo and Hopi reservations and direct hospital care in Tucson has provided a wealth of experience through the diverse pathology and cultural interactions with our patients.
Although my intentions weighed heavily on Family Practice prior to entering medical school, I never realized how strongly those convictions would be confirmed. Looking to the future of my medical career I look forward to practicing a full spectrum of family care with a component that includes rural health. I am excited to enter this new stage of my training.