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Osteopathic Medicine

Osteopathic Medicine

Please answer the following questions as part of you essay:
A. Describe the personal characteristics you possess and the life experiences you have had that would contribute to your becoming an outstanding osteopathic physician. Please include information that will enable the Admissions Committee to understand your unique qualities.

B. Describe your exposure to and understanding of Osteopathic Medicine. Content may include your initial introduction to the profession, its history, use in medical practice today, or any other aspects that may highlight Osteopathic Medicine’s uniqueness and synergy with your envisioned future practice of medicine.
Below are a few essays I would like for you to incorporate into the above prompts. Also please use several internet or book sources to learn about osteopathic medicine to incorporate into the above prompts. I do not need any citations or quotes, and would prefer no citations or quotes at all. Just please put the information about osteopathic medicine you learn from these sources in your own words.

Personal Statement

My interest in pursuing a career in medicine was sparked by a life event, happening when I was age nine. My parents chose not to have their children in day-care facilities during the pre-school years, and we were fortunate to grow up at my grandmother’s home. She lived on the Guadalupe River, a beautiful rural setting at McQueeney, Texas. My parents spent long hours at work each day, and thankfully, my grandmother was willing to care for my younger brother and I. As a result of the amount of time we spent together, my paternal grandmother was highly influential in my life. She was a positive role model, helping to build my moral values, character and work ethic.

In 2001, my grandmother was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. The location of the cancer was in the largest lung and was inoperable. The oncologist told her that the cancer was aggressive and that she had approximately nine months to live. When my parents broke the news to me, I was emotionally overwhelmed. I was devastated, and I could only imagine what her feelings were. I was thinking of the leisurely days that we had enjoyed together, the insightful talks about life we had while walking together through her flower gardens and the effort she spent in order to provide meals that we enjoyed. I realize now that small comforts are essential to those facing a terminal illness. My grandmother was fortunate, in realizing her wish of remaining independent, and in being able to reside at her home throughout her illness.

She was admitted to the hospital during her final week of life, due to fluid filling her lungs and ultimately, a systemic infection. Seeing her in the hospital bed, in the last days of her life, I wondered if every terminally ill person and their loved ones experienced the same progression of emotions I had. My interest in medicine began to grow from this point forward. Even at the age of nine, I wanted to know more about terminal illness, treatment and support mechanisms that would improve quality of life for the patient, as well as for the friends and family. I was interested in learning more about medical treatments, why some cancers could be treated, and some could not.

I graduated from Franklin High School in El Paso, Texas in three years. I was proud to finish high school in the top two percent out of a graduating class of seven hundred in academic performance. During my final year, I was a member of the varsity tennis team, and I worked part-time at the family restaurant. My maternal grandmother owns a local Italian Restaurant in El Paso, The Central Italian Kitchen, and she was very supportive of my educational goals, and allowed flexibility in my work hours. During my three years of high school, I bussed tables, and averaged fifteen hours per week. In high school, I enjoyed the sciences the most. While at Franklin High School, I participated in school science fair for three years. I won medals at Franklin, District and Regional Science Fairs during my final two years of high school.

At seventeen, I enrolled at The University of Texas at El Paso. During my freshman year, I also moved into a small garage apartment, adjacent to my great-aunt’s house. This apartment would allow me to stay focused on my studies, while still being close to my family. My first year at the university was challenging; however, I finished the year with a 4.0 GPA. I maintained my fifteen-hour per week work schedule at the restaurant, with additional responsibilities as I had been promoted to wait staff.

As a sophomore, I had the opportunity to attend The University of Texas at San Antonio, where I recently graduated. In planning my move to San Antonio, I was given the opportunity to live in the home of my aunt. This move allowed me to further my independence, while still having close family ties. University continued to challenge me; however, I remained focused and practiced good study habits. I graduated with a BS in Biology in three years with a 3.95 GPA. While at UTSA, I volunteered at the San Antonio Sports Foundation, and worked part-time at Abercrombie & Fitch.
I am currently a Clinical Shadow at Providence Memorial Hospital in El Paso, Texas under two radiologists and two pathologists. I am a driven and hard-working individual. Diverse life experiences have made me a strong person as well. I have been for some time, motivated to pursue a medical career. If qualified as a candidate for Medical School acceptance in 2015, I would continue my academic dedication and pursuit of excellence toward my aspiration of becoming a physician.
Unique Experience

Throughout my childhood, I have had incredible opportunities to travel to many states and foreign countries. During the twenty-one years of my life, I have lived in seven different cities in four different states. My first international trip was to Cancun, Mexico when I was three years old. During my elementary school years, my family enjoyed travelling to the pacific coast of Mexico from our residence in San Antonio, TX and also routinely visited my grandparents in El Paso, TX. During middle school, my family moved to Lexington, KY and we would regularly travel to Texas, driving across Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas and Texas to visit my extended family. While living in Lexington, KY I had the opportunity to travel to Chicago, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Columbus, Phoenix, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. My family moved to El Paso, TX, when I was in high school and I had the opportunity to visit Las Vegas, Montego Bay, Jamaica, Cozumel, Mexico and Grand Cayman Island. Since high school, I have visited New York, Rose Hall, Jamaica, St. Lucia, St. Thomas and St. Marteen.

My travels exposed me to poverty like no other I had ever encountered. Particularly in St. Lucia, I saw lavish resorts such as Sandals and Beaches Resorts, and all around them was complete poverty with people walking around naked in the streets, bare-footed women carrying fruit baskets on their heads and bone-thin people looking like they had not eaten in weeks. As I was staying at the Ritz Carlton in Jamaica, although I felt honored to have the opportunity to stay at such an amazing property, I couldn’t help but wonder what the individuals employed at the resort thought of the tourists. I feel that these travels have made me a well-rounded person who is able to relate to different cultures and ethnic groups. Through these experiences early in life, I have seen many other cultures and the way other people live, helping me to really appreciate what I have and also to be more understanding and empathetic towards people; qualities which I believe will help me become a better physician.

Personal Characteristics
Please describe any personal characteristics and/or important or challenging experiences you have had that will contribute to the diversity (broadly defined) of or provide educational benefits to the student body.

Both of my parents have had established careers in health professions. My mother and father are both pharmacists, and my father has additional training, as a toxicologist and biochemist. Through watching my parents from an early age, I learned that hard work, perseverance, and commitment were necessary, in order to pursue a successful career. In talking to my parents about my interest in medicine, they were supportive, but they emphasized that I should realize that career path in medicine would be very difficult and demanding. They felt that if I was committed, a career in medicine would be rewarding and worth the hard work. When I was in eighth grade, I made the decision that I wanted to graduate high school in three years. My high school counselor had reservations about this, and initially challenged my decision. My counselor spoke to my academic subject teachers, and learned that I was a serious student. My counselor was told that I showed a strong work ethic and high grades that reflected my commitment as a student. Having received endorsements from my teachers, my high school counselor was a strong supporter in helping me to achieve my goal of graduating high school in three years. My peers in high school didn’t understand why I wanted to graduate early. I explained my reasoning, stating that I planned to pursue a career in medicine and would be in school until approximately age thirty. I wanted to get a head start on my future career.

During this same time, my parents were having marital problems. Home life was often tense and difficult. My mother had been diagnosed, much earlier, with bi-polar disorder. Our entire family had experienced the stress of her disorder, diagnosis, and treatment. It was a very emotional time for my father. As a result, verbal and physical abuse were common in my home, drastically affecting my immediate family life. During my last year in high school, my father filed for divorce from my mother. I feel that the academic and personal challenges that I faced as a high school student have aided in shaping me into a dedicated college student and post-collegiate leader. Because of my experiences, I am a stronger individual.

Clinical Exposure to Medicine

While shadowing at Providence Memorial Hospital in El Paso, Texas, I have been able to tour and extensively interact with staff in almost all areas of the hospital including the operating room, day surgery, trauma bay, emergency room, triage suites, intensive care unit, labor and delivery, pediatric oncology unit, radiology and pathology. I have witnessed many lung, thyroid, renal and neck mass needle biopsies in either CT or ultrasound radiological suites. From the biopsies, I am learning to identify the presence of malignancies under a compound light microscope from high nuclear to cytoplasmic ratio, inflammations from the presence of neutrophils and histiocytes and benign neoplasms from the presence of typical cells with low nuclear to cytoplasmic ratios.

Finally, I noted and began picking up the caring behaviors that the physicians I am shadowing display. For example, I am saying hello, holding open doors and elevators for all individuals I meet in the hallways. I will ask individuals that seem lost if they need help. While in patients’ rooms I will formally introduce myself to patients and explain that our team wants them to be as comfortable as possible and thanking staff members when they exit the patients’ rooms. Also, when invited to the doctors’ lounge for breakfast and lunch, I always offer to serve others over myself.

Exposure to Osteopathic Medicine
What sparked my interest in Osteopathic Medicine was my exposure and extensive discussion with an osteopathic OBGYN at Providence Memorial Hospital in El Paso, Texas. Dr. Lewis-Levine who graduated from Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine and said that when he was first in practice he “routinely used bodily motion, stretching and exercise to help recovering mothers after pregnancy to get back on their feet and recovering in a much quicker manner.” This conversation sparked my interest in osteopathic medicine as I think it would be awesome to incorporate manipulation of the musculoskeletal system in addition to prescribing typical pharmaceutical drugs and allopathic services.

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