03-12-2007, 01:32 PM
Passing many a hurdles along the way in my career till now, I am now at the junction which I have ever dreamt of, a residency in Internal medicine. I expect to extend my intellectual, physical and emotional capabilities to farthest extent possible as is needed in a challenging career like this.
My inclination to medicine dates back to the time when I was a child myself. Growing up in rural India amidst the dungeons of infectious diseases, with limited access to sanitary facilities and primary health care our neighborhood always looked forward to the weekly visits of primary health care physician to the village. As folklore fed me the idea that any illness is due to evil spirits and that a doctor pokes injections to drive these spirits away, I always knew I wanted to become one too.
As a result of my strong desire to achieve the goals I set along with my strong work ethic and discipline, I stood among the top one percent of my state medical entrance examination to be admitted into the medical school. The urge to do well in medical school helped me pass with an outstanding achievement including a distinction in pathology, microbiology and forensic medicine.
My career in the complex and challenging world of Medicine started with a drug resistant extra pulmonary Tuberculosis patient with recurrent seizures during my three months clinical rotation. The initial effective steps taken by me helped to save the patient who was in critical condition. After this the patient and his relatives started considering me as an integral part of his care during his stay at the hospital and discuss the management of his anemia and drug resistant Tuberculosis even when I was in rotation in other specialties. I learned from this encounter that it is not only the pathology of the disease but there is also a special humanitarian bond between the patients and their physicians.
Along the years of and before medical school I tried to explore many things outside the realm of medicine.Being part of the church choir group as a guitarist, and captaining my school cricket team has inculcated into me the spirit of team work.During Paraclinical years, I organized a touring health campaign in parts of Southern India. Apart from the clinical perspective it fed my love for travel and gave me an opportunity to experience various cultures of India. My leadership abilities and good organizational skills have led me to be on the executive committee for the twice yearly polio vaccination campaigns. I have also served as a volunteer for Flourosis Research Foundation in the areas endemic with Flourosis in parts of Northern India .Working along these led me to understand the basic philosophy of medicine which I believe is, early intervention and promoting healthy lifestyles symbolize true primary prevention and reflect in the future health on both an individual and global basis.
My interests in research, is rooted in the belief that only thorough knowledge prompts action. I was the co-investigator in a comparative study on outcome of pregnancy in the tsunami affected women with that in unaffected women in Pondicherry, India. Apart from my research work I helped in organizing community kitchens, mass chlorination units, support groups to allay rumors of disease outbreak and helped people get involved together as a group. Working so closely with a traumatized population including pregnant females, post traumatic females, people who lost their loved ones, orphaned kids made me better equipped to work under high stress conditions. This also has helped me gain an insight on continued learning and importance of research in basic and clinical medicine.
My journey from a medical school in South India to aim a pediatric residency in USA has seen many twists. After my medical school and working in various hospitals I always felt that my hunger for learning was not satiated. My interest for learning about the current trends in clinical care and excellent opportunities of clinical oriented research has motivated me to take this career path.
The opportunity to be at Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove, Illinois as a part of my externship raised my awareness to the protocols followed and about the managed care scenario in United States .Having been trained to rely more on clinical maneuver rather than just on diagnostic modalities, I am confident that I will be able to provide cost effective care to the patients. This exposure of working under varied clinical settings am sure would serve as a strong foundation for my residency and beyond.
There are many admirable paths in medicine, but I believe Internal medicine provides a broad yet a solid foundation. It also proffers a wide range of subspecialties including my interests in Cardiology and Nephrology .I envision myself involved with program which trains physicians from developing and underdeveloped countries to provide standardized health care. I strongly believe that my sincerity, dedication and enthusiasm complement your diversified residency program which in turn can mentor me to achieve greater heights.
My inclination to medicine dates back to the time when I was a child myself. Growing up in rural India amidst the dungeons of infectious diseases, with limited access to sanitary facilities and primary health care our neighborhood always looked forward to the weekly visits of primary health care physician to the village. As folklore fed me the idea that any illness is due to evil spirits and that a doctor pokes injections to drive these spirits away, I always knew I wanted to become one too.
As a result of my strong desire to achieve the goals I set along with my strong work ethic and discipline, I stood among the top one percent of my state medical entrance examination to be admitted into the medical school. The urge to do well in medical school helped me pass with an outstanding achievement including a distinction in pathology, microbiology and forensic medicine.
My career in the complex and challenging world of Medicine started with a drug resistant extra pulmonary Tuberculosis patient with recurrent seizures during my three months clinical rotation. The initial effective steps taken by me helped to save the patient who was in critical condition. After this the patient and his relatives started considering me as an integral part of his care during his stay at the hospital and discuss the management of his anemia and drug resistant Tuberculosis even when I was in rotation in other specialties. I learned from this encounter that it is not only the pathology of the disease but there is also a special humanitarian bond between the patients and their physicians.
Along the years of and before medical school I tried to explore many things outside the realm of medicine.Being part of the church choir group as a guitarist, and captaining my school cricket team has inculcated into me the spirit of team work.During Paraclinical years, I organized a touring health campaign in parts of Southern India. Apart from the clinical perspective it fed my love for travel and gave me an opportunity to experience various cultures of India. My leadership abilities and good organizational skills have led me to be on the executive committee for the twice yearly polio vaccination campaigns. I have also served as a volunteer for Flourosis Research Foundation in the areas endemic with Flourosis in parts of Northern India .Working along these led me to understand the basic philosophy of medicine which I believe is, early intervention and promoting healthy lifestyles symbolize true primary prevention and reflect in the future health on both an individual and global basis.
My interests in research, is rooted in the belief that only thorough knowledge prompts action. I was the co-investigator in a comparative study on outcome of pregnancy in the tsunami affected women with that in unaffected women in Pondicherry, India. Apart from my research work I helped in organizing community kitchens, mass chlorination units, support groups to allay rumors of disease outbreak and helped people get involved together as a group. Working so closely with a traumatized population including pregnant females, post traumatic females, people who lost their loved ones, orphaned kids made me better equipped to work under high stress conditions. This also has helped me gain an insight on continued learning and importance of research in basic and clinical medicine.
My journey from a medical school in South India to aim a pediatric residency in USA has seen many twists. After my medical school and working in various hospitals I always felt that my hunger for learning was not satiated. My interest for learning about the current trends in clinical care and excellent opportunities of clinical oriented research has motivated me to take this career path.
The opportunity to be at Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove, Illinois as a part of my externship raised my awareness to the protocols followed and about the managed care scenario in United States .Having been trained to rely more on clinical maneuver rather than just on diagnostic modalities, I am confident that I will be able to provide cost effective care to the patients. This exposure of working under varied clinical settings am sure would serve as a strong foundation for my residency and beyond.
There are many admirable paths in medicine, but I believe Internal medicine provides a broad yet a solid foundation. It also proffers a wide range of subspecialties including my interests in Cardiology and Nephrology .I envision myself involved with program which trains physicians from developing and underdeveloped countries to provide standardized health care. I strongly believe that my sincerity, dedication and enthusiasm complement your diversified residency program which in turn can mentor me to achieve greater heights.