Getting Involved: College Admission Essay Sample

The medical field has always fascinated me. This curiosity stemmed from my interest in watching medical dramas. One such drama which keenly appealed to me was the television show House. A typical episode consists of Dr. House solving a mysterious medical problem for a patient. Watching all these wild cases sparked my own hunger for knowledge. How would an actual medical environment feel like? How did certain diseases affect the human body? How are different types of medicines created? These questions served as a catalyst for my inquisitiveness towards the medical field.

My first course of action was to begin volunteering at Methodist Hospital. What better way to learn more about the life of a doctor than to volunteer at an actual hospital? My primary job at Methodist is to work at the Information Desk. The main duties of this job include directing visitors to the rooms of patients, answering any questions they have, and looking up the room numbers of patients on the computer. There are also many times when I am required to escort handicapped visitors to a room. One day as I was pushing an elderly visitor in a wheelchair, he told me how much he appreciated my assistance. It felt good to know that I was making a positive difference at the hospital. Interacting with these patients made me realize that becoming a doctor is not only about learning the art of doctrine, but also learning how to talk to patients. In addition to experiencing the hospital environment, I also wanted to expand my knowledge about science.

Junior year is arguably the most important year for a high school student. It is vital to pick your courses carefully in order to reflect what truly interests you. In order to learn more about the human body, I took the brunt of my science courses this year, including Chemistry X (Honors), AP Biology, and Physics. It was amazing how all three courses related to one another. For example, the neutrons, protons, and electrons create atoms. These atoms are the building blocks of DNA, the foundation of all human beings. In AP Bio, I also learned a lot about the immune system and how white blood cells are responsible for fighting off diseases caused by bacteria. While these courses only gave me an adequate idea of how the body works, it also made me realize how much is unknown about the human body.

I finally got an opportunity to explore more about the body during my internship at the University of Minnesota. I worked in Dr. Marna Ericson’s Dermatology Department. My job was to be the lab attendant and perform a variety of miscellaneous tasks in the laboratory. One task involved shaving and skinning mice to use as skin samples to test a drug. This was a unique hands-on experience for me, and gave me a feel of surgical procedures. While I did not have my own experiment, I took part in one involving transdermal drug delivery. We applied a DAPI (a type of stain) solution to the skin samples in order to better analyze them on the confocal microscope. My entire experience at the lab was remarkable. Upon completion of my internship at the U. of M., I was certain that I wanted an undergraduate education involving some sort of research.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is well-known for its intense research. In 2007 alone, over $900 million was spent on research expenditures. Wisconsin alumni or faculty have also received 17 Nobel Prizes. To be a part of this university would be an honor. My interests and experiences would directly accentuate Madison’s goals. My interest in research would allow me to further explore the boundaries of science. This desire for knowledge will allow me to enrich the community by pushing others to also find a meaningful passion. I hope to meet others that share my infatuation with knowledge, and perhaps together, we can combine our strengths and pursue new discoveries.