My Dedication to Build a Career of a Physician

Medicine is a profession of fine lines. A physician must understand the lines that divide diagnosis and patient, telling and connecting, curing and treating. It is a challenging position, as these lines cannot be taught in textbooks; one has to be intelligent, dedicated, and empathetic. I have contemplated for many years to ascertain that I have both the listed qualities and strong motivation to pursue this demanding, yet highly rewarding, career. Having always been fascinated with human anatomy and the techniques used to study it, I have deemed the academics of medicine to be an indubitable pull.

“The Family That Couldn’t Sleep” by D. T. Max has shown me both the developments in medical anomalies and the efforts of those involved, driving me to learn much more. I am actively investigating my interests, writing a paper in the IB programme to identify the use of Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy in measuring the length of an epithelium. The fact that the accumulation of such knowledge never ceases in medicine, even decades into the career, greatly heightens my desire to join the stimulating field. My work experiences provided both the motivation and form of work I wish to emulate in my career. The experience of watching four ENT surgeons perform four separate cleft-palate operations in a large theatre of a small hospital of West Java, all volunteering to operate free-of-charge for children who could not afford them, demonstrated the privilege of being able to directly help others in need using one’s professional knowledge. Born in Korea and living in Indonesia, I gained experience in healthcare in both nations — volunteering to help pediatric nurses in Seoul for six weeks, and shadowing and translating for a family physician in Jakarta. I saw the workings of a meticulous medical system in Seoul, and observed a doctor’s daily life and the interaction between doctor and patient in Jakarta. In both cases, I was struck by the professionals’ mastery of methodical communication. When the doctor was requested by the parents of a patient previously diagnosed with Kawasaki’s disease to explain its long-term effects, she would explain it thoroughly without presupposing their knowledge, garnering their trust and comfort. I vowed to emulate such deliberation. In distilled form, medicine is the art of caring—and to care, I believe one must connect.

As the president of a school club working with an NGO helping children with HIV in Jakarta for over a year, I took leadership and organized visits to the children at the centers. Over time, I learned that in order to connect with the children, the attempt to understand their circumstances was not enough —I had to understand their fears, mainly of being socially stigmatized. Through the experience, I developed the sensitivity and insight needed to identify and address those factors. The experience helped me see the patient before the condition, a perspective I do not want to lose. Outside of medicine, my passion lies in producing and delivering a message to an audience, an activity that requires empathy and teamwork. Whether I am directly portraying the message, as I was while directing a documentary about HIV in Jakarta with the aforementioned club, or I am indirectly doing so by as stage production crew of TEDx, my team and I always confer and predict the emotional response of the audience. Even in solo works, like the 348-page Korean novel I finished this summer, such predictions were key. The constant exercise to put myself in others’ shoes has been a practice in developing the empathy needed as a medic.

I am aware that the UK healthcare system requires of physicians the strength, both mental and physical, to persevere in strenuous conditions. However, the social and personal sacrifices are outweighed by my devotion to an intrinsically gratifying and continuously challenging vocation. As an inquisitive, persevering, and caring person, I truly believe I am suitable for this fulfilling career.