My Motivation to Study Medicine

Most people want to change lives, I on the other hand, want to save lives. My decision to study Medicine was not an impulse one, prompted by an event, neither was it something that I’ve longed to do since childhood. Internships, work experience and numerous thoughts about my life in this profession, have shaped me into a person determined to study Medicine.

By studying biology since the age of ten, I have become familiar with the human body systems. How is it that the smallest antibody, the slightest cramp, the most minor mutation, can cause such profound effects in this sentient mass of cells we call the human body? My curiosity drives me to seek answers to these questions. Although the path towards becoming a doctor is high challenging, I know it is where I belong. I am meant to be on this journey and I was meant to fall in love with medicine. I feel so fortunate that I know where I need to be and that I can pursue a calling that I was lucky enough to fall in love with.

Unfortunately, the last two years, the death of two of my close family members due to cancer and a car accident, resulted in my debacle. Since I was away at boarding school, I felt a sense of guilt when I lost my grandfather, due to cancer. The following year I returned home, only to be a witness to the loss of my cousin. Both these tragedies took a toll on me. I was derailed and unfocused. I took a long time to get back on track.

Today, however, I stand strong and independent, ready for anything that life throws my way. I believe that my family members could have been saved. It was the lack of medical attention that resulted in their demise. It’s not just my family, many cities, and towns in India lack advanced medical technology and manpower. This is a driving factor for me. I want to work for the betterment of areas like these all around the world.

Over the last two years, I have gained insight into the world of doctors, by shadowing a pediatrician, a dermatologist, a gynecologist and a neurosurgeon. Through these enlightening experiences, I learned that a doctor’s communication skills are not only for cooperating effectively with colleagues but also taking away patients’ discomfort. I concluded that an effective doctor cares about their patients and addresses all the concerns a patient has.

Apart from the world of Medicine, I am an accomplished dancer. My passion of performing in front of people has made me confident about myself. I am also a part of a dance club, where I help mentor my club’s younger members, utilizing the interpersonal and leadership skills I will need as a doctor to connect with patients and contribute effectively to a team. Recently, I had also taken a managerial position at a retail company. The internship helped with my communication skills, and it made me a better team player. Medicine is the profession that best places scientific ability in a deeper social context, enabling me to remain a scientist at heart while fulfilling my desire to work with people in a caring role. With my work experience, research and reading, I am positive it is my vocation, and it is the career I will most enjoy as well as the one I am best suited to. As an aspiring health care professional, my aim is to serve and understand the people around me, as well as understand my individual purpose in this changing world. By pursuing a career which combines scientific knowledge with caring for others, I see studying medicine as the way to live my life to the fullest, every day. I know that I will be an efficient doctor for this is not only my passion, but also my hobby. I want to make a positive impact on as many lives as possible by offering all I have. Being able to help everyone around me is how I will get a little closer to understanding my existence, my purpose and the short time we all have to make a difference.

Works Cited:

1. Google. (n.d.). Pessimist. In Google Dictionary. Retrieved April 23, 2023, from https://www.google.com/search?q=pessimist
2. Halford, S. (2016, January 6). Successful Optimist: Mastering the Art of Possibility Thinking. Entrepreneur.
3. Optimism. (n.d.). In Sussex Publishers (Ed.), Psychology Today. Retrieved April 23, 2023, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/optimism
4. Statista Research Department. (2013, October 1). Optimism and pessimism among US adults as of August 2013. In Statista. Retrieved April 23, 2023, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/270035/optimism-and-pessimism-among-us-adults/
5. Truman, H. S. (n.d.). Harry S Truman Quotes. In BrainyQuote.
6. Wicklund, E. (2016, May 16). 5 Advantages of Being a Pessimist. Psychology Today.
7. Williams, R. L. (2018, December 10). The Benefits of Optimism. American Psychological Association.
8. Wood, J. V. (2016, January 6). 5 Reasons Why Optimism Is Good for You. Psychology Today.