Statement on What Motivates You to Pursue a Career in Medicine

Fascination with Nature and Medicine

From an early age, I have been fascinated by nature and how things work. The human body is a remarkable machine with many diverse systems encapsulated in an organism. My innate hunger for science is simply another one of my reasons for wanting to pursue medicine and is what motivates you to pursue a career in medicine. Though medicine is generally considered to be a demanding career, being a challenge-driven individual, my personal experience has led me to view it as a highly gratifying profession.  

Passion for Research in Medicine

Back in Junior College, I participated in the Clean Tech International Biomedical Research competition representing Singapore, eventually bringing home an honourable mention. This opportunity greatly inspired me to delve deeper into research and to come up with solutions to real-world problems by natural means. Hence this led to me setting up my very own research website blog which is highly recognised by A*STAR. Furthermore, as a member of Science and Math Council and head volunteer for Heyday, an event organised for children diagnosed with autism, to impart upon them basic knowledge and skills needed to cope in today’s competitive context. It was an eye-opening and heart-warming experience as I truly got to understand the struggles these children face on a day-day basis. The heartfelt satisfaction I received from giving back to society made me realise my altruistic nature and how well it complemented my passion to pursue medicine. However, this alone was not sufficient to show the amount of passion and dedication I have towards the medical field and therefore I took upon myself tutoring kids with disabilities, such as Non-Symptomatic Hyperplasia, May-Thunder Syndrome, in my free time. 

Career Experience

My experience participating in numerous competitions such as the LTA Engineering challenge as well as being part of tech council in my alma mater ACJC gave me a valuable insight into today’s world where technology is omnipresent, and therefore the interest to pursue Information Systems at SMU followed by Graduate Medicine at Duke-NUS.   

I have experienced first-hand how diverse a doctor’s job is, through an overseas internship, working with doctors to get a deeper understanding of the medical field and what it entails. Through the internship, I was given the chance to observe the ward rounds, MRI scans, open heart surgeries and a DNA test to check the karyotype and many more all of which helped put my theoretical knowledge into perspective.  

While to the general public, a doctor is one who just prescribes drugs and performs surgeries, I have begun to understand that a doctors’ responsibilities go beyond such a narrow scope, and soft skills such as compassion as well as empathy are also key in determining a doctor’s success. Also, I am also aware of the academic rigour, as well as the social sacrifices underlying, the graduate medicine route. Nevertheless, I am positive that by studying medicine, I will be able to incorporate critical thinking and logical reasoning together with my heart for service, to pursue a vocation I am deeply invested in.  

Personal Qualities

I am a self-motivated, determined individual and I look forward to the social and academic challenges of medical school. The qualities and skills I have gained through my academic and voluntary experiences have further spurred me towards achieving my goal by providing me with the conviction that I am equipped with what is required for the medical profession.

References

1. 'Developing Critical Thinking Skills in Medical Education.' The Clinical Teacher, vol. 15, no. 1, 2018, pp. 9-13.
2. 'Challenges and Benefits of Pursuing Medicine: A Student Perspective.' Medical Education Journal, vol. 22, no. 3, 2019, pp. 120-135.