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AMCAS Personal Statement
'We eat dog.' 'You what?!' 'Dog. It's a local delicacy.' Culinary habits aside, I was certain I was as much an oddity to South Koreans as they were to me. My blonde, six-foot frame towered over my darker, petite hosts. Despite the cultural differences, common goals for understanding carcinogenesis and improving patient's health overcame language barriers. Being a foreigner was nothing new. My parents, immigrants from the former Czechoslovakia, moved from Canada to California when I was six years old. While most of my 7th-grade classmates would have their papers proofread by their parents, I was editing my mother's letters as well as completing my own homework. But my international background also created an awareness of the world beyond my little community, and I dreamed of exploring the East Coast of my adopted country. Armed with an athletic scholarship, I chose to study at the University of Massachusetts for its strong academic reputation and excellent tennis program. From my earliest childhood career ambitions, medicine was always a strong interest. As the tomboy who gathered frogs and lizards, more than one science teacher had labeled me as the class scientist because of my inquisitiveness about the fundamental workings that kept my pets alive and healthy, and the knowledge of what caused them to become sick. When I entered college, I sought to satisfy this curiosity by studying biochemistry. I engaged in research, finding my own answers to questions, sharpening my logical approach to problems and learning to critically analyze the work of others. As my work progressed, I was increasingly interested how research results applied to human health and treatment. I engaged physicians in long discussions that bridged the laboratory and the clinic, and as a result my interest heightened in the application of medicine rather than research alone. However, I did not limit myself to studying biochemistry. Since I have always been curious about people, whom I view to be more complex than a collection of chemical reactions, anthropology seemed like a natural adjunct to my scientific training. Immediately after graduation, I applied my training by joining a research team for a menopause study in Slovenia. As an interviewer/interpreter, I talked with women about their health and the issues of aging. These conversations sometimes extended to invitations for coffee or dinner; most women were eager to speak because people rarely asked about their health or answered their questions frankly. For a moment, I was a part of these women's lives, and I loved the human interaction. However, my role as a biological anthropologist was to observe, to gather data. Though I would relish assisting the people with whom I had such close contact, collecting information and understanding the situation are the first steps towards assistance. My first opportunity to integrate my anthropological and scientific training came with the Fulbright to Singapore and South Korea to study gastric cancer. Although overall incidence rates of gastric cancer are globally decreasing, certain Asian nations remain disproportionately affected by a cancer that is relatively rare in the West. The pertinence of the gastric cancer study to my host countries, combined with availability and ease of access to tissue samples, contributed to my decision to develop gene-expression profiles of gastric tumors. But beyond genetics, gastric cancer has a strong environmental component - epidemiological studies consistently show that consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables correlate with declining Helicobacter pylori infection and gastric cancer rates. As an American living and traveling in Southeast Asia, I saw how globalization and better refrigeration methods have diversified local food consumption, decreased spoilage, and expanded peoples access to a healthier diet. I realized that health is not simply about genetics and medical treatment, but includes social conditions and lifestyle choices. During the SARS crisis in Singapore, I was impressed how my physician colleagues compassionately addressed fears of the public, and placed themselves on the battle line of the epidemic both in research and in the clinic. SARS highlighted the increasing integration of the world, how illnesses in seemingly remote regions can affect people in the United States, and what it means to be a medical professional in an increasingly global society. The study and application of medical science now has a special appeal for me. I am particularly interested in oncology, infectious diseases, and public health, but I believe each persons quest for good health cannot be fragmented. Whether we eat dog or hot dogs, doctors need to combine knowledge of a patient's cultural background and social situation with medical science and compassion to plan truly effective treatments for our afflictions. Health is intimately linked to our quality of life, and a clear need will always exist for dedicated doctors who understand this relationship. I feel that my background has prepared me well for the rigors of medical school, and I am eager to undertake the challenges of modern medicine.
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Personal Statement for AMCAS
I grew up in a house that doubled as a rubber stamp 'factory'. When I was six years old, my father bought a rubber vulcanizer and set up shop in our garage. My weekends were filled with glitter and multicolored ink, not only because I was surrounded by arts and craft supplies, but because I came to hold major responsibilities like sales, graphic design, and advertising. As years passed, the daily requirements of my job ranged from webpage design to the intimidating task of predicting trends in customer taste. I believe this wide range of challenges encouraged me to develop a flexible approach to problem solving and a creative nature that will help me be a successful researcher and clinician. These early experiences taught me the value of efficiency. In my current laboratory, I grew frustrated with the "semi-automated" methods of cell-counting that I inherited from a previous lab member. Although this technique was much better than manual hand counting, one still had to "teach" the computer to distinguish between cells and background for each image processed. After studying several computer programs, I developed a method that not only automatically recognizes cells, but also distinguishes between single cells and clumps of cells. Data sets that once took a month to process now only take a week; additionally, my method applies to data from the other members in my lab. My efforts to improve our cell-counting process demonstrate my ability to draw from previous challenges and adapt to new situations. In high school, I taught myself how to use graphic tools such as Adobe Photoshop in order to create new product designs for my parents' company. My capability to overhaul our labs counting procedures is due to my willingness to research unfamiliar computer programs and program functions to achieve my goals. I hope to apply my problem solving skills in a parallel fashion within the clinical setting. As natural as my decisions seem now, I have not always known that I wish to pursue both medical practice and scientific research. My long time passion for biology stems from the beauty of the subject. No matter how minute a biological system, one is able to appreciate its real-world importance. For instance, I have been fascinated by the function of telomeres since high school. My interest began with an article in Time Magazine about the implications of telomeres and telomerase in cancer and aging. From that time, I have gravitated towards the subject when choosing topics for class projects or papers; nevertheless, I never imagined that I would one day be able to experiment with the enzyme. My studies have come full circle now that one of my current projects involves manipulation of the active enzymatic portion of human telomerase in the context of tissue engineering. Even with my passion for biology, I have been hesitant to dedicate myself solely to research because I am such a "people person." An example of my appreciation for personal interaction is my long term interest in the Spanish language. I value the ability to communicate with individuals from different cultures, since language is crucial in forming emotional bonds. I am also a compassionate person, and my language skills have aided me in multiple service efforts. In college, I held leadership positions and was a mentor in [], a program that pairs college volunteers with students from disadvantaged backgrounds. I was attracted to this program because of its personalized, hands-on approach to motivating kids about science. I often was paired with mentees with higher needs because of my experience and my language abilities. It is satisfying to realize that the attention and companionship that I gave to these children helped them develop self-confidence and interest in basic scientific principles. My experiences this past year at [Hospital X] have helped solidify my interest in medicine and research. During my time at the [Hospital X], I have investigated both professions by working on medically relevant research projects, shadowing residents and attendings, and volunteering in the orthopaedic cast clinic. Such hands-on opportunities combined with my long-time pursuits made me realize that I would like to embark on a path that combines clinical practice and scientific research. I believe this type of training would allow me to use science to tackle medical problems in a productive and efficient manner. I was raised in an environment where work figured into all aspects of family life. Consequently, I have always known that I must find a career that I truly enjoy because it will be difficult for me to fully separate myself from my occupation. After deep reflection, I am confident in my choice to enter medical school, for I have both the passion and the talent required to succeed as a doctor. My motivation stems from the chance to significantly improve patient care both directly and indirectly through clinical interaction and through medical research. I believe that I can make a significant difference in the health of our society, and I cannot wait for the opportunity to actively do so.
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Write a 2 page autobiographical sketch. This should be a true autobiographical statement. Topics to be included are family, childhood, primary and secondary school years, early adult years, and future career goals in medicine. You should also discuss the motivational factors which led you to a career in medicine including any disadvantages or obstacles which might put your accomplishments into context. A repeat of your AMCAS statement will not be acceptable.
Tracing written records to the 16th century, my ancestors lived in the region known today as the Czech Republic. My family members were farmers, doctors, journalists, soldiers, and probably mountain dwellers, from which my last name is derived. Although some relatives left the country - one grandparent was a diplomat in Russia, and another studied in Iowa - most eventually decided to return to their homeland. The concept of home changed for my family with the political landscape. In 1968, Russian tanks rolled into Prague and the descending Iron Curtain would later isolate the East from the West. Fleeing the Communist regime, my family emigrated to Montreal, Canada, where I was born on May 29, 1980. My early memories include attending pre-school with French-Canadian children. Nobody told me that I did not know how to speak French, but before long I was conversing with the other children in colloquial Quebequois. However, my Czech roots were firmly ingrained with the activities organized by the immigrant community to celebrate holidays and remember traditions. When I was six years old, my father received a job in California. I was placed in a public classroom that, compared to the Canadian education system, was overcrowded yet too advanced in reading-skill expectations. My mother tutored me with flash cards, which I modified at every opportunity with a black crayon. Despite my best efforts, I became literate and voraciously read books. Although medicine was always a strong interest, I rarely made the admission to the questioning adult - every child wanted to be a doctor, so I explored less orthodox ideas like 'inventor' or 'scientist'. When I reached Westlake High School, I took every possible science class. Advanced Anatomy was my favorite subject - the class was the only high school course in the nation to contain four cadavers with twenty-four budding physicians doing the dissections. Along with anatomical structures, we learned the rigors of a medical education from the perspective of students, faculty, and physicians. The class re-affirmed my interest in the field of medicine, and provided insight into the profession's extensive time and financial commitment as well as the tremendous responsibility for people's health and lives. Throughout my youth, I also competed in many sports, but I eventually focused on playing tennis at the national level. Athletics complemented my academic studies, both in providing a physical release for stress and in developing my understanding of human psychology and physiology. Through athletics, I felt empowered in my body, and I began instructing tennis to share this positive influence in my life with other people. Tennis also became an unexpected means to further my education. Shortly before my high school graduation, my father lost his job. The full athletic scholarship to the University of Massachusetts eased my parents' financial worries, provided an opportunity to pursue my interest in the biological sciences. Although I listened to opinions and theories in the classroom, I engaged in research because I loved directly experimenting and logically approaching problems to discover my own conclusions. I sought to understand people, and relished learning the innate logic of the universal chemical reactions that govern life. However, I felt that my studies in anthropology better captured uniquely human nuances. After graduation, I received an invitation to conduct a menopause study in Slovenia. Interviewing strangers about their health is a difficult task, especially in a foreign language. I initially felt hesitant in asking very private, personal questions, but I was pleasantly surprised by the enthusiastic responses and elaborations. I discovered that many women rarely had the chance to speak about aging and changes in their bodies, and the interviews provided an opportunity to voice their concerns. My next destination was Singapore to develop gene expression profiles of gastric tumors under a Fulbright fellowship. I was curious about the social and scientific aspects of a disease that is common in many Asian countries, but relatively rare disease in the West. But on a more personal level, I wanted to understand a different set of values; compared to Westerners, many Asians placed a greater emphasis on the needs of the community, sometimes at the expense of personal freedoms and luxuries. By purposefully surrounding myself with different modes of thinking, I began to realize my own concept of individuality and my relation to society. My fellowship was extended for three months to pursue a research collaboration with the Yonsei Medical School in South Korea. For the first time, I saw a patient undergoing gastric resection, a humbling experience that placed a human face onto my work; the reason I was conducting research was to help patients like this man. During my walks down the hospital corridor, I could not understand what was said, but I could see physicians comforting fears of patients in illnesses and deaths, and sharing joys of births and recoveries. The way that the doctors compassionately addressed the patients seemed universal to healing practices, cementing my decision to pursue a medical career. After the Fulbright, I wanted to explore other regions in Asia, hence I traveled independently for nine months. I enjoyed experiencing different cultures and interacting with diverse people, but the greatest irony is that my two-year absence taught me the most about my home. I will always be a global person - the diversity of my background and my experiences developed my ability to relate with many people and to acknowledge a variety of perspectives. However, my childhood in the States uniquely developed my independence, self-motivation and the belief in my ability to affect change. Ultimately, between friends and family, California will always be my home. Within my life, I sought to develop an understanding of people, both through science and through the humanities. In medicine, I see a similar philosophy of understanding a complete person, and the potential to impact people's lives by addressing universal needs. I am eager to undertake the challenge of medical school and make a difference.
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Major Essay: Personal Statement: AMCAS Prompt: III. Personal Comments Consider and write your Personal Comments carefully; many admissions committees place significant weight on this section. Some questions you may wish to consider while drafting this essay are: Why have you selected the field of medicine? What motivates you to learn more about medicine? What do you want medical schools to know about you that has not been disclosed in another section of the application?
I would like to introduce you to a very special friend of mine named "Lumpy". He isn't much to look at; his head is made from a special effects silicone product alled 'Dragon Skin' and houses several balloon catheters which simulate cancerous nodes in the mouth and neck. Lumpy also lacks a body. You see, Lumpy is actually a medical device, the result of my belief that there had to be a way to detect oral cancer in people before it was too late. The idea of Lumpy was sparked after I read a rather startling statistic while waiting in the lobby of my dentist's office: 85% of the people suffering from oral cancer are diagnosed when the tumors are considered 'late-stage' and have progressed beyond the point of medical aid. The article continued on to state the mortality rate of oral cancer is higher than that of cervical cancer, cancer of the brain, liver, kidney, or malignant melanoma. I was rather taken aback by this, knowing that oral cancer treatments are typically 80% effective when discovered early and detecting unnatural lumps in the mouth seems straightforward. After probing a bit further, I finally uncovered the root of the problem: oral cancer detection training was practically non-existent in dental schools across the country. These facts were difficult for me to fathom . . . How could a malady be so treatable, yet completely ignored? I decided to investigate the possibility of creating a cancer model; a device that would mimic various stages and types of oral tumors and could be used to train dental students and physicians in early detection methods. I took it upon myself to fabricate such an instrument, and thus Lumpy was born. In order to make Lumpy as life-like as possible, I worked with a dentist who specialized in geriatric lymph carcinoma. Shadowing the oral cancer specialist gave me the opportunity to interact with patients and exposure to many different types of tumors and diagnostic techniques. I was able to replicate each of these morphologies in Lumpy, creating the most versatile and realistic repertoire to train physicians and dental students alike. This dynamic device was computer-controlled and could inflate balloon catheters that were filled with various substances to imitate a particular tumor's feel and appearance. Although I interacted with hundreds of individual patients, when I reflect back, one unique encounter comes to mind. It was during this experience that I came to know Sid, an elderly smoker who had developed severe lymph cancer in his mouth and trachea. With very few treatment options available to him, Sid had accepted his prognosis and decided to devote his remaining time to spreading the word about oral cancer and the dangers of smoking to others. Due to the severity of his condition he was hardly able to speak, instead he communicated through gestures and facial expressions that I soon learned to interpret. In spite of this handicap, he became a stout advocate of oral cancer detection and opened his heart to hundreds of other cancer patients. It was during one of our many conversations that the topic of oral cancer detection was brought up, along with the lack of screening mechanisms and public awareness regarding the disease. Over the course of our discussion, I brought up Lumpy, describing his purpose and implementation in the near future. Sid was very supportive, and thought Lumpy was a brilliant idea. He even lent a hand to ensure that representative stage-three tumors were as realistic as possible. This process involved several iterations of comparing his tumor to the simulated one, until we both felt confident that we had created a clinically accurate model. My interaction with Sid was bittersweet. He was suffering from a disease that could have easily been treated had it been caught earlier, and yet he was happy to know that through his efforts fewer lives would be lost. Spending time with Sid reminded me that treatment is both physical and emotional. I realized that medicine isn't just about MRIs or antibiotics; rather there are many aspects that contribute to the process of healing. There are many people like Sid who will benefit from the implementation of Lumpy; their cancer may be diagnosed at an earlier stage, resulting in more encouraging prognoses and an improved quality of life. After two years of development, Lumpy is patented and visiting dental schools across the country to demonstrate several detection techniques and tumor types. The success of this project stemmed from combining several different fields, the synthesis of engineering, mathematics, anthropology, and medicine. My experience with Sid and Lumpy reinforced my belief in the therapeutic nature of the patient-doctor relationship.
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Major Essay: Please describe your career goals and how your education has supported your future in medicine.
Innovation, engineering, and surgery are the concepts that best exemplify the intent of my career goals. Our understanding of functional neuroscience is just beginning and technology is finally able to contribute to healing the neurologically impaired. It was eighty years ago that the father of neurosurgery, Dr. Harvey Cushing, joined efforts with Dr. William Bovie, a physicist, to develop one of the most revolutionizing surgical instruments of our time, the monopolar cautery. Initially, the idea of a neurosurgeon and physicist operating side-by-side seems foreign and misplaced. And while it is true that a physician may independently care for a patient, the advancement of medicine requires the culmination of milestones from many distinct fields. Deep brain stimulation, implantable microelectrodes, and cortical mapping are all progeny of interdisciplinary medicine. I stand in a confluence of knowledge, poised to seize my imagination, creativity, and desire to develop the next generation of medical technology. Trained in engineering and soon medicine, I am passionately equipped with a unique perspective to assess urgent clinical needs. I fully intend to maximize my resources in achieving this goal. Since the initiation of my educational training, neuroscience has been my primary focus. As an undergraduate at Johns Hopkins, my degree in Biomedical Engineering provided me with a framework for developing new ideas, solutions, and maintaining fresh perspectives on the needs of spinal cord injury patients. I dedicated several years to working with Dr. X to examine the regenerative potential of spinal cord neurons following treatment with a hydropolymer hybrid gel. Supported by the Provost's Excellence in Research Award, I developed an algorithm to analyze the neuronal growth pattern of animals subject to spinal cord injury. This experience was enlightened by time spent with Dr. Y in his neurosurgery clinic, evaluating the status quo of implantable spinal devices. My experience in the laboratory sparked my creativity and harvested my passion for device design, translational medicine, and neurosurgery. My aspiration to impact the lives of many Americans is only partially fulfilled by my future surgical career. As a surgeon, I may only directly improve the lives of those who immediately surround me. However, as an entrepreneur, I will benefit the lives of far more people. Through device design I hope to make greater strides towards curing disease and restoring health. My history as an entrepreneur began once I obtained my fundamental engineering skill set. Driven in part by the loss of a dear classmate to oral cancer, I devised an oral carcinoma training device which is used to teach aspiring dentists and clinicians the detection techniques for early stage oral carcinoma. The translation of this device into industry was an enlightening experience, one that instilled upon me the symbiotic relationship of healthcare and industry in America. My innovative spirit expanded to neuroscience as I constructed a series of intervertebral disc repair systems using novel photopolymers. Through these efforts I interacted with neurosurgeons from Yale and Hopkins to dissect the needs of modern day degenerative disc disease. Our ideas culminated in the incorporation of WW, a company dedicated to advancing spinal technology. As co-founder and consulting engineer, I am responsible for the intellectual direction of our research goals. The experience of designing an implant to be used by thousands in the medical community opened my eyes to a career that channeled leadership and innovation to facilitate the progress of medicine. My desire to cultivate innate feelings of creativity and ingenuity is a demanding burden to place on any academic institution. Continuing my hands on engineering, participating in a flourishing entrepreneurial culture, and obtaining an outstanding medical education were all fundamental reasons for choosing X. As a medical student, I am currently utilizing state of the art imaging tools in the Clark BioDesign Center to investigate the next generation of targeted cancer therapy. The unique X curriculum engages students to continue their study in a field related to their research interests. Having completed a scholarly concentration in bioengineering with a focus in neuroscience, I refined my engineering knowledgebase and affirmed my belief in collaborative medicine. X's pioneering curriculum is a perfect match for my visions of a career as a future clinician-scientist. Over the past year, I received a number of grants and fellowships to support my investigation and creation of novel anti-cancer therapeutics. Currently funded by the American Heart Association, X University Medical Scholars Program, Genentech, and the Goodrich Foundation I am consulting with experts in the Molecular Imaging Program and operative specialists in neurosurgery to design molecular probes capable of exclusively targeting brain tumor cells. These molecular probes embody the future of cancer imaging, targeted drug delivery, and patient selection. I have prepared and published a total of eleven manuscripts, all of which highlight my dedication to a career in academic neurosurgery. Each publication, from the very technical basic science manuscripts to the insight presented in the literature reviews, demonstrates my multidimensional approach to understanding neurosurgery in practice and science. The most recent results from my therapeutic study were presented in the Select Abstract Session at the 54th Annual Congress of Neurological Surgeons Annual Meeting in October 2006. My notion of medicine, its humanity, its evolving demands, and its potential to affect millions shaped my career goals. The diseases I study today may not be those I face ten years from now, however my training stwill prepare me to generate solutions for new ailments as they present. The culmination of experiences with my mentors, in the research laboratory, and with patients at their beside has confirmed my devotion to neuroscience. As an academic neurosurgeon, I anticipate a career filled with teaching, experimenting, and problem solving. Upon graduating from X, I intend to complete a residency in neurological surgery and subsequently a fellowship in neurosurgical oncology and minimally invasive spinal surgery. I envision myself as an attending physician at an academic institution where I may bestow my skills upon a younger generation of neurosurgeons as well as advance the field of neuroscience.
