I found that most of these patients were ill-informed about their options in treatment. Taking into consideration their financial disadvantage, I helped them find the few hospitals and doctors in the area that provided low-cost service to the underprivileged. Overtime, my consistent interest in healthcare gave rise to a deeper desire to familiarize myself with the medical field. It is a pursuit that has involved a good deal of sacrifice and continual hard work. Immediately following my high school graduation in Iran, I relocated to the United States. I later earned my CPR for the Professional Rescuer and life guarding certificates from Red Cross Los Angeles, where I performed my first volunteer work in the US. I then volunteered at Saint John 's Hospital for 159 hours, a position that has enabled me to help doctors and nurses while witnessing the contributions made by dedicated medical …show more content…
It was there where I learned that sometimes the best help that you can give these patients is to lend them an ear and a shoulder to cry on. Immediately after completing my undergraduate studies at UCLA, I took on a full-time job as a medical scribe for an orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Vakili, in order to increase my exposure to clinical medicine. One of my proudest moments was feeling the trust Dr. Vakili put in me when he asked me to fill in for an absent nurse by taking a patient 's vitals prior to his examination. Since I have moved on to my graduate studies, I have scaled back to part-time, but retaining the position has allowed me to continue polishing my ability to interact with patients during medical examination and to write accurate medical reports and histories. For as long as I can remember, I have excelled at collaborative teaching and learning. It was a passion that first came to light during my time as a swim instructor for children and adults, and which I have been able to extend into academics through work as a