Personal Statement
I remember when I first move to the US, I just wanted to be a typical American kid. However, no matter how much I knew or what I did, there was something that always branded me as an “outsider” -- my name. I soon learned your unique identity or background is something you should embrace. This realization occurred as I encountered people from diverse backgrounds. Since my father was in the U.S army, I often found myself frequently thrust into a new environment. My journey started in the bustling modern city of Seattle, WA filled with many different cultures and people. This journey continued as I moved to the “Asian” capital of the US -- San Francisco, CA followed by time spent in the rural town of Murfreesboro, Tennessee …show more content…
One of the things I wanted to do was to conduct scientific research because of my interest in the science behind medicine; fortunately, I was able to do that the summer of my freshman year. As part of the Vanderbilt Minority Summer Research Program, I investigated the migration patterns of natural killer cells to ultimately discover ways one could direct natural killer cells to specific regions of the human body. Conducting research furthered my curiosity in medicine; I greatly enjoyed reading scientific articles about the immune system and discussing various components of my research project with Dr. …show more content…
During the first week of the program, I was able to shadow Dr. Samantha Dallefield who was currently doing her fellowship at Duke in pediatrics at the intensive care unit. A heart-wrenching moment while shadowing her was witnessing her provide care to a 6-month year infant whose health was rapidly deteriorating. What made the circumstances even more heartbreaking was the baby was there because of abuse -- he had been shaken violently and strangled by his own mother. Standing there I felt guilty and helplessness as all I wanted to do was help. These were the same feelings I had for my uncle when he had passed away from HIV. While to others HIV may be something you hear about on the news, to me it was real; to me it is my uncle 's fragile state during the final stages, it is a family in shambles; it is an epidemic that does not discriminate between rich or poor, race, or gender. The guilt and helplessness of being unable to help him still follows me today. That guilt inspired me to want to reach out and help those at risk of HIV or already affected. I was able to do very that during the spring break of my sophomore year. As part of the Alternate Spring Break
I remember when I first move to the US, I just wanted to be a typical American kid. However, no matter how much I knew or what I did, there was something that always branded me as an “outsider” -- my name. I soon learned your unique identity or background is something you should embrace. This realization occurred as I encountered people from diverse backgrounds. Since my father was in the U.S army, I often found myself frequently thrust into a new environment. My journey started in the bustling modern city of Seattle, WA filled with many different cultures and people. This journey continued as I moved to the “Asian” capital of the US -- San Francisco, CA followed by time spent in the rural town of Murfreesboro, Tennessee …show more content…
One of the things I wanted to do was to conduct scientific research because of my interest in the science behind medicine; fortunately, I was able to do that the summer of my freshman year. As part of the Vanderbilt Minority Summer Research Program, I investigated the migration patterns of natural killer cells to ultimately discover ways one could direct natural killer cells to specific regions of the human body. Conducting research furthered my curiosity in medicine; I greatly enjoyed reading scientific articles about the immune system and discussing various components of my research project with Dr. …show more content…
During the first week of the program, I was able to shadow Dr. Samantha Dallefield who was currently doing her fellowship at Duke in pediatrics at the intensive care unit. A heart-wrenching moment while shadowing her was witnessing her provide care to a 6-month year infant whose health was rapidly deteriorating. What made the circumstances even more heartbreaking was the baby was there because of abuse -- he had been shaken violently and strangled by his own mother. Standing there I felt guilty and helplessness as all I wanted to do was help. These were the same feelings I had for my uncle when he had passed away from HIV. While to others HIV may be something you hear about on the news, to me it was real; to me it is my uncle 's fragile state during the final stages, it is a family in shambles; it is an epidemic that does not discriminate between rich or poor, race, or gender. The guilt and helplessness of being unable to help him still follows me today. That guilt inspired me to want to reach out and help those at risk of HIV or already affected. I was able to do very that during the spring break of my sophomore year. As part of the Alternate Spring Break