Reflective Essay: Hip Arthroplasty

The patient was wheeled in on the operating table lying supine. A team of nurses and doctors assembled around him. The surgeon followed last and introduced himself. He addressed the students in their clerkship and said, “This is the implant that we will be using in todays hip arthroplasty and those are the researchers that developed it”. As the procedure progressed, he discussed the condition of the acetabulum that would warrant surgery. However, his explanations for the symptoms went beyond physiology. He described how this condition, to many patients, means a loss of independence, a decrease in their quality of life, and often time’s feelings of depression. He described how this surgery means a parent playing tennis with their son or daughter again, an athlete returning to the sport they love or even a child gaining confidence. It was at that moment that my view of medicine had changed. The weight of his words resonated as the implantation time of the device approached. The challenges the team and I overcame to develop the implant all culminated to this moment. The tension I was feeling slowly dissipated as he inserted the device and began fixation. As the surgery came to a close the doctor commended us on our efforts and expressed his confidence in the recovery of the patient.

At the end of the surgery, not only did I …show more content…
I made this decision to pursue medicine; I chose to overcome my weaknesses as an applicant to prove to myself, and the medical community that I am ready to move forward. If I were accepted to your school of medicine I would bring my devotion to overcoming the challenges present in both medical school and beyond, a passion for helping others, and a sense of grace for having an opportunity to help people in a way that is rewarding to my community and