Medical School Personal Statement Guide

Note: This essay appears unedited for instructional purposes. Essays edited by EssayEdge are dramatically improved. For samples of EssayEdge editing, please click here.

[In this personal statement, the applicant tied together his heritage, his work experience and his candid views about the health-care system to convey a well reasoned and genuine commitment to helping others.]

My earliest impression of medicine occurred when my mother repeatedly required the assistance of physicians in dealing with her chronic migraine headaches. Her doctors were always there for her, day or night. The respect that my parents bestowed on doctors, and the doctors' ability to ease suffering, sparked a desire to one day become a physician myself. This was an ambitious goal for someone coming from a family in which no one had obtained a professional degree. However, my traditional family-oriented culture, emphasizing doing good for others, contributed to this decision to pursue a career in the medical field. Furthermore, the American individualistic spirit gave me the confidence and opportunity to undertake a challenging medical career.

I also had the chance to gain some firsthand experience in the medical profession when I volunteered for over a year in the emergency room of a regional hospital. From my volunteer experience, I learned the importance of organization and effective communication skills, and I was exposed to the diversity that exists in my community. It has also demonstrated to me why the American health-care system is the best in the world; I saw some knowledgeable minds using some very sophisticated equipment. But I also saw many ways it can be improved. For example, uninsured homeless and immigrant people would often come in, complaining of problems they had been having for a long time. Although we would treat these people as best we could, a health-care system that intervenes in such sicknesses earlier would have minimized costs associated with treating diseases in their later stages.

As a doctor, I hope to participate in these changes in order to benefit more people than are currently being served. Doctors should be able to serve people of all different races, ages, backgrounds, and cultures. I intend to use my skills and unique experiences to achieve this vision of what I think a doctor should be.

Sample Essay

Note: This essay appears unedited for instructional purposes. Essays edited by EssayEdge are dramatically improved. For samples of EssayEdge editing, please click here.

In 1979, in the Soviet city of Odessa on the Black Sea, a young man confronted a problem that would forever alter the course of his existence. This 17-year-old Jewish man, who wanted most to become a doctor, was denied the possibility of admission to medical school because of his religion. It could have been an end to a dream.

I was that man. My determination to become a physician, and my parents' support of that ambition, turned our lives upside down. We applied for a visa to leave Russia; while we waited, my parents and older brother were not allowed to work, and all of us were followed by the KGB. When we finally arrived in America in 1980, we had to make our way to Seattle without funds, friends, or command of English. My father, who is an engineer, was reduced to working as a plumber, while I began each day at 5 a.m. unloading trucks. Life was a struggle, but we were all sustained by a dream: my goal of studying to become a doctor.

Within a year of my arrival here, after attending night school to learn the language, I was able to obtain a job as an X-ray orderly at a local hospital. In this position, and later as an admitting aide, I was able over a period of three years to learn much more about American medicine. I had extensive contact with patients, doctors, nurses, and administrators, and I found that I was able to relate well to each group. I saw suffering, healing, death, and all of the other constants that make up any hospital environment. I had an opportunity to observe surgeries, from mastectomies to hysterectomies and bypasses, and to see firsthand the importance of positive doctor-patient interactions. I was fascinated by everything I saw and became more convinced than ever that I could one day make my finest contribution as a physician.

When I first entered college, I had enormous problems with English, especially scientific terminology, and my GPA was an unremarkable 2.84. However, as I mastered the language, my grades steadily improved; in fact, in the last three quarters I've earned a 3.8 GPA.

Beginning in 1984, I worked as a volunteer in the autopsy room at my university's pathology department, amassing more than 500 hours of experience. Just as the hospital provided me with a chance to observe diagnosis and treatment, the autopsy room gave me a chance to find out what goes wrong, what causes death. In that room it was possible for me to see death, smell it, touch it. I prepared organs for examination by medical students as well as assisted in autopsies and cleaning up. I was even awarded a highly sought-after scholarship in recognition of my work...

I first became interested in medicine in high school, when I sat in on my brother's medical school lectures and later accompanied him on hospital rounds. My commitment to becoming a doctor, not to mention my excitement over the prospect of being able to serve others in this capacity, is what has driven me and kept me going in the face of so many obstacles since my departure from Russia. Now, with my goal in sight and so many recent experiences reaffirming my passion for medicine, I know that all of the dedication and sacrifice have been worthwhile. I am eager to begin my medical studies, eager to meet the challenges I know they will present.

Sample Essay

Note: This essay appears unedited for instructional purposes. Essays edited by EssayEdge are dramatically improved. For samples of EssayEdge editing, please click here.

Sometimes I like to tell people that my father knew I wanted to be a doctor long before I did, but the truth is that the idea of becoming a physician has probably been gestating within me in some form or other since an early age. There are childhood scenes involving my father, who is a pediatrician, that are indelibly etched in my memory. When I was eight, for example, a young woman came to our door with her first baby, who she thought was dying. My father examined the infant, reassured the mother that there was no serious problem, and sent both away in a state of relief. I also remember, a few years later, being in a restaurant where a woman was choking. ''Is there a doctor in the house?'' someone asked. My father came forward and took the appropriate steps to help the woman in distress. In both of these instances, as well as many others through the years, I was impressed with my father's capacity to apply his knowledge and skill in a way that made such an important difference in others' lives. He seemed powerful, not in the same way as men who run companies or nations, but as someone who could provide comfort, quiet fears, touch a life, resolve a crisis.

I idolize my father and admire his commitment and contributions, but this alone would not be enough to make me want to become a doctor myself. As I matured, I had a chance to weigh other options and to take a long, hard look at myself, my capabilities, and interests. What I discovered, in time, was that medicine was indeed the most appropriate career path for me, the one best suited to me intellectually, emotionally, and otherwise. For the last four years I have worked one day a week in my father's office, which has given me the chance to interact with patients (and their mothers), observe my father at work, and better understand the dynamics of his practice. Just as when I managed a sandwich shop in high school and had to learn to deal with the public, within his office I have also had to be diplomatic. I have had to relate to many different types of people, often at very vulnerable moments in their lives, and do so with sensitivity and compassion. Two summers ago I worked as an orderly in the operating room at a hospital in the Los Angeles area. I was there a minimum of 40 scheduled hours a week and was on call each weekend. My experience at the hospital also gave me exposure to the constant pressure of emergency situations, in which there is little tolerance for error or indecision. And I was pleased to discover that I was more fascinated than repelled by the actual sight of surgery. I saw the delivery of babies, the treatment of gunshot wounds, hysterectomies, and a host of other procedures. I was spellbound by what I saw, and I returned to my premed studies with even greater enthusiasm and focus.

I have always been a very inquisitive person, as well as one who delights in taking things apart and putting them back together. I cannot help but wonder if these aspects of my personality do not somehow relate to my interest in medicine. I know for certain that I am highly attracted to the intellectual component of the profession and the fact that constant learning is such an integral part of being an effective physician. I also happen to find great pleasure in the company of other people, and I like the one-on-one facet of the physician's work.

As directed as I am in terms of my career, my life would be empty without my family, my close friends (most of whom I have known since high school), my girlfriend, and the sports in which I involve myself with great regularity. These are vital elements of my existence and help me to maintain the balance I need.

My family is very warm and loving, and I think they have nurtured in me these same qualities. Each has taken very independent and ambitious paths. My mother has recently become a lawyer; one sister is becoming a psychologist and the other sister a lawyer. My feeling about the future is that if, for any reason, I did not become a doctor, I would be wasting something--namely, my compassion, commitment, energy, and potential to contribute.

Sample Essay

Note: This essay appears unedited for instructional purposes. Essays edited by EssayEdge are dramatically improved. For samples of EssayEdge editing, please click here.

I originally became interested in the health care field at a very early age because my mother was a nurse, and I spent considerable time in my childhood observing her at work. I was attracted to the idea of helping people with physical problems, although I had no thought about any specific specialty. However, in time physical therapy became the logical focus of my attention for a number of reasons. For one, I have memories from a very young age of my grandfather in Czechoslovakia, disabled by a stroke, his problems unmitigated by any attempts at physical therapy. I will never forget the devastating consequences of this. Conversely, I clearly recall suffering from scoliosis when I was 6 years old and having physical therapy permanently relieve me of the problem. My grandmother, too, was helped by physical therapy after suffering a hip fracture when she was 89 years old. She is 95 now and still quite active. So, even within my own family, I have seen the benefits of physical therapy in a dramatic way. I have been impressed, too, by the fact that physical therapy provides a non-invasive means of treatment that can yield such long-lasting results.

Until two-and-a-half years ago, my professional background was in the area of mechanical engineering. After a while, though, I decided I wanted finally to make the move into the medical field. Physical therapy represents the perfect choice, a career with definite parallels to the work I have done previously; within it I will be able to draw upon my knowledge and understanding of mechanics and motion, and also use my analytical abilities to resolve challenging clinical problems. Four months as a volunteer and two-and-a-half years as a physical therapy aide have only served to corroborate and enhance my interest in the profession.

As far as my professional goals are concerned, I want to specialize in geriatrics and neurological disorders, and come to be known for my professionalism, effectiveness, and compassion. Currently I work for a hospital group with separate in-patient and outpatient facilities. This has given me a chance to observe patients over long periods of rehabilitation and develop rewarding relationships. It is my goal to do the same once I become a registered physical therapist. I hope to be working then in an acute care hospital with an outpatient facility and participate in research that furthers growth in the profession.

Sample Essay

Note: This essay appears unedited for instructional purposes. Essays edited by EssayEdge are dramatically improved. For samples of EssayEdge editing, please click here.

I first became interested in medicine when I entered college in 1978. When it came time to choose my major, I selected psychobiology and, accordingly, studied a curriculum with a strong emphasis on science and psychology. Then, early in 1981, my mother became terminally ill with cancer. Although there are five other children in the family, the responsibility for caring for my mother fell to me. She needed constant care, and it was up to me to provide it.

I had to withdraw from one of my classes at school, while commuting to campus for tests in the remaining two classes (my routine with my mother made it impossible for me to attend lectures, so I had to rely heavily on my textbooks and self-study). Despite the trauma I was going through at home, I somehow managed to do well in these two classes (calculus and physics), keeping up at least part of my college career.

For four months, I spoon-fed my mother daily and helped keep her alive. I kept the entire family going, even after my mother's death, when I was emotionally and physically depleted (I had lost 15 pounds during her illness).

After it was all over and I was back on my feet, I decided I wanted to put myself back in a situation in which I could help others who were ill. I started working in the _____ hospital... I also started working as a student health advocate in college, following a ten-week training period that covered diagnosis, role-playing (responding to ''patients'' with a wide variety of problems), first aid, and emotional concerns--all followed by extensive testing.

Caring for my mother, working at the hospital, and serving as a student health advocate - all of these experiences have not only solidified my interest in medicine but also have taught me how essential it is that physicians be sensitive to the emotional as well as physical needs of their patients. My life to date has taught me lessons that can't be learned in a classroom, lessons that--with the further academic training I hope to receive in medical school - should make me one exceptional doctor.

Sample Essay

Note: This essay appears unedited for instructional purposes. Essays edited by EssayEdge are dramatically improved. For samples of EssayEdge editing, please click here.

I grew up in circumstances that provide a classic example of the frequent disparity between appearance and reality. To any outsider, my family might have seemed to be enjoying the ideal upper-middle-class existence: peaceful, pretty, and privileged. In actuality, however, alcohol and domestic violence were creating an environment within our house that, for me, was both difficult and frightening.

My mother had a drinking problem, and the encounters between my father and her often escalated into violence. I spent a great deal of time trying to care for my mother, a fact of my young life that I think later on may have subliminally drawn me toward a career in medicine. Besides instilling within me a desire to help others who are ill, my experience with my mother also heightened my sensitivity to other people and the difficulties with which they sometimes must cope.

I felt some of the same sympathy while working last year with a local doctor in rural Mexico. The poverty and ignorance there, which had much to do with the parasitosis, diarrhea, and other medical problems that we saw, were very affecting. I was impressed by the difference the doctor made in these people's lives and by the appreciation that they demonstrated. I was also fascinated by my venture into an urban Mexican hospital, where I had a chance to observe Caesarean sections, treat a gunshot wound, and assist in the delivery of a child.

Complementing my Mexican experience was my three-month summer internship with an oncologist at a stateside hospital. In this position I had the opportunity to observe many physicians and a variety of surgeries, as well as doctor/patient interactions. I was also exposed to cardiology, orthopedics, and urology-among other specialties--and gained a greater awareness of the compassion and understanding that a good physician must bring to his or her work.

The experiences both here and in Mexico were inspiring to me, and I came away from them with the feeling that I could do similar work and derive great satisfaction from it.

In my personal life, I find pleasure in many different endeavors. I enjoy traveling and have visited Europe, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Tahiti, Cuba, and South America. I also enjoy expressing myself through music. Although I am not a virtuoso on any instrument, I have played the violin since the sixth grade and currently write songs on the piano and guitar. My greatest love, however, is sports, and I participate in everything from competitive tennis and volleyball to cycling and scuba diving.

I know that medical school will require that I summon all of my resources, but I have the commitment and stamina to look forward to it all. It will provide me with the best opportunity to become a productive member of society while making use of my intellectual talents in a career that I expect to be constantly challenging and fulfilling.

Sample Essay

Note: This essay appears unedited for instructional purposes. Essays edited by EssayEdge are dramatically improved. For samples of EssayEdge editing, please click here.

During my freshman year, I was seriously ill with what was eventually diagnosed as mononucleosis. Extreme fatigue, swollen glands, and such secondary problems as persistent colds and sore throats were among the symptoms from which I suffered. Because the mononucleosis was not correctly diagnosed and proper treatment begun until the second half of the school year, I went through many months of feeling terrible. The consequences for my academic performance were devastating; I earned the poorest grades of my life during the prolonged period of my illness. The only upside to this episode was that I suddenly realized, much more than most teenagers ever do, that good health is a precious commodity, one that can never be taken for granted. In addition, I gained a very deep appreciation of the role physicians can play in improving their patients' lives.

With this in mind, considering my long-demonstrated proficiency in the sciences, it is probably not surprising that the following school year I decided to follow a premed curriculum, with biology as my major. I found myself taking the most difficult, challenging courses I had ever faced, but I also found myself more exhilarated and excited about my studies than ever before. I enjoyed the entire premed environment, including not only the learning and intellectual stimulation, but also the competitiveness that is such a big part of it. I have always considered myself a problem solver, and the premed curriculum provided me with a plenitude of opportunities for defining and solving a wide variety of problems.

When I completed my undergraduate work, I chose a somewhat unconventional course for someone intent on becoming a doctor. Rather than heading straight for medical school, I did something entirely different. After taking a physics course that I had not been able to work into my schedule previously, I moved to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, for five months to attempt to become an expert skier. Always an above-average skier, it was my goal to become a great skier. I knew that once I entered medical school and, later, the medical profession, I would never have the time to realize this objective. So I took a part-time job in Jackson Hole (first as a resort cashier, then as manager of a concession stand) to support myself while I took lessons and skied furiously in the pursuit of excellence. The results that I achieved were outstanding and were a great boost to my self-confidence, especially since Jackson Hole offers some of the biggest challenges in skiing. The time I spent in Wyoming was very beneficial for me in other ways as well, because it gave me a chance to immerse myself in a totally different environment and reassess my professional objectives. I came away from Jackson Hole not only feeling refreshed and recharged, but also with a renewed sense of enthusiasm about my plans to attend medical school and become a doctor.

Sample Essay

Note: This essay appears unedited for instructional purposes. Essays edited by EssayEdge are dramatically improved. For samples of EssayEdge editing, please click here.

What satisfactions do you expect to receive from your activities as a physician?

My experiences with patients and physicians while working in clinics has given me a glimpse into the many rewards a career in medicine can offer. As a clinical research student at the Ontario Cancer Institute and the Toronto General Hospital, I had the opportunity to interact with a variety of patients. My primary responsibility was to recruit patients for the research study and to discuss their illness and treatment. This experience allowed me to gain a confidence in the clinic, to develop my interpersonal skills and, more importantly, to experience the satisfaction of helping another person heal - mentally.

While I had many meaningful encounters, one in particular stands out. On a hot, sticky June morning, I noticed a patient named Scott roaming the corridors. The expression on his face touched me, and I followed him to a nearby television set. The World Cup blazed on the screen, and everyone in the clinic except Scott was fascinated by the Brazil game. Scott quietly sipped orange juice while tugging on his baseball cap, trying to conceal his balding head, the unmistakable sign of chemotherapy. Sensing that Scott desperately needed to be cheered up, I initiated a conversation with a soccer joke. Within minutes, the two of us were laughing. I felt intensely satisfied, although I had done nothing for the boy's physical condition. I had, however, managed to lighten his sadness, if only for a moment. Seeing Scott's smiling face, I realized that my future must revolve around instances like this one, and that true fulfillment comes from helping another person heal. My summer at the Ontario Cancer Institute taught me that patience, compassion, and sensitivity are just as crucial as scientific skills for medicine.

The ongoing intellectual challenges a career in medicine offers would also be satisfying to me. As a student of biochemistry, I am fascinated by the advances and applications of the science. Medicine is a constantly evolving profession which would also meet my passion for learning and problem solving. As a medical student, I hope to further cultivate the critical thinking skills and self-directed learning I developed as an undergraduate. Utilizing these skills would allow me to help improve the health of others by acting as a caregiver for the sick and as a health advocate helping to prevent illness in the community. I believe this would be the ideal balance between intellectual and personal challenge. Serving as a leader in the community also offers tremendous rewards since it would allow me to help work in partnership to improve the health of the community. Having worked at a family practice for three years I have developed a strong interest in specializing in family medicine. I enjoy the idea of being able to service a community while helping improve the health of people of all ages. Such a specialty would also provide the opportunity to understand the various illnesses unique to a family and allow me to better serve them. I believe this would greatly contribute to the life-long personal and professional satisfaction I would derive from medicine.

Sample Essay

Note: This essay appears unedited for instructional purposes. Essays edited by EssayEdge are dramatically improved. For samples of EssayEdge editing, please click here.

Martial arts and medicine. They seem worlds apart, but they both have played significant roles in my life and for reasons that are surprisingly similar. They both offer challenge, require great discipline, and necessitate a goal-oriented approach.

I first became involved with the martial arts when I was only 13 years old. At that time I began studying karate in my hometown in northern California. Even then I was a goal-oriented individual who was attracted to the step-by-step progression involved in studying karate. Within a year I had earned a brown belt (the next-to-highest ranking) and was actually serving as an instructor at the karate academy where I had learned the sport. Dedication, discipline, and physical and mental prowess were behind my success, which included being the youngest person in the area to attain the brown belt.

In college I became involved in Tae Kwon Do, the Korean counterpart of karate. This sport, too, requires patience, determination, and a clear mind in addition to physical strength, endurance, and agility. Within a year I had become president of my university's 80-member Tae Kwon Do club, which ranks among the top sports clubs on campus. In assuming this position I began to have the opportunity to test myself as a leader as well as an athlete.

One of the reasons I became interested in medicine is that it, too, requires a meticulous, goal-oriented approach that is very demanding. Of course, it also happens that the substance of the profession holds strong appeal for me, both in terms of the science and the potential for serving others who are in need.

Most of my exposure to the profession has occurred within the areas of surgery and emergency medicine. After first serving as an emergency medicine volunteer technician at a northern California hospital (where I had a moving experience with a young girl's death), I acquired the EMT-1A/CPR certifications and then worked as an Emergency Medical Technician-1A during a subsequent summer. This job was a fascinating, educational, and high-pressure experience that exposed me to the realities of medicine as practiced in crisis situations.

My extensive involvement with cardio thoracic surgery research over the last three years, first as a volunteer technician and currently as a staff research technician, has further fueled my desire to become a physician. I have had to rely upon my own ingenuity and problem solving skills as well as what I have learned in the classroom, and this has been exciting. One of the more unusual aspects of my work has involved me directly in the procedure of heterotopic heart transplantation in rats. This precise and technically demanding procedure encompasses microsurgery and usually is conducted only by residents. In fact, I am the only undergraduate student doing this procedure, which has shown me the extent of both my manual dexterity and capacity for learning sophisticated techniques.

I have been fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to participate and contribute in almost every way during experiments, from administering anesthesia and performing extensive surgical preparations to analyzing the data obtained and operating monitoring and recording equipment, ventilators, and the heart-lung machine.

I am a somewhat shy individual, but I have found that within the medical environment my shyness evaporates. The opportunity to help others one-on-one is so rewarding and comfortable for me that I feel very much at ease, regardless of with whom I am working. I think one of the particularly attractive aspects of medicine for me, especially within such specialties as internal medicine and obstetrics/gynecology, is the potential for forming close, lasting, meaningful relationships with a wide array of patients.

For me, medicine emerges as the perfect avenue for indulging my impulses to contribute, to be involved with science, and to establish important links with others at both critical and noncritical moments in their lives.

Sample Essay

Note: This essay appears unedited for instructional purposes. Essays edited by EssayEdge are dramatically improved. For samples of EssayEdge editing, please click here.

Not every dental school applicant has supported himself for five-and-a-half years jousting and sword fighting in a Las Vegas show. This colorful and physically demanding work is actually just one of a number of nontraditional elements of my background. My academic history, in particular, is likely quite different from what you normally see. I am 26 years old and will not be completing my undergraduate work until next spring. Working each night, for a total of 42 hours a week, has forced me to structure for myself an educational schedule that has required more time in college than most spend. However, as a result, I will be emerging from my university experience with greater maturity, self-knowledge, and certainty about the professional direction I am choosing to follow than many of my peers.

Unlike many others, I did not begin college immediately after completing high school. Having no focus at that time, I chose instead to work for my uncle in the construction industry, building hotels in Las Vegas, where I grew up. I enjoyed the pay and working with my hands, but there was a void in my life and an absence of the intellectual stimulation I wanted. When I was 21, a terrible tragedy struck my family. My 19-year-old sister, who was involved with drugs, committed suicide. Her death was devastating for me and served as a wake-up call that I needed to set a meaningful course for my own life without delay. I tentatively began taking classes at a local junior college while still doing construction. Not long afterwards, though, I had the opportunity to become part of a show at a Las Vegas hotel. I was one of a dozen men selected (from 300) for this show, largely on the strength of my equestrian and fencing skills, as well as my size (I am 6'4''). Since 1990 I have worked from five to midnight six (and sometimes seven) nights a week at the hotel, while also attending college. The dangers are significant, and I have had my share of serious injuries, including a broken leg, a skull fracture, and a cut that required 26 stitches. Some of these injuries had a negative impact on my academic performance, but I have still managed to compile a very respectable record (trending upward) even with the rigorous Cell and Molecular Biology major I chose for myself.

While many around me were setting their sights on medical school, I was always drawn to the idea of entering dentistry. I enjoy working with my hands and have seen my manual dexterity through my efforts in sculpting, drawing, and building (I have remodeled my own house and built a loft within it). What I have learned during the past year, while working as a volunteer for an oral maxillofacial surgeon, has only corroborated and intensified my enthusiasm for the profession. Working with the surgeon has been an exceptional experience for me because he has allowed me to observe him in every phase of his activities, from his initial consultations with patients to the various surgeries themselves. I have watched his interactions with patients and seen how he deals with their fears and concerns. I have watched him repair broken jaws, correct under-bites and over-bites, and perform extractions. I am impressed with the intricacy and detailed nature of the work, the need for precision when working in such small spaces, the technicalities, challenges, and need for patience. I like the fact that dentists, oral surgeons, and orthodontists work in tandem with one another, and that there is such professionalism and collegiality within their ranks. I know that I can function well in this environment, with all of its demands, and am excited by the prospect of being able to relieve patients of their pain (be it psychological or otherwise) and help them lead happier lives. The job satisfaction expressed by virtually every dentist with whom I have spoken also appeals to me, as does the fact that dentists' schedules normally leave them time for a life outside of the office. As I am a married man who looks forward one day to raising a family, this is an important consideration.

I consider myself a well-qualified applicant who is unusually mature, grounded, determined, and committed to making an important contribution within the dental profession.

Note: This essay appears unedited for instructional purposes. Essays edited by EssayEdge are dramatically improved. For samples of EssayEdge editing, please click here.

From massaging his arm to simply keeping him company, I tried to assist my grandfather in any possible way after a stroke had left his left arm partially paralyzed. As I observed the multitude of treatments and therapies he underwent to revitalize this arm, I often found my eight-year-old mind wishing that I possessed the medical skill and expertise to help him. In a way, then, my grandfather was my first patient.

I harbored this curiosity towards medicine throughout my junior high and high school years and began to seriously consider making it my career when I entered college. Due to this abiding interest in science, I decided to major in biology and passionately engrossed myself in the department's courses. Seeking practical experience in the field, I joined a research team studying the developmental effects of Ataxia-telangiectasia, a recessive genetic disease characterized by growth retardation, abnormal germ cell development, immune defects, and a high incidence of tumorigenesis. As part of my independent study project, I cloned a specific version of the p53 gene. Through this endeavor, not only did I realize the replication, caution, and patience integral to the research process, but I also garnered an understanding of the ways in researchers can employ science to study clinical problems.

Although science has always fascinated me, it is the interpersonal interaction that primarily draws me to the medical field. This persistent desire to help people culminated in concrete action three years ago when I assumed my first volunteer position in the emergency room of Mercy Hospital. My duties there included assisting with patient admissions and discharges, serving as a liaison between the busy staff and visitors, stocking supplies, and delivering patients and materials to various areas of the hospital. When not directly assisting the staff, I listened attentively to the patients' concerns and helped to alleviate their fears.

Such interactions with patients at Mercy Hospital reconfirmed my aspirations of becoming a physician and encouraged my decision to begin another volunteer position. As a volunteer at Vitas Hospice, I have relished the opportunity to provide companionship to terminally ill patients. I have always enjoyed spending time with the elderly; nevertheless, I never cease to be amazed by the vast amount of knowledge and life experiences they relate to me. For example, Mrs. A, a remarkable 102-year-old lady, enlightened me with the details of Black Tuesday and her personal memories concerning the state of the country when the Titanic sank. Another especially memorable experience occurred on a fishing trip with Mr. C. After the doctors diagnosed him with COPD, Mr. C.'s last request was for a volunteer to take him fishing. As I still vividly recall the jubilant excitement on Mr. C's face as he cast his line repeatedly into the open water, my memories are tinged with the bittersweet reminder that Mr. C passed away three days later. I always imagined that I could learn much from my patients as a doctor. My experiences at Vitas Hospice have confirmed such inclinations and have infinitely increased my love of medicine.

I am thus confident that I will achieve my goal of becoming a physician. Through my vast array of volunteer experiences and conversations with my uncles and other physicians, I have accrued a solid understanding of what a position in the medical field entails. While I understand that a career in medicine requires a great deal of work, I am certain that I possess more than the requisite commitment and stamina to meet the challenge. From the time I took my grandfather's seemingly massive arm in my own inexperienced eight-year-old hands to the day I recently accompanied Mr. C. on his final fishing trip, I have appreciated the dual value of providing comfort to and gaining knowledge from patients. I can now look forward to gaining a greater understanding of the technical aspects of medicine and further cultivating my interpersonal skills to improve my ability to serve.

Note: This essay appears unedited for instructional purposes. Essays edited by EssayEdge are dramatically improved. For samples of EssayEdge editing, please click here.

For the past seven years I have spent my summers at a camp in California, first as a camper, then as a counselor, and finally as a division head. The camp is quite remarkable in that each summer it takes in, along with its other campers, approximately 20 children with various learning disabilities, emotional disorders, and mental retardation. For two unforgettable summers I worked in the division that included these handicapped children. This proved to be one of the most extraordinary experiences in my life, as it provided me with a chance to interact closely, on a day-to-day basis, with youngsters whose courage and capacity for joy impressed me immensely. Their smiles and laughter were pure, even as they battled significant personal difficulties for which they were not responsible. Ironically, as I worked with these children I was simultaneously fighting a small battle of my own, resisting my initial resistance to and fear of dealing with these children.

Before I got to know these youngsters, I was worried that they would detect my discomfort, catch me staring at them, misinterpret something I might say, or be hurt somehow by my actions or words. I felt that something socially unacceptable might occur. As I tend to be someone who prefers to eschew confrontation, this at first seemed a threatening possibility. The reality was that once I immersed myself in working with them, my fear of any incidents disappeared. I began relating to these children just as I would normal kids, and they sensed this and responded well. Working with these youngsters, who suffered from Down's syndrome and other serious problems, gave me a greater appreciation for my own health and a new way of relating to others who are ill.

Last summer I was back in camp as a division head. I was responsible for 79 people, including campers and staff, and had ample opportunity to test my skills as a leader, diplomat, and one who gets along well with many different types of individuals.

Deliberately putting myself in a situation that at first makes me uncomfortable is something I have done repeatedly in my life. Being scared makes me conscientious and prompts me to do a good job. In fact, I have discovered that the things I fear the most, the enterprises about which I have the most apprehension, inevitably turn out to be activities in which I excel. Medicine in general certainly represents this kind of challenge, and I would be less than candid if I did not concede that there have been moments in my premed years that I have found intimidating. However, I have also found great exhilaration in the learning process and in finding out that I was equal to any challenges that arose.

My interest in becoming a physician extends back to my childhood, although I also considered such possibilities as becoming a businessman, architect, or pilot. My father is a physician, though, so my exposure to the field of medicine was the most regular and intense, and ultimately the most inspiring. Observing my father at work and seeing his satisfaction with what he was accomplishing made a lasting impression on me. How great to do something with such benefits for others and such intrinsic reward for oneself!

For the past year I have had a chance to be a peer health counselor at my university. Working in my dorm, I provide counsel to students with a wide range of emotional and physical problems. This has given me the opportunity to be a leader and educator among my fellow students while also acquiring a little additional insight into the kinds of problems that a health professional confronts.

I have also worked for two years as a volunteer in my university hospital's emergency room, where I have been able to observe a great diversity of surgeries and the difficult conditions under which physicians often must function. I have come away from this experience with a better understanding of the sacred nature of the medical profession and the importance of the doctor's work. I have seen the need for both kindness and strength in doctors, and I have been impressed by the variety of skills that a successful physician must bring to play in his or her professional role.

Sample Essay

Note: This essay appears unedited for instructional purposes. Essays edited by EssayEdge are dramatically improved. For samples of EssayEdge editing, please click here.

I am a 26-year-old woman who has spent much of the past nine years engaged in such unusual activities as jumping out of airplanes, briefing Chuck Yeager (on more effective flying, of all things!), running through trenches, being a test parachutist, taking apart and then reassembling (blindfolded) a vintage M-1 rifle, earning a pilot's license, and learning how to survive behind enemy lines (including resisting interrogations and escaping captivity). All of this has occurred within the context of my time in the military, which began when I enrolled as a cadet at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Even then I was drawn to science, selecting biology as my major. My freshman year, when I was a lowly ''doolie'' (a slang derivative of the Latin word meaning ''slave''), my grades suffered as I went through the traditional trials of being a first-year military student. It is a psychologically cruel and dehumanizing process (and an existence almost incomprehensible to anyone on the outside), which one must somehow endure while also meeting a full load of academic requirements. The isolation and rigidity of military life made the remaining three years a challenge as well. I frequently tell people that attending the Air Force Academy provided me the best experience of my life (in giving me discipline and showing me the stuff of which I was made) and also the worst.

At the time I graduated, I had a five-year obligation to the Air Force. Despite my continuing interest in becoming a physician, I decided first to fulfill this obligation so I would later be completely free to chart my own course. I chose to become a physiologist with the Air Force because this enabled me to combine my interest in aircraft and aerospace with my fascination with medicine. For two years I ran the hypobaric, or altitude, chamber, teaching flyers how to use their bodies to be better test pilots. During this same period I earned a master's degree in systems management, which I felt would help me do my job more effectively. For the past two years, I have been a human factors engineer, testing and making recommendations on equipment so its design produces optimal human performance. At night I teach scuba diving and, in line with my view that a doctor's proper role is at least partly educational, am earning a teaching credential.

With my military service scheduled to come to an end soon, it is finally possible for me to realize my long-held dream of applying to medical school. While my experience since graduating from the Air Force Academy has been highly instructive, it has reinforced my conviction that I am best suited to a career in which personal and human considerations are given highest priority. The interpersonal aspect of the profession holds great appeal for me, as does the fact that the doctor's actions have a direct and significant impact on another human's life. The constant intellectual challenge, the decision-making demands, the fast pace, and the fact that doctors can see the outcome of their work are other elements which attract me.

I know that I have a highly unconventional history for someone aspiring to become a doctor, but I also know that I have what it takes to succeed. My background has taught me many lessons, including, perhaps ironically, the value of human life and the importance of human dignity.