Doc, how did they let you into residency.
This is a copy of my personal statement for residency matching I started residency 20 years ago last month.
This is supposed to be a personal statement so let's get personal. Wondering how to represent my dreams, my desires and myself in a precise format is, and should be, a challenge. A challenge is one of, if not the thing that motivates me.
To stay personal let's be descriptive. I'm a geek. This is not harsh, mean or even self-defamation; it is a compliment. I can be described as someone who is passionate and excited about medicine, who thinks that every interaction with patient, peer or attending is a chance to learn and or enhance my life and possibly the lives of those around me. You cannot solve everyone's problems with honesty, courtesy and respect, but they can improve his or her day. It is not idealistic; it is a way to live your life.
A young coed who lived in my undergraduate dorm declared, "Tom; you're weird..." and supported her assertion with, "...Because you think everyone wants to talk to you." I gave a simple and uncomplicated reply, "No, I want to talk to everyone because everyone is interesting to me." People are the most novel and interesting part of medicine, not some disease or procedure. An individual who fits none of the patterns can render diagnostic criteria meaningless and make a procedure infinitely more difficult. Becoming prepared for all the ways an individual can present is my impetus, and a habit that will continue indefinitely.
Emergency medicine (EM) has struck me with no lack of force. From trauma and critical care to the common cold EM utilizes the breadth of medical knowledge. EM helps the entire patient population equally; rich or poor, young or old with every type of pathology and acuity. Does any other field do so many cool things from riding in a helicopter while putting in a chest tube, to making faces at a six year old to build rapport for the exam he or she may need? EM is attractive to me because it aligns with many of my goals. Specifically, it encompasses all the specialties, treats the entire patient population and actively intervenes at a stimulating pace. The emergency department always has a challenge to look forward to on the next chart or gurney.
Recapitulation at twenty-five years young may seem awkward or premature, but looking at the scope and balance of my life comforts me. An Eagle Scout with high school swimming and soccer varsity letters went off to the university. Academics, an area previously plagued by learning impairments [I have dysgraphia] and frustration, changed with the expertise and support of professors and teachers who rewarded my questions in both thirty and 250-student classes. Four short years and three Latin words later (magna cum laude), I had become a powerhouse in academics who completely enjoyed intellectualism. Besides pure honoraries like Phi Beta Kappa and service and leadership honoraries like Mortar Board I still enjoyed swimming and intramural soccer, soccer best because of the international players with whom I developed friendships. On to medical school and I had the chance to continue my community service through youth soccer coaching and school-sponsored events while maintaining academic rigour. Expanding my research exposure through a research and scholarly advancement fellowship I was able to go to Ecuador. There I delivered health care to rural communities and helped with humanitarian efforts all while serving as a friend, osteopath, mentor and teacher to the accompanying undergraduate students. With pause, I know that to this point in my life, I have met and exceeded many of my dreams and expectations from academic honours to a flourishing marriage. I can only continue with the same fervour and try to meet and exceed new goals.
Ohioan by birth, I would like to live and work in the Midwest but travel, service and friendship are things I hope to always enjoy. If they overlap as they did on my trip to Ecuador great. Through service, I hope to aid my peer, assist my superior and treat my patient. To provide care with competence I need knowledge. The body of knowledge before me compels me to attain more. Being enthralled with medicine makes learning its scope much less of a burden and more of an adventure.
This statement precisely explains and shares my dreams, my desires and myself, providing a tool for all to gain insight. Matching a residency with which to share my goals and motivation is an exciting process. Thanks for being a part of it.