Internal Medicine was first introduced to me, in the clinical sense, during my internship rotations. Through this rotation, I realized how much I was emotionally and psychologically involved in the process of diagnosis, management, and follow-up. I was fascinated by the sheer diversity of cases and the amount of direct patient contact. The approach of dealing with the patient as a totality struck me as being sensible and logical. As a result, Internal Medicine became the field I wanted to explore in greater depth.

I have an inquisitive nature and enjoy challenges and mysteries. I resolved to take on the intellectual challenges medicine offered and dedicate my life to the pursuit of Internal Medicine. Throughout my education, I have steadfastly believed that a good physician must be committed to excellence in all aspects of healthcare, be it medical education, patient care, or research. And what greater satisfaction in my career could I have than to be the primary medical caregiver to a patient as an Internist?

Internal Medicine offers me the unique opportunity to combine my extensive research experience with patient care. I am competent in - and thoroughly enjoy - scrutinizing test results and bring with me the ability to determine what particular investigations indicate about the possible mechanisms behind test results. A residency in Internal Medicine will enable me to research further the various molecular mechanisms involved in the autoimmune process. This research will be strengthened tremendously by my five years of research experiences, especially the work I performed elucidating the mechanisms behind the cross-talk between the coagulation cascade and inflammation, research I conducted while with the XXXX Research Institute of California, in which I worked as a Research Technician III and Lab Manager under the direction of Dr. XXXX.

Being born into a family that has always encouraged utilizing to the fullest extent our inherent gifts, I have excelled in every academic venture I have undertaken. I have adopted my parent's standards of how to conduct yourself in life, be disciplined, be persistent in your pursuits and work hard at everything you do. Throughout my academic career, I have maintained over a decade of conceptual continuity and scored peer-reviewed journal articles to my credit.

I believe I have a high level of cultural competency, which will work well for me in the classroom, one in which I anticipate many international students. I was born and raised in the US, now live in Australia, speak two languages competently, have extensive international education, and have traveled and worked in several different countries, both in the developed world as well as the developing world. My seven months in Kwangyang Shi, Korea, were spent teaching English to school-aged children and adults. I have also taught English to students of varied backgrounds and ages for seven months at a Center for International Languages in Spain. I consider this part of my career to have been the time I developed effective methods for conveying concepts and clearly explaining the basics of English through increasingly creative approaches.   I feel that these experiences will aid me tremendously as I work with diverse students, patients, and other medical professionals in the future, in the classroom, in research work, or in clinical work I undertake.

I give back to my community, volunteering my time with non-profit services that offer free medical care to the uninsured. Coupled with my medical knowledge and clinical skills is my competency in Spanish, which was invaluable, particularly in my work with the Clinica Tepati in California. I've heard it said that medical professionals need to help the poor, sick, and needy at all costs, and through my volunteer work, I hope to be able to live up to that maxim.

The prospect of a residency assignment in Internal Medicine is fascinating to me. This is my field, where I feel fulfilled and aim to leave my mark. I take advantage of opportunities whenever they present themselves. I am intent on filling my time, my life, with being the best primary medical care provider, promoter of healthy lifestyle choices, educator, and researcher. In terms of my future in Academics, I have a great deal of experience in classroom instruction and, as time goes on, a great deal more to impart, as I have described above.

Professional internal medicine requires solid personal skills like hard work, dependability, strong social connections, and more than any other specialization, a profound interest in science, evidence, and constant re-evaluation. I believe these qualities sync with my traits and by integrating my own special interests of serving underserved populations and preventive care, I believe I can realize the goals that I have set for myself as a physician.