Applying to Medical School - Page 20
Sample Conventional Essay
*
Note: Names and places in this and the following
essay have been changed.
During my freshman and sophomore years at
University A, I worked as a physical ther-
apy assistant on a voluntary, part-time basis at
Medical Center B in Hometown. In the course
of this experience, the most important
conversation I had relevant to my career goal was with
a nurse. I had observed that she was
exceptionally intelligent, knowledgeable, and
competent
and I asked her why she had elected to become a
nurse rather than a doctor. "A physician has
to make a lifetime commitment to medicine; his
profession must be his first priority. I am not
prepared to have my profession dominate my
life." Her response did not surprise me, it only
served to reinforce my commitment to a
profession in which I had become actively involved.
For the summer of 20-, while I could have
continued my work in physical therapy, I chose
to seek a position which I felt would provide a
new perspective from which to view medicine.
Upon returning to Bigtown, I began working at
the Department of Radiology of Medical Center
C. My activities were concentrated in the
Special Procedures Division where one of my duties
involved assisting the nurses to prepare the
patient and the room for the scheduled test. I
observed the procedures which usually were
angiog rams, venog rams, or percutaneous
nephrostomies. I was usually provided with a
detailed explanation in the course of the proce-
dure which was informative and educational. At
the conclusion of the procedure, I listened to
the radiologist read the X-rays and learned
about the patient's problems and the appropriate
treatments mandated. The staff, after getting
to know me, encouraged my spending time with
many of the apprehensive patients to try to
alleviate some of their anxieties and to be gener-
ally supportive. In addition, for one hour each
day, I attended classes with the interns where I
learned basic human anatomy, how to interpret
some of the nuances of complicated X-rays and
listened to a discussion of some of the
interesting cases that occurred each week. My experi-
ences at Medical Center C were so stimulating
that I immediately applied for placement for the
following summer and was accepted.
In June 20-, I began to work as a research
assistant for Dr. Teicher, a surgeon at Medical
Center C. The research concerns the reliability
of the criteria for the diagnosis of appendicitis.
The justification for the research is the
problematic nature of diagnoses as evidenced by the
signif icant negative laparotomy rate. The aim
of this study is to assess the feasibility of
increasing the diagnostic accuracy. A large
part of my activities involves using the hospital
computer to retrieve, study, and evaluate
appropriate patient charts in order to enlarge the
statistical sample. My activities have not only
made me more appreciative of the importance of
medical research, but also it has shown me how
some physicians combine their practice with
clinical research.
After reading the article "The Ordeal: Life As
a Medical Resident" in
The New York Times
Magazine, my understanding of the strong
commitment a physician must make was strength-
ened. Unlike the nurse in Hometown, I have been
impressed by the many doctors who lead rich
and rewarding home lives as well as being
totally dedicated to their profession.
Besides a sense of dedication, I am aware that
appropriate academic ability is needed to
meet the demands of medical school and
postgraduate training. I elected to attend University
A
because it is an excellent institution of high
education and I wanted to be on my own so as to
develop the self-confidence necessary to manage
my life. My high academic performance and
my science MCAT scores confirm my ability to
handle the anticipated demands of the basic
medical sciences. In the light of both my
clinical exposure and educational preparation, I feel
confident that I will be prepared for the
demands of medical education, training, and practice.
I
look forward to beginning this exciting and
challenging adventure.
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