My Decision To Pursue Medicine

What intrigues me most about Medicine is the dynamism of continuous intellectual exploration regarding the complexities of the anatomy. I witnessed the problems that arose from them firsthand. Ironically both my grandfathers were diagnosed with a blockage between their left circumflex and left anterior descending arteries. One survived, while the other did not. This experience ignited my curiosity as I researched further into a variety of cardiac disorders. Learning the Science behind them fascinated me.
My decision to pursue Medicine has been gradual, through small but significant steps. The ‘Introduction to Biomedical Sciences’ course at John’s Hopkins in Middle School, gave me hands on experience to understand anatomy through dissections;
As I observed ward rounds, I saw cases ranging from stroke to dementia. Whilst I saw a panel of doctors brainstorm whether it would be right for a coma patient to undergo a tracheostomy, despite him having a slim chance of recovery, I was reminded of some of the ethical debates that I partook in Medical Society. Their advice to the family regarding available options, showed me how a doctor needs to manage both the patient and the emotions of the family.
Post this, my weeklong experience at a private hospital, Mount Elizabeth, exposed me to multiple departments. I saw cutting edge technology machines, from use of robotics at the Pathology Lab to MRI machines, allowing doctors to conduct lung biopsies in minimally invasive procedures showed me a plethora of advancements in the Medical field. In the general ward, as I read patient charts, I familiarized myself with the problem based approach of learning and gained insight into their conditions and understood the logic behind the treatments
I also noted how the doctor knew his patients on a more personal level than the doctors at the large hospitals.
Aside from my academic opportunities, my school provided me the opportunity to volunteer at Ren Ci Nursing Home with terminally ill patients. This was initially challenging, but through interactions I noticed that their irritable nature was due to physical limitations and an inability to express themselves. To channel their emotions positively, I organized art activities where we jointly created cards and imprinted their handprints onto a canvas that is now displayed in their ward. This broke the communication barriers between us as they began to share their life