Why Do Doctors Pursue Social Desolation?

His breath was raspy and undeniably labored; each inhalation seemed like the most difficult task for the 79 year old gardener. With my eyes transfixed on his lean countenance, I could only pray this man’s lungs would not fail him now. Emergency doctors rushed around, maneuvering the man’s thin frame to a comfortable position. The tension in the room was so thick it could be cut with a knife; any wrong move or call, and this old man may never be able to tend to his precious flower beds again. I had faith that he was in capable hands, yet I still prayed this man’s body wouldn’t fail his determination to live. It was already a blessing a neighbor responded immediately after finding the elderly man pinned under a heavy bag of potting soil; recovery
may not have been possible if more time had elapsed. Individuals holding on to the last shreds of hope just like this man may quickly come to mind when doctors envision the patients whose life they could change. However, I’ve found that medicine does not encapsulate the need to treat only the sick. Despite our illnesses, everyone is subconsciously influenced by the forces of everyday responsibilities. As a physician, I feel it is vital to step back from the initial diagnosis and begin to treat the patient by supporting a dependable lifestyle outside the clinic doors. Consequently, I feel that medicine should not always focus on the individual, but rather should seek to treat society as a whole.
An often overlooked malady that I plan to address is the plaguing societal desolation that affects too many families today. Lack of access to necessary commodities that each individual is entitled to, regardless of their socioeconomic status, have barricaded parents from reaching out to a doctor for the treatment their family desperately needs. These overbearing chains of injustice have weighed generations down, and may continue to do so if a physician doesn’t respond appropriately to the significance of their profession. To be the change requires future doctors to address the challenge, and stand as the counselor, the practitioner, and the friend. Because I can recognize the need to represent those who may become silent amidst tense medical discussion, I feel I can assist those who may have difficulty helping themselves. Thus, I don’t only want to be the apothecary, but the doctor who focuses her vocation on combating the systemic health issues that prevent families from receiving proper care. My motivation for pursuing a career in the medical field stretches far beyond fulfilling the role of a healer. I will strive to be a leader and an advocate for my patients. The greatest healer has taught us that a life of servitude is a life well lived, and this is just the path I wish to
follow. Striving to develop a lifelong career in medicine is understandably a rocky pursuit.
The medical terrain can only be conquered by a student who can push aside the aching burden that accompanies a strenuous climb to the top. There is no doubt I will stumble and fall during my ascent, tripping over the rocks that seem like boulders to me at the present moment. But my recovery from previous obstacles provided me the thick skin that will see these pebbles for the minuscule nature they embody. From sobbing in the waiting room of Tampa General Hospital, finding out that my mother would never recover from an unexpected brain aneurysm, to admitting that anorexia nervosa would soon take my life if I didn’t address my unhealthy level of perfectionism, I have been dealt one of the most difficult topographies to trek across. For example, we could never have predicted that life would be cut too short for my best friend. As the eldest child, I was burdened with responsibilities during a time I could barely take care of myself. I soon became overwhelmed with keeping my family together; I felt helpless watching the people I loved grow so distant from one another. School started to become a challenge for me, and demands at home began to coincide with my academics. Not knowing how to approach my struggles, my health subsequently plummeted to the point where I felt my dreams of becoming a physician could never be fulfilled. After quite some time, I finally admitted I needed the guidance and
structure that only an intensive outpatient program could provide. Thus, I found myself one muggy summer afternoon rolling my suitcase up the pebbled drive of Canopy Cove, a residential treatment facility designed to assist young women plagued with eating disorders. Submitting myself to such an intensive healing process was one of the best decisions I could have made. It was there I found peace; I realized exactly how I could crawl out of the hole of disparity I was trapped in, and once again understood how I wanted my life to unfold. During one of my therapy sessions, I recalled the conversation I held with the neurologist who revealed the news about my mother’s death. The compassion he expressed concerning her situation brought me to tears once again. Death was not a penultimate, he said; it was rather the next chapter of one’s life. What happens on the table can mean life or death, but the impact beyond the operating room can mean so much more. Finishing off the box of Kleenex, I realized how much of an influence I can have on an individual’s life as a physician. I can not only mend the body, but I can touch the soul during times of debilitating distress. Just like my passion to become the physician that my patients could look up to, my dedication to overcoming the entanglements and thickets that threatened to weaken my character is just as fervent. There is no other profession I can picture myself pursuing. Sharing my cultivated medical knowledge with patients and providing them the utmost care they deserve is undoubtedly my primary focus. My perseverance to not only heal the sick, but stand as a liaison for improvement in every aspect of a family’s life will never falter as I continue my education. I will be the physician who is there to offer condolence to the grieving family, and the physician who would never let social stratification be a barrier to care. I can attest to this because I have witnessed firsthand the effect that physician sensitivity can have on a patient’s desire to better themselves, and I seek to fulfill my patient’s life in a similar manner. With the refurbished persistence I have towards achieving my goals, I am beyond confident I can withstand the stark and clean cut nature of the professional world, for I have dragged myself through such a rough period of my life, and come out more optimistic about my abilities than ever before.