I still remember something, one of my first Internal Medicine mentors told me on the first day of his class when all his students were guessing about a diagnosis, talking about rare syndromes, and the Doctor said: “When you hear hoof beats in the distance look for horses not zebras” I got fascinated, sometimes medicine can be simple but other times it can be very complicated.
Those words still resonate strongly in my head today. During my Internal Medicine internship, I quickly found a mentor in one of the attending physicians with whom I have worked. His infinite knowledge, strict personality and interest for differential diagnosis showed me how exciting the field of Internal Medicine can be. During my years in medical school, I strived to be an outstanding, efficient, and especially empathetic physician who through hard work and extensive knowledge gives the best care for his patients, because that is how I would like to be treated if I or any member of my family was ill.
On a personal level, I consider myself a normal person, who enjoys outdoor activities, reading a good book, watching a science fiction movie and an extreme passion for new technology, makes me wonder how much the human being is capable of developing new implements for medicine and life in general.
As an aspirant, I understand the immense responsibility that an Internal medicine specialization requires. From my perspective, some of the most important values that best describe me and at the same time have made me succeed in my path are commitment, enthusiasm, and dedication. Commitment is important to me, because it guarantees efficiency in my work. I studied in a country of scarce resources and high crime rate, where I was the main physician in a poor community in El Salvador. Through that experience, I realized the contribution that a single doctor can do in the life of a patient.
Consequently, I am proud to assert that I have never failed to fulfill a job. I cannot over-emphasize the promise to succeed that I have made to my family, my friends, my teachers and most importantly, myself. This commitment drives me forward on the path, and gives me the strength to overcome the many obstacles that I have encountered, leaving me important experiences. Also, enthusiasm is vital, since a new world of possibilities, experiences and challenges is open to discover and I have a willingness to learn, be trained, and give my endless curiosity. I always put all my effort and energy to achieve my objectives. Dedication is one of my major virtues because it has let me cultivate my knowledge and my personality in a higher level, trying to give all my best effort to be an outstanding professional.
For these reasons, a residency in Internal Medicine will satisfy my hunger for knowledge and my desire to prove myself what I am capable of. I am pursuing a residency program that will not only allow me to be better physician, but one that will also teach me devout humanity with highly ethical and moral virtues, and sincere working relationships as part of a team. In return, I will bring enthusiasm, commitment, dedication, and most of all, my infinite availability to learn. Thank you for your consideration.
