I was born and raised by a single mother in Jersey City, New Jersey. My mother worked two jobs in order to keep food on the table and afford rent in our high-risk neighborhood. Many times we relied on government assistance in order to make ends meet. Despite our financial situation, my mother always stressed the importance of an education. Unfortunately, the high school I attended had limited resources, which slightly hindered my goal of attending college. The graduation rate at James J. Ferris High School was less than 60 percent. Disciplinary problems, such as fights and disruptions during class, were very common. There were very few honors and advanced courses offered, especially in the health science subjects. Despite the minimal amount of resources available, I did not let this educational burden hinder me from attaining a college education and pursuing my dream of becoming a physician. During my senior year in high school I began working as a piano teacher for underprivileged middle school students in Jersey City. Throughout this time I made an effort to improve in all facets of life and discover the symbiotic relationship between music and medicine.
One of the major roles of a physician is to serve and in serving, a person must sacrifice and give altruistically. Being a servant is characterized by leading by example and striving to be an advocate for equity. As a piano teacher, everyday was about sacrifice and service. I sacrificed and served with vigor and purpose so that my students could have as many resources as possible to attain their career goals. Till this day, I volunteer each summer to mentor and teach middle school and high school students piano lessons. It is gratifying to watch my students grow as pianist and gain an appreciation for the arts, while still focusing on their career goals. In the near future my goal is to expand and offer students from other nearby underprivileged communities opportunities for mentorship programs and an opportunity to express their interest in the arts.
Through my experiences in life I have realized that medicine and music are inexorably connected in multiple ways. Playing the piano has allowed me to offer structure and opportunities for creative expression in younger adults. It has also allowed me to connect with patients at a personal level. Many times while volunteering at the Jersey City Medical Center I would entertain patients by showing them excerpts played by my students to divert them from the depressing daily reality and build relationships with them so that they would feel more comfortable while they were in the process of being treated. This type of interaction made me realize that compassion and understanding can be a strong form of remedy to help alleviate the pain and restless feeling patients may be going through at the time. Providing patients with appreciable medical care gave me the satisfaction to say that I was a part of their healing process. These types of interactions have augmented my desire to become a neurologist and sit at the heart of humanistic sensibilities to healthcare.
Regardless of the educational and financial burdens that I have faced in the past, I have taken initiative, remained motivated, and kept pursuing my dream of becoming a physician. My vision for the future is to serve as a neurologist in an underserved community and treat patients of different ethnicities/races and ages to improve the quality of life in the United States and other countries around the world. It is important for me that I become a multifaceted physician that is able to serve a wide spectrum of patients and give back to the community through volunteer, research, and healthcare education.
