General Surgery Personal Statement #2
My experiences thus far in General Surgery have been utterly inspiring. During my second year of medical school in Seoul, I completed a sub-internship in Cardiothoracic Surgery where I marveled at how quick and dramatic improvements in patients with congenital heart diseases could be. I was fascinated throughout the entire internship with the procedures and hands-on nature of the creative and dynamic field. I am enamored by the advances in minimally invasive techniques and I am in awe of innovative techniques that improve the patients’ overall experience. I have an endless supply of energy and cannot wait to take part in this incredible creative process. As I also enjoy working with my hands general surgery will provide an avenue for me to do this as well as be creative in my treatment of patients.
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During my internship, I met Dr. KimChee a prominent Korean cardiothoracic surgeon trained in the U.S. He informed me about the his own profound experiences during his training. This inspired me to apply for residency in the U.S., the leading center of medical training and innovation in the world. So after finishing my internship, I prepared to come to the U.S. During that time I worked as a primary care physician in Korea. As a Primary Care Physician I treated a variety of diseases in internal medicine, dermatology, pediatrics and endocrinology, including both chronic and acute disease states.
My interest in academics and research was nurtured during my third year of medical school, working in Dr. Spicy’s lab at Big Korean National University. Studying the biochemical mechanisms of the TSH receptor and its effect on thyroid cancer gave me insight into the power and elegance of research. This sparked my interest in academic medicine and will serve as a foundation for research during my residency.
During my surgical observership to prepare for residency at Big Memorial Hospital in USATown, I worked with patients of different cultures and nationalities and was able to communicate effectively with them while observing hospital care from the point-of-view of the patient and family. Also, I was strongly inspired by the teaching of attendings. Teaching is the strongest asset of residency training in the U.S. and I am extremely eager to participate in a general surgery residency program here.
I have several strengths to bring to my surgery residency. First, I have a strong academic background, including excelling in my core rotation in surgery and winning scholarships in medical school. Next, I have seen huge number of patients for medical and surgical problems as a primary care physician. Spending two and a half years diagnosing patients, following complicated medical conditions will help me as a surgeon, monitoring and following patients in the operative periods. In the future I will be performing surgery on patients that are on cardiac medications, or have diabetes and I will be familiar with their treatment. Also, I am very familiar with the workup and management of medical diseases, and even as a surgeon this will be useful.
General surgery integrates commitment, physical ability and medicine in a patient care environment that is both intense and extremely rewarding. Prepared for residency with my post graduate clinical and research experience, I am optimistic that I will be able to contribute to a surgical training program in patient care, teaching and research.
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